As a former Chef with wide experience handling numerous kitchen knives over the years, I have personally encountered the constant issue of wrist discomfort. Tragically, many of my talented colleagues have had to abandon their culinary careers due to such debilitating pain. This very challenge served as the initial motivation for me to embark on the journey of designing knives. Too many kitchen knives exhibit a clear imbalance, often being excessively heavy towards the bolster. I firmly believe that this design flaw significantly contributes to the cumulative strain on the wrist over years of professional use.
In contrast, our knife design philosophy places supreme importance on this crucial aspect. When developing a new model, our process always begins with sculpting the grip in clay. Then we start designing our knives with the handle in mind. How the grip feels and works and thereafter deciding how the blade and the whole look will turn out.
My personal observation of many other kitchen knife manufacturers suggests a different approach – one where the blade is the primary focus, and the handle is a secondary consideration. This may explain the prevalence of similar handle designs paired with varying blade shapes.
Sure, great steel in a kitchen knife is super important for making a good one. But I don’t think it’s the only thing that matters. Consider the simple task of preparing a few carrots and an onion. Certainly, a knife with exceptional steel and an aesthetically pleasing handle can accomplish this. However, the true test lies in the experience of using that knife for 8 to 12 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week, for 3 to 4 years. This extended and demanding usage reveals the critical importance of ergonomics.
My vision when creating these knives is to fundamentally recreate the kitchen knife. I strive for a design where the ergonomic grip is either the primary consideration or shares equal importance with the blade steel. This contrasts with the current state with a prevailing tendency to prioritize the steel while neglecting the crucial design of the handle. This is the core difference of our knives: we have focused intently on resolving the constant challenges associated with prolonged knife usage.
Regarding our steel selection, we maintain an active curiosity in exploring new materials. Numerous new projects are currently underway in this area. Further details about the specific steels we utilize can be found in the ‘Our Steel’ section. Currently, our primary choices are our own ST650 powder steel and Aus-10 steel, both of which have demonstrated exceptional performance in our laboratory testing.
Instead of merely producing variations of the same knife with different steels, our focus lies in crafting kitchen knives with distinct balance points and grip designs, tailored to specific tasks and user preferences.
Initially, many questioned our entry into an already crowded market. However, we believe our success has proven them wrong. This achievement is not solely attributable to diligent effort; it is also a testament to the significant support we have received from chefs worldwide. Some of these inspiring culinary artists are featured on our homepage, showcasing their remarkable food creativity and passion. It is thanks to their endorsement and encouragement that our company was founded and continues to drive our developmental work within the world of kitchen knives. We also want to say a huge thanks to the Red Dot Award. They acknowledged what we’re doing and gave us a win back in 2024 for our A-73 Legacy knife. You can read more about that here.
