Creative Cutlery

[ChrissyM]

People don't usually think of cutlery as anything more than utilitarian..
it something we use to eat with, and nothing more to most, but it seems that there are a lot of designs in cutlery out there that are actually quite interesting

Some of these knives make me want to cook more, simply because I think they look cool

Hibiscus, Splash and JAX collections from culinhome.com

 

[ChrissyM]

some geometrically inclined flatware from bdf-id.com
(photo credit to pureaustriandesign.com)

 

[ChrissyM]

from christofle.com

 

[MulletProof]

amazing thread, chrissy!. my sister and I love looking at those things..
.. I have this obsession with knives.. and I don't mean this in a creepy way , but I love cooking and it's difficult finding one that's sharp enough to slice very juicy tomatoes, figs or mangoes and not make a mess on the plate..
.. love the one you posted with the flower-y print?.

 

[Whitelinen]

ChrissyM, you are creating wonderful threads lately! I definetily take notice with what kind of cutlery I eat with. But my tastes a little bit different from the examples you posted, as I like the "older" designs, preferably from the 1800's. The examples I am now posting are not antique, but the ornaments and designs are replicas.

Source:www.warriss.co.uk/cut1.html.

 

[Whitelinen]

[SIZE=+1]Beautiful Victorian Knife Set with Unique Carved Holder[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Price: $395.00 -- Inv #: 2005-0499[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]A very unusual set of 12 pearl handle Victorian knives in a wood holder with bead work. [/SIZE]

www.carystationantiques.com/inventory.cfm?Cat=54

For some reason I cannot post the photo, but click the source-link.

 

[ChrissyM]

amazing thread, chrissy!. my sister and I love looking at those things..
.. I have this obsession with knives.. and I don't mean this in a creepy way , but I love cooking and it's difficult finding one that's sharp enough to slice very juicy tomatoes, figs or mangoes and not make a mess on the plate..
.. love the one you posted with the flower-y print?.

the knives in the first post are what inspired me to start the thread actually

I saw them in surface magazine and thought they were so great... unusual with the etchings but clearly still meant to be used...
they look like they would cleanly cut through anything and not make a mess of things, just like you said

I'll post what was written about the knives as well because I found it interesting...

 

[ChrissyM]

here it is...
from surface magazine issue 64, initials KOE after the write-up:

In the Decor Collection from CulinHome, each of the etched, stainless steel knifes designed by Rama Chorpash have a unique muse. The Hibiscus collection features an Asian flower, which in the mind of the designer serves as a cultural bridge between the knives' production site in Asia and the western world; the Jax collection is inspired by 16th-century Persian latticework and mathermatical patterns, while Splash's markings ripple in circles like rain on a still pond. Each of the designs are available in eight variations and are made of surgical-grade steel, so they'll stay sharp no matter how tough the recipe. "Cooking is a joyful act," says Chorpash. "Using the knife as a canvas was a way to break the severity of the object. Knives are generally seen as masculine, but by tatooing them I hope to add a layer of softness and humanity." We hope that when it comes to cutlery, looking good will also equate to eating well.

I like that she calls the designs "tatoos"..
I never would have thought of it that way

 

[softgrey]

omg chrissy...
what a great thread topic..
awesome!...

this is actually one of my favourite things...

i am very picky about what i will actually use...
it's not just about how it looks for me...but i am VERY obsessed with cutlery being well balanced and comfortable to use...
make the whole experience of the meal that much more enjoyable..

...

will post pics as i come across them...!

 

[ChrissyM]

I'm glad to see that there's enthusiasm for the topic

i thought it was going to be one of those threads that dies quietly but figured I would start it anyway

It can be really difficult to start these art & design threads because of the availability of photos on the internet and my lack of a scanner..
but... did some more googling and found some photos of Greg Lynn's flatware for Alessi....

from airtranmagazine.com (of all places )

each utensil recalls the shape of flora or fauna...

second pic from what appears to be a blog

 

[iyemstoopid]

^ i remember seeing those at the cooper hewitt!

 

[DosViolines]

Great thread

Chinese Ivory stainless steel and acetal resin cutlery, 1977
Design: David Mellor
Production: David Mellor Ltd

designmuseum.org

 

[Luna]

Wow.. those are crazy... LOVE IT! The first knives are for the serial killer with a designer chic edge to them.

 

[McGovLau]

Oh my god I love the one's in post #12. I never thought people would turn cutlery into an art like this I like it, I love it.

 

[DosViolines]

Zaha Hadid doesn’t slave for ergonomics, which helps explain the unorthodox shapes of the new Zaha stainless flatware she developed for WMF, a German manufacturer. The pointy spoon is marvelous for excavating ice cream, and the knife feels molded for the right hand. The wildly asymmetrical fork apparently favors the left; in the right hand “it’s a bigger challenge,” admitted Achim Bölstler, head of product development for the company. The flatware certainly makes eating a conscious act, though the word Mr. Bölstler used was “adventure.” Next month Unica Home will sell the utensils in a five-piece set for $250, in a box emblazoned with Ms. Hadid’s signature. For information: (888) 898-6422 or unicahome.com. CRAIG KELLOGG

nytimes

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

great idea for a thread. i'm very particular about knives too.

 

[jennifer~]

Wow.. those are crazy... LOVE IT! The first knives are for the serial killer with a designer chic edge to them.

Well, you've got to watch Deep Red/Profondo Rosso. (Don't wanna ruin the ending...)

 

[ChrissyM]

knives by MKS design (a company founded by Adam Simha based in Cambridge, MA--they mostly make modern furniture out of steel)

I couldn't get the pictures off the site but I think they're worth looking at... the handles seem very utilitarian and they seem sort of "manly"...
more like something i would find in my dad's toolbox than my mother's kitchen

http://mksdesign.com/

edit: found a picture!! from purecontemorary.com

 

[ChrissyM]

Toni Grilo for Christofile did some very untraditional and interesting things with cutlery/flatware... whatever you want to call it

Spoon Bowl: Only 20 were made

In his 2006 ‘From’ collection, Toni Grilo, the 28 year-old Franco-Portuguese artist audaciously reinterpreted the creations of the great Parisien silversmith, Christofle – turning knives and forks into works of art. Produced in Christofle’s ‘Haute Orfèvrerie’ workshops from 30 silver-plated Christofle spoons, this surprising but apparently effortless piece is one of the collection’s most charming. You can’t help feeling that the illustrious role call of Christofle’s historic clients (King Louis-Philippe, Napoleon III, the Tsar of Russia, the Emperor of Mexico, Pope Pius IX among them) would have approved.

www.20ltd.com

i think the table is very cool B)

photos from outnext.com

 

[DosViolines]

Jean-Christophe Karich will soon have his Flat Salad cutlery produced for Pandora Design, a salad spoon and fork that are made from a single piece of flat wood.

mocoloco