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1 7 THE KNIFE RACK www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2016 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW BUTCHER BLOCK CONDITIONER FROM HOWARD PRODUCTS When used after every wash, Howard Butcher Block Conditioner helps keep butcher blocks and cutting boards both functional and beautiful. This specialized wood care product meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations for direct and indirect contact with food. The penetrating quality of food-grade mineral oil, along with the water-resistant traits of beeswax and carnauba wax, rejuvenates wood and helps to prevent it from drying and cracking. The natural waxes also help repair knife marks and protect the wood by keeping the mineral oil in and the moisture out. Wooden cutting boards, butcher blocks and countertops are making quite a come- back. Help preserve and protect these special wooden surfaces. Vegetable oil is for cooking, not treating a cutting surface; it will smell rancid after time. Howard Butcher Block Conditioