It is not really known whether the knife or the spoon came first. There is a lot to be said for the spoon, but this is hard to verify because most spoons were made from wood and have disintegrated over the course of time. Knives were often made of bone or stone.

The precursors of the spoon were cupped hands, large leaves, shells and gourds. To make liquid food easier to manage, people began making tools from other materials, e.g. wood, iron, bronze, tin, ceramics, silver and gold. 

 
During the second half of the 1500s, the silver spoon was a way of displaying wealth. However poor the peasant, it was important that he and his wife each had their own silver spoon. A bed to sleep in was not considered nearly as important. The well-to-do and farmers of higher standing owned several heavy silver spoons.

The spoon was worn in the belt, just like the knife. Burghers and farmers carried their spoons stuck through their belts. Women wore theirs hanging from their belts, together with the house keys. This meant people always had their eating utensils with them on their travels. The spoon was personal right up to the beginning of the 1700s, not because of hygiene but mainly because it was practical. By that period, the spoon was kept in a special case that fitted into the pocket.