Knife designs - ramblings

[M&J]

Most of my designs are fairly conservative and rounded. This evening we were talking about some of the current trends that feature straight less rounded shapes. I've done a few test pieces and invariably find that actual use these are not comfortable. For a few cuts it isn't significant but holding and using for any time it becomes bothersome.

Granted I find these straighter edgy designs visually appealing yet in use the looks are above actual function.

Thoughts-experiences?

[Ray Rogers]

Same. I see it as a sign of the times like all the facial piercings and complicated haircuts. These things choose form OVER function instead of form FOLLOWS function . . .

[M&J]

I was handling one of the current kitchen knives that had a pretty wild handle shape and visually I thought it was cool looking. When thinking of cutting through a winter/kabocha squash-pumpkin, that thin handle would not allow the user to spread out the hand force evenly so it would create a pressure point.

It was commented than my designs are dated, I can agree that I'm old school. Looking at knives at the kitchen supply shops or meat cutters, they are not using edgy straight, thin type handles. The sushi chefs and fish mongers aren't using these knives. Those multi-hundred year old designs have proven to be practical with an optimized shape for hand comfort.

For us wanting to sell knives, finding a balance in aesthetics and use can cross that line of being impractical. That's what is shown in the mags and on social media as the hot trends now.

[Doug Lester]

I have a couple of knives in my knife block that I thought were really nice looking but when I put them into use the handles were just too small to control the blade. Lesson learned.

Doug

[M&J]

Modernizing some adds visual interested though my perception is that these shapes have come into being because of the function over the decades or centuries of use. Even among the meat cutters/butchers knives at your local meat dept.

Been at the drawing board to modernize some of my conservative design approaches lately. This has been an ongoing mental game as to what to integrate that remains a functional-comfortable piece.