explain over-sized tiki wooden forks and spoons?

Ever since my friends learned that I'm interested in tiki mugs and such, they've been calling me from flea markets to tell me about over-sized wooden forks and spoons with tiki gods carved on the handles.

While I appreciate their efforts, so far I've seen none that I am interested in; in fact, I just don't get the idea.

What is the origin of these things? Do they have any roots in any Polynesian culture? Are they a sculpted prayer to the gods that we always have food? Did people in the 1950's have REALLY big salads to toss? Do ancient astronauts want us to grow large with food? Was this an less-successful marketing attempt that found fruition in collectors' plates? Or was the mid-20th century tiki craze so prosperous for manufacturers that they came up with something food-prep related for people to hang on kitchen walls?

Oh, ye experienced tikiphiles, whats the deal?

Hiya Jackalope,

This might help you:
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3693&forum=5

Sabu

I know what you mean. Those seem to be the most common thing you can find. They were probably carved at a rate of 2 utensils per minute because the tiki images are often so obscure that it is more like playing a Where's Waldo? game as you look for the tikis. The only good use I've ever seen is the TC member who sawed off the bowl and tines and just used the handles to make door pulls for his tiki building. Too bad they didn't carve 3 foot tikis instead of the dumb fork & spoon. Maybe they needed to show that the islands were a major lumber exporter or something?

I have about a dozen of those damn things.

with alittle effort you can cut the less desireable ones up and use them as cabinet handles or something.

i just inherited an african version of tiki fork and spoon from my grandfather. i'm not quite sure what to do with it - they are very intersting objects in ebony or ebonized wood - almost stone-like in texture and feel (about 14 inches long) but they probably won't fit in with the tiki bar once it's built.

i wonder if the african versions followed the u.s. 70's trend or whether they had an indigenous origin.

j$

The two explanations that I received from two different Filipino/Chinese families were:

1. The symbolism means having good health and a prosperous family. The oversizing enhances that symbolism. The spoon and fork were symbols of good health since "food" would be the source for a healthy body (insert hamburger & fries jokes here). They also joked saying that Americans who display their "miniature spoon" collection would bring inauspicious fortune (from the small size of the spoons).

2. The symbolism means family strength since the time that the family is actually gathered together is at meal time. Again, the oversizing is to emphasize that strength for all that visit the home to see.

In addition, I was told that it didn't matter if the size of your family was 1 or 10 (in the home), the symbolism of "family" was anyone who joined you in your dining area. Also, the spoon and fork was to be displayed near the dining table, traditionally the gathering place of the family.

Hope this helps.

Wow SCD, this seems like the first reasonable explanation of this irksome phenomenon.

I have seen giant forks and spoons with more pacific asian figures on them, so those must have been made traditionally, for home use there, and since so many Phillipine carvers made tourist Tikis for Hawaii, they must have had the idea to apply them to their traditional implements and sell them as a novelty item, and it became a big hit. Talk about multi-culturalism!
I wonder what "Tourist mythology" some sellers came up with, though.

i feel a new book coming on... philipine carvers... oh yeh

j$

How bout big lettuce?

Oh man, there's like 3 sets of these things at Value Village at any given time.

I once saw a really nice set, but my fiance won't let them in the house. Somethng about growing up with a pair.

If I remember correctly, they make spiffy double door handles!

Here I have to take exception. I'm sorry, but I won't stand idly by while people disparage this thrift store Tiki collector staple. Along with a Tiki Leilani, a Disney frosted glass goblet, and an ill-fitting old aloha shirt, the oversize Tiki spoon and fork is a foundation piece for a dyed-in-the-wool, real-world Tiki collector. OK, so there is much better stuff out there; NO Tiki collection is complete without a set. It's like a rite of passage. Every dedicated collector MUST own at least one set. If you have to, make it your mission to find the best set you can. Amy and I have at least three pair. OK, there. I admitted it. Believe it or not, there are finely crafted sets out there; and even more unbelievable, they have become more scarce in recent years. It used to be that you would be hard pressed to find a thrift WITHOUT a pair– and they could not give them away. Now when they do have them, they are asking as much as $5 for them! I know somebody who used to cut them up for their Tiki "projects" (door pulls, etc.) and I used to wince. I don't think one should ever take vintage Tiki for granted. Just like the Herb Albert LP "Whipped Cream and Other Delights". We can all have a chuckle at them, but what happens when the day comes and they are no longer there? Dare I say, we will have lost a small part of our soul.

-Duke

[ Edited by: boutiki on 2004-01-16 00:04 ]

Well said! If you can find a decent set of these, they make a nice, cheap addition to your bar, and they can take up the space that will someday feature that elusive Witco piece or the Oceanic Arts 6' Lono you plan to buy when your rich uncle dies. I have 3 sets myself, along with a lonely mismatched spoon that I hope to convert into a giant tiki "Spork" someday, just for laughs. I've seen these in commercial tiki bars and home bars alike. Portland's Jasmine Tree has 2 sets that I've notice, and Alibi has a set as well. Don't dis the GS&F - they are the mayo of the tiki world.

Years ago at a vintage store someone was trying to sell a knife version of the giant tiki spoon and fork combo carrying on how rare it was to find a complete cutlery set. I refused but hope the regret won't follow me to the grave. With the whole set you could invite one of those giant Moai people over for dinner.

I have three pair as well, and I like them. Although I can't explain why. My nicest and largest were found in a thrift shop in Alturas, CA if you can believe that. Bet you can't even find that on a map.

You should see mrsmiley's: He has a pair that are at least six feet long!

That wasn't meant to sound dirty. Really.

My father, who was in the Navy in the 60s picked up my set in Japan.

