A pastry fork, also known as a "pie fork", is a fork designed for eating pastries and other desserts while holding a plate. The fork has 3 or 4 tines. The 3 tine fork has a larger, flattened and beveled tine on the side while the 4 tine fork has the 1st and 2nd tine connected or bridged together and beveled.
Pastry/Pie forks range in size from 4" (in English pastry/pie fork sets) to 7½" as serving pieces in silverware (sterling and silver plate) place settings. In many fine place settings the pastry fork and pie fork may be 2 separate forks as well.
It is typically designed so that it can be used with the right hand, while the left hand holds the plate. It therefore has the left side widened to be used like a knife to cut the food when pressed down on the plate. Left-handed pastry forks have the right side widened instead.
Anna M. Mangin was awarded a patent on March 1, 1892, for a pastry fork for mixing pastry dough.
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)