The tableware eaten in the west is mainly knives and forks. At first, only knives were used. The early knives were stone knives or bone knives. After copper smelting, copper knives and iron tools were used, and iron knives were used instead. A separate knife is not like chopsticks, nor is it strictly a tableware, because it is multifunctional. It is used to slaughter, dissect, and cut the meat of hunting animals or cattle and sheep. When it is cooked and edible, it also doubles as tableware.
As late as the 15th century, westerners used double-pointed forks in order to improve their eating posture, because the food was cut into the mouth with a knife, and the fork was used to hold the pieces of meat. Forks are strictly tableware, but the weakness of forks is that they cannot be cut with a knife, so both are indispensable. By the end of the 17th century, British high society began to use three-pointed forks, and only in the 18th century did four-pointed forks. So Western people use knife and fork together for only four or five hundred years of history.
Why doesn't the West have a sting? This is related to the fact that Western food is dominated by meat, and meat is related to agricultural structure. Europe is dominated by animal husbandry, bread and other non-staple foods are taken directly by hand. The staple food is beef and mutton. It is most convenient to cut the meat with a knife and send it to the mouth. The ranches and grasslands are vast. Knives and forks are hanging on the belt. There is no place to eat, so you must carry them. After the city settles, the knife and fork enter the home kitchen, so they don't have to carry them.
Knife and fork are used in order from outside to inside. When dining, generally use left and right hands to cooperate with each other, that is, one knife and one fork are used in pairs. Some exceptions are when drinking soup, just put the spoon on the right side-hold the spoon with your right hand.