Sorry if this is too far off topic Quick tiki fork and spoon story: Back in college a few years ago, my roomates and I had a set of these hanging on the wall as my donation to the house. One night while I was greatly intoxicated, we decided to drive through the town on my friend's Vespa with me on the back. I thought I needed a weapon and so down the fork and spoon went. Off in the night a Vespa motor raced through the streets and a crazed drunk lunatic on the back waved his tiki weaponry to onlookers. During the drive, the waving spoon caught the wind and it slammed right into my face. It was hard to explain that welt the next day.

I have a question:

Did Witco ever make a wooden utensils piece? 'cause I think I just bought it at the thrift store.

I'll try to describe it (I'll add a photo later, no digi-cam):

The utensils are dark wood and organic (very Witco looking) and they are mounted on a wood framed chip-board that is broken up into 6 compartments (3 are small and painted in 50's colours, 3 are large and the wooden knife, fork or spoon are mounted inside). The overall size of this piece is 3 1/2 feet tall by 2 1/2 feet wide. All the utensils are mounted with the handles pointed upward.

More detail:

The compartments occur as follows; the piece is divided into three columns.

The first column is then intersected at about 5/6ths of the way down. The top part of the column houses the large wooden knife. The bottom part of this first column (from the left) is painted aqua blue.

The second (middle) column is intersected at about 1/6th of the way down. The top section is painted a darker orange. The bottom 5/6th houses the large fork.

the third column is intersected like the first column, about 5/6ths of the way down. the top portion houses the spoon. The bottom section is painted a light yellow ochre.

Any info would be appreciated.

-Slacks

[ Edited by: Slacks Ferret on 2004-01-23 12:43 ]

Those big utensils always make me hunger 'cause I'm a big man with a big appetite!

I think I found the giant oversized chopsticks that complete the set.... no, wait... those are just pool cues... darn the luck.

i now know, the Transportation Security Administration do not consider Giant Tiki Forks & Spoons as prohibited carry on items on aircraft.

i was suprised to see my dad walk off the jetway with a set of oversized cutlery draped around his neck. yes, he had fastened the fork & spoon together with twine.

had I been a TSA agent, i would have thought "Gee, asian guy with giantic wooden tableware ~ looks a bit like nunchucks. and gee, they also dont fit in an overhead bin. maybe this might be a security issue"..

good thing my dad's not a 'sleeper agent!'

and lucky for me, i FINALLY have a set of big salad servers! (but they're sorta more african than tiki..)

elicia

I found a plastic one; I've never seen them in plastic before.

i've got a pair in plastic. I bid on them years ago.. description said they where wood. oh well, It was a dry spell.. now I can't shake one of thos oversized spoons with out hitting any wne i go to the thirft stores.

I could've sworn they had something to do with Wayne Coombs!!

I have gone thru several sets of them...they are best epoxy'd screwd or glued to outhouses, restrooms,sewage or septic out buildings, or around anything which is nausiating.

Go now thee, and plant these seeds of wisdom where you will!

SLACKSFERRETT!

WHERE IS THE PICTURE?

Aloha!

A variation on the giant tiki utensil theme :

so, are those scissors GIANT?! Can you maybe post a pic with something for size refrence? I don't think I've ever seen scissors that big before!

I think I mentioned this in a previous thread, but their true purpose is for tossing Wahine Salad! (You can't argue with Elvis, can you?)

Sabu

On 2004-12-02 17:04, puamana wrote:
A variation on the giant tiki utensil theme :

Aye, there's a knitting shop (don't ask) in my town that has a pair of these scissors in the window. I was tempted to make them an offer for about 5 seconds until I realised how shite they would look anywhere in the house.

Trader Woody

clearly they're for cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of your tiki bar!

My Witco fork, knife and spoon. Sorry about the crappy photo.

On 2004-01-15 08:31, SugarCaddyDaddy wrote:
The two explanations that I received from two different Filipino/Chinese families were:

1. The symbolism means having good health and a prosperous family. The oversizing enhances that symbolism. The spoon and fork were symbols of good health since "food" would be the source for a healthy body (insert hamburger & fries jokes here). They also joked saying that Americans who display their "miniature spoon" collection would bring inauspicious fortune (from the small size of the spoons).

2. The symbolism means family strength since the time that the family is actually gathered together is at meal time. Again, the oversizing is to emphasize that strength for all that visit the home to see.

In addition, I was told that it didn't matter if the size of your family was 1 or 10 (in the home), the symbolism of "family" was anyone who joined you in your dining area. Also, the spoon and fork was to be displayed near the dining table, traditionally the gathering place of the family.

Hope this helps.

Bollucks! These are a throwback from the days before the salad friendly "cherry" tomato was cultivated. Huge wooden implements were needed to deal with the unwieldy sandwich sized vegetables.
:wink:

I salivate whenever I see these. I have one set but I need more! I also have a matching serving bowl with identical tiki on the handle.

Mrs. MTM is full-blooded Filipino and she confirmed what SugarCaddyDaddy said. It is symbolic of family, good fortune and happiness. Go to any old-school Filipino's home and you will find the wooden spoon and fork. Some of my Filipino local friends here joke about the wooden spoon/fork thing as one of their culture's "quirks"...

On 2004-12-20 23:29, MaiTaiMafia wrote:
Mrs. MTM is full-blooded Filipino and she confirmed what SugarCaddyDaddy said. It is symbolic of family, good fortune and happiness. Go to any old-school Filipino's home and you will find the wooden spoon and fork. Some of my Filipino local friends here joke about the wooden spoon/fork thing as one of their culture's "quirks"...

Yes also shell lamps and and needle point are required. :D

Yes also shell lamps and and needle point are required.

... and the gentle aroma of bagaong wafting through the house...

:wink: