The designers of Maple Set, Federal Project wanted to look at kitchen knives from a new perspective. They focused on the essence of a knife – that key component that people think about when considering a knife. They isolated the blade as that defining component and designed around it as the highlight of the product.
Reducing the size and visual weight of the blade turned it into a sliver of polish and refinement. From there, the designers looked at other kitchen tools and felt that the warmth of wood made it a great material in that context. The stark contrast of materials worked well to highlight the smaller blade and blend the body in with its surroundings. The result is a beautiful product that breaks the mold of traditional thinking on an everyday product.