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Collectible Reed
& Barton Master Mustache Spoon with original red flannel blanket, SASM
pamphlet and spoon box.
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Mustache
Spoon, or etiquette spoon, with guard to protect the gentleman's mustache from
being soiled.
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Popular during the Victorian era, collectible mustache spoons, also known as etiquette spoons, comprise more than twenty patented
styles, as well as all the other necessary mustache spoon "gear" to go with them. At a time when the mustache was the height of
masculinity and many of the revered military officers were virtually required to sport a mustache, the first patented mustache spoon
was claimed in March 1868 by New York spoon designer, Solon Ferrer, and was about the size of a soup spoon with a guard to hold
the mustache free and unsoiled of the liquid beneath it.
These collectible spoons are two-tiered and made specifically to protect the well-groomed mustache from unsightly dribbles and
unbearable messes. As mustaches were pampered, waxed, trimmed, curled, dyed, and brushed the need for protective cups and
mustache spoons increased. The contact of the mustache waxes and dyes with hot liquids created a humiliating display as the waxes and dyes dripped and ran down the man's face, and the carefully curled ends of the "handlebar" sagged and drooped. Some
mustache spoons have detachable guards, and were made for left and right-handed gentlemen. The majority of mustache spoons
date from the late 19th century through the early 20th century at which time the favor of mustaches began to decline.
Interest in collecting mustache spoons seems to be directly related to the cultural popularity of mustaches. Since the period of
mustache spoon production was short-lived very few exist, but the slow demand for them has made them easily attainable at
substantially lower in price. Reed & Barton is one of the most familiar makers with their Master Mustache Spoon, while other known
makers include George Adams of London 1876, and John Round and Son, Ltd.
Here is an excerpt of a Reed and Barton brochure issued with their reproduction of the original "master" mustache spoon which came
gift boxed with a red flannel blanket for dining out.
The "Master" Mustache Spoon banishes SASM forever" - (SASM: Sloshed and Sopped Mustache)
"Leave us face it. the well-groomed mustache is no longer a tonsorial fad dredging up Barbershop Quartet images. for it is the now
look, at once stylish and civilized, the mood one of conservative chic. but the mustache is still without its little problems.
Like soups. And chowders. Oyster stews and lobster bisque. The Mustache Spoilers. Now, however, with your elegant new Reed &
Barton Mustache Spoon, you can bid farewell to mealtime trauma induced by ornery hot liquids that bedevil the lordly mustache. Just
as your forefathers did. For your Mustache Spoon is an authentic reproduction of a famous 19th century Reed & Barton original,
designed circa 1870, for the distinguished men of old. Just as in days of yore, the ingeniously pierced gleaming 'guard' on the spoon
protects you from that dreaded gastronomic gaffe, SASM - sloshed and sopped mustache.
Today, fine gentlemen everywhere are applauding the revival of the time-honored Mustache Spoon, which unlike ordinary eating
implements, may be carried by the fastidious owner to haut cuisine the world over, snugly alert in its dashing red flannel 'security
blanket.' Ready to be whipped out for the soup de jour, in the spirit of a breed of men set apart. Your hostess will smilingly approve,
while the other guests will mark you as a man of clout, someone to be reckoned with.
So treasure your Mustache Spoon. It will return your loving attention a thousandfold, serving you well throughout the years, keeping
you dry, wide and handsome at any groaning board, at home or abroad, 'til death or mustache do you part."
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