The "fork" subject is one open a bit to "deviant preferences." Even with the best of "carving forks," without a good work surface you're often likely to use the fork to propel your turkey into the lap of the guest of honor. The typical "platter" is not an ideal surface. If you're likely to be carving for guests at the table, I'd recommend that the carving fork be accompanied by a "table board," preferably of generous size, with a large drip channel all around, and I wouldn't object to a couple of little "anti-skid spikes" in the center area. The typical "ritual carving" is a "made for embarrassment" situation. Too small a space, usually standing in a awkward position, too much nearby clutter, - but with practice it can be a noble thing.

Since I rarely "carve" at the table, I usually just "grab hold" as appropriate on the big meat board. For the squeamish, or with guests who insist on watching, you can don a surgical glove (or a baggie). If you cut raw meat there, you should of course carefully clean and sanitize the board, and/or lay a clean smaller board on top before carving. Nearly all meat should be "rested" after it comes out of the oven (or pot) enough that it shouldn't be too uncomfortable to "lay hands on it." It will slice much more cleanly once the temperature has settled.

I would have included a good "gravy fork" as a needed accessory, but here they are impossible to find except in antique stores. Often called a "granny fork" this is the small fork about the same size as a dinner fork, but with thin, flexible tines, and ideally a wooden handle. Useful for turning bacon in the skillet, and larger meats if you're careful. If you can find one sufficiently flexible, they're what you stir the "sop" with in the skillet; but you need to be able to flatted the tines against the bottom of the skillet to scrape the crumbs loose. Serious research indicates that the last such (in name only) item imported into the US was before 1981, and that was an abominable piece of sh*t designed by a Chinaman who had never seen anyone eat with a fork, much less cook with one. Calling a "granny fork" doesn't make it useful. The last couple prior to that were only "marginally usable," and as best I can determine there have been only four styles made or imported here in the past 40 or 50 years, ONE of which was not too bad. I use a couple I picked up at the antique mall. They run $10 or more in my area if only "badly worn," and more if they're in fairly good shape.

Some people like to keep a pair of "kitchen shears" handy. If you deal with a lot of shellfish they can probably be useful. I keep a clean pair of ordinary scissors for opening stubborn packages, but find the use of shears on most meat unnecessary. You can generally do a better job of separating things with your good knife, if you look for the right place to cut, than by attacking with shears.

And the etiquette books say you must eat your meat with a fork if it has bones that are cut. You can use your fingers (chicken, etc.) if the meat has all "uncut bones." Using shears or a cleaver on "finger food" might embarrass the guests by breaking something. (But I do wonder how you apply that rule to fish.) :-)

Once the basics are at hand, there are any number of "special" tools. Maybe we'll get some offerings there as well.

John