Introduction
We’ve all seen them: those sets of (usually four) cheese spreading knives with the little handles in cute shapes like Santas, animals or foods. “Novelty Cheese Spreaders.”
Most purchasers of them presumably bought them as gifts for others. The recipients, many of whom, not believing that they need more than one set, not being party-throwers or not sharing the same taste in humorous kitchen tools, promptly (or after some years) re-gifted them, consigned them, listed them on Ebay or donated them to a charitable thrift store.
And that’s where I come in.
My collection started innocently enough, perhaps in the early 2000s, when in a consignment store I found a set of four spreaders with handles shaped like different fruits. My husband and I ended up using these fairly often (although he put the grape one in the dishwasher once, and I had to re-color it with a purple magic marker – always handwash!).
 |
| My first set of cheese spreaders. I had no idea when I bought these that they would be the start of something so long-lasting. |
After a few years, I happened upon four vegetable-shaped ones and thought they would go well with the fruit ones.
Then I found a set with handles shaped like different sorts of cheeses, which I figured would be quite useful, as I often used my spreaders for cheeses.
But then fate led me to a set of little European-looking wine waiters. It was the little waiters that did me in.
For more than a decade, I have not been able to pass by a set of these spreaders (if at thrift or consignment store prices) without purchasing it and adding it to my collection. I now have at least 250 spreaders (Update: many more now) and find myself not only searching them out specifically at local consignment stores, but also trolling Ebay for them. Where will this madness end?
 |
| This was my collection in 2012. (Update 2020: many more now.) |
And I’ve started thinking about my spreader collection: How should I store them? Should I leave them in their original boxes (if they are still in boxes when I purchase them)? Do other people collect them? And does anyone do so systematically as serious collectors, or only randomly accumulating them? Is it even possible to collect them all? How many different designs exist?
Which leads to more existential questions: Who makes them? How long have they been around? Who exactly came up with the idea of spreaders with little figural handles on them in the first place?
And cultural questions: Why do they seem to be a solely American phenomenon? Is there some unique cultural trait that draws Americans (and mostly American women, I would hazard) to such items, while people from other nations disdain the frivolity of such objects or do not appreciate the humor of their design? (Or could this type of spreader simply not be available in other countries, some vast potential market for them remaining untapped?)
In their defense, novelty spreaders are not wholly frivolous in nature; there is a certain functionality about them. Their short length ensures that they will remain in a small bowl of dip or spread, or upon a small plate holding a soft cheese. And the size of the blade makes them useful for spreading things on small crackers or bits of bread.
However, the utter and completely unnecessary ridiculousness of the handles leads one to the conclusion that their appeal must be largely humorous. And humor, as we all know, is far from universal. What one person finds charmingly silly another may see as unredeemingly stupid and not funny in the least.
But perhaps I am overanalyzing something that needs no analysis. At any rate, my blog may occasionally attempt to answer some of these questions, relate my latest acquisitions, attempt to catalogue the different designs of spreaders that exist and give other information that I discover about collecting cheese spreaders. I hope any readers that exist may find it interesting, enjoyable and perhaps even informative.
I colllect cheese spreaders as well! I wasn't sure if anyone else did. Yours is much bigger than mine but I now receive them as gifts. Yesterday my mom gave me some older christmas ones and one has stacked teacups, the last one has a tea pot. Too cute. I have a large issue with not knowing where to store them too. Right now they are in glasses and pencil holders. Boxes were too big to keep. Did you find a solution to this or did you just keep them in the boxes? Respond back if you would like to email about this
Kim, How wonderful to hear from a fellow collector! (I knew there must be a few others out there, but you're the first to get in contact with me — thanks!.)
As far as storage, I have started leaving them in their original boxes if they still have them when I purchase them (and I store the boxes in large cardboard boxes). But those without original boxes, I put in some display boxes I made (which you can see in the last photo above if you click on it to make it larger). I used a box like this: http://staples.packagingfinder.net/Shop/PM3RB-C265.aspx (although my Staples carries them in packs of maybe 6, so I didn't have to buy $63 of them!). I used a ruler to make very light lines across the top, maybe every 1-1.5", and then used a small paring knife (about the same width as a spreader) to make cuts in the cardboard, about 1-1.5" away from each other. Then you can simply stick the spreaders into the cuts and they stand up so you can see the handles.
It's not a beautiful display method (I read somewhere that one woman's husband made something similar for her out of wood for a more permanent display, but it only allowed about a dozen spreaders to be displayed), but it does do the job.
It's lovely to hear from another collector! I feel bad that I haven't written more than one post on this blog page (I assumed no one would ever read this!), but if you're interested, sign up to follow by email and then I'll feel more motivated to post when I get new spreaders, to share my acquisitions — but only if you're interested 🙂
Yes I would def be interested! I'm very excited to find another collector too. The internet is so helpful haha I started a blog similar once but I think I just canned it figuring no one would see it.
I was discussing with my coworker today about ways to display them and he suggested finding magnet strips and attaching them to some type of board. He also suggested in covering the magnet with a thin piece of material so it doesnt look so much like a magnet…but I have not tried to do that yet. Basically a display board of sorts. I see your boxes now, I missed them before. I would go that route or something similar if the magnet is a huge fail.
I hope you continue to update and I will make a post about my collection as well!
You can find my blog on my collection here: crazycollectorcheesy.blogspot.com
When I tried to find your blog, I got this message:
This blog is open to invited readers only
http://crazycollectorcheesy.blogspot.com/
It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog. If you think this is a mistake, you might want to contact the blog author and request an invitation.
Could you send me an invitation, or perhaps change a setting if you didn't mean to make it private? Thanks!
Oh geez. All fixed. I am new to this so I must have accidently set it to private. Should be visable now
Oh my there are other spreader collectors out there! I thought I would "spread" information about how i display mine. I love them I think they are so cute and unfortunately irresistible…. I now have mine displayed in old wooden spoon racks, you know the ones they used to have for spoon collections. I made the slots to fit the spreaders. I have 2 big wooden spoon racks that holds about 24 each and they are hanging in my kitchen. I was just trying to think of another way to display the spreaders because I have more in a cabinet, and so I thought…….. Hmmm I should google my troubles, and that's how I found this blog!
Hello Janiam, How nice to hear from another collector! You have joined the ranks of the few — I've come across six of us now online. That's a very good idea for displaying spreaders: I hadn't thought of wooden spoon racks — thanks for sharing it with us! (I'll try to add it to my Collecting Info page, as it could be helpful to others.) Did you have to use a jigsaw or something to make the slots the right size for the spreaders? And I'm curious how many spreaders you have in your collection, and if you collect certain themes or have favorite sets? Thanks for getting in contact. -Beth
I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, I don't use the email address this was sent to anymore and I just happened to check it for some saved emails and I saw yours.
In answer to your questions:
I used a rotary tool to make the slots, (I have a picture but not sure how to attach it).
I have 66 spreaders, I collect the ones I like and then some I got when on vacations as my souvenir. A few sets were gifts.
I also have a picture of the spoon holders i turned into spreader holder. I just found the blue one at Goodwill and need one more. I think I am going to paint them all and then hang them in my pantry. That is my summer goal since I'm off for the summer.
I haven't taken time to check out this site so not sure how to attach photos. How do I do that?
Thanks,
I'll SPREAD the news about this site to some of my friends who collect them……
Jan
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hi Jan, Thanks for your reply (I understand about the old email addresses). And thanks for letting me know how you made your spoon rack holders. I'd really like to see the photos of them, but after Googling how to add photos to comments and trying to add code to my template, it failed to work (my deleted reply). You could click on the Email Me button I just added at right, and email me the images. If it's OK, I could put them on the blog for others to see (just let me know if that's OK).
That's pretty cool that you get spreaders as souvenirs of places you visit — are they themed for the places, or just ones you find there?
Thanks for SPREADING the word (hee hee) about my blog…
-Beth