bob wrote:

> BTW: The trick with those is - after you break them apart (sometimes a
> skill in itself) - remove any splinters by drawing the edges of each
> stick across each other like using steel to sharpen a knife. I learned
> that from a friend in Hawaii many years ago.

You are correct that we have this practice. Some folks (it always seems
to be males) will place the chopsticks in the palms of their hands and
rub the palms rapidly together. This makes a cheerful clattering sound
and is a way to knock off splinters too. I don't go through either of
these rituals myself - I like the taste and feel of splinters in my
food. :-)

Some chopsticks used to come with a little toothpick in the paper sleeve
although those are rare these days. If you happen to get one of these,
the toothpick might have a little knobby thing on the end. That part is
meant to be broken off and used as a little chopstick rest so you can
lay the chopsticks on the table without the ends touching the surface.