Jun 26, 2015 | By Alec
While 3D printed tools and innovations are slowly but steadily entering our homes, the kitchen has so far stayed largely off limits. But even that place isn’t sacred anymore, as one team of Massachusetts-based knife specialists has launched a crowdfunding campaign for custom made knives that rely on 3D printing to create perfect ergonomic grips for chefs of every level.
With these next-generation knives, the startup NextGen seeks to take cutting into the 21rst century. For as founder Jeremy Fryer-Briggs explains, the knife as a kitchen tool hasn’t changed much over the past few hundred years. ‘Our entire company started with a simple observation - chefs are taught to hold their knives with their thumb and index finger on the blade for maximum control, yet chef's knives are not designed for this. When you try to hold a regular knife properly, pressure builds up in the pad and heel of your hand and it hurts,’ he explains. ‘The results are the gnarly calluses most chef's wear with pride, and lingering hand pain for the rest of us. We realized that while there is a whole lot to like about traditional knives, advances in metallurgy, chemistry, and automation technologies could be incorporated to create something MUCH better. ’
Their solution are top level knives in a series they call the San Sebastian Custom. Featuring a personalized NextGrip (which is based on a scan of the user’s hand) and a top level American steel blade, this series of knives are simply very different from the typical kitchen knife. The grip extends much farther onto the blade area, to provide as much control as there is a comfortable grip, reducing stress and pain without sacrificing accuracy.
These concepts are the result of an extensive research period. ‘We spent the last year observing how people hold their chef's knives and gathering data in the form of 3D models. Our NextGrip™ shaped handles are the culmination of this research and are designed to better reflect the way people naturally use their chef’s knives,’ Jeremy argues. ‘Your hand is unique. Your chef's knife should be too. We developed a method to capture the critical features of your hand using inexpensive, readily available technologies, and then convert those measurements into a high quality one-off grip tailored to you.’
These custom grips are based on laser scan data of hands to ensure maximum support for each and every chef. These grips themselves were thoroughly prototyped using 3D printing technology. The steel of the knives itself are made from top level materials, and are made in a single piece using CNC technology.
And as chefs are known to be picky people, the people over at NextGen have even developed three different versions of the knife to choose from: The Pro 8 Chef’s Knife (a resilient professional grade knife for everyday use), the Elite 8 Chef’s Knife (with the absolute highest quality steel available), and the Custom 8 Chef’s Knife, featuring a custom made ergonomic handle made from Teak. When ordering the latter of these Kickstarter creations, they therefore do ask everyone to make a high resolution scan of their hands (alongside a US quarter for scale).
If you’re interested in ordering one of these beauties, there’s some good news. The Kickstarter campaign to launch the San Sebastian series is already well on its way to gathering the $25,000 necessary for success, with more than half already pledged. The campaign will be ongoing until 16 July, so be sure to check it out here. Shipping is set to begin in November.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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I will like to get one with my name owned And another one for my cheft christ
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