Archistrial Gets a Handle on Cutlery Design (2014)

 Of all factors considered in the making of high-end professional cutlery, few are as important as grip design and material. Until now  little attention has been given to this one component that actually connects the chef to the cutlery – the handle.

As designer and maker of premium tools and components, Henry has for over 30 years applied his award winning skills to creating bionomics designed grips for fishing and camera gear. Through Archistrial Designs, Henry has now recognized the importance of insuring that cutlery handles finally catch up to other advances in cutlery.

Existing cutlery designs have contributed to an increasing number of chefs developing the painful condition of tenosynovitis of the wrist, referred to as the ‘Achilles heel” of professional chefs who log long hours and hard days in the kitchen. It is now time to address this issue before cutlery tenosynovitis brings down any more of our cooking friends.

​

After analyzing cutting motions and grip designs of "traditional cutlery"  it became apparent that one culprit is a lack of proper balance between blade and grip. Another significant factor is grip shape, which ideally should conform to the hand.  This dictates a grip design with the grip curved on the top, thereby providing support in the void in the palm when the fingers curl to grasp the knife. In addition the angle between blade and grip is critical.

​

Improper balance, bad blade-grip angle and poor grip shape cause forearm tension and abnormal wrist angles which result in strains that manifest as numbness or pain in the elbow, wrists or index finger.  Over time this can lead to tenosynovitis.

​

Our prescription for treating these combination these conditions is a revolutionary ergonomic design we call the “Bionomics Grip/ Tension Buster” which allows for a truer balance between blade and grip, thereby reducing tension by providing a more comfortable distribution of cutting motion throughout the fingers and hand.

The Bionomics/Tension Buster Cutlery is available in hand-forged high-carbon steel, Ginsanko or VG10 with durable paperstone grip.    We offer a wide variety of blades for various occasions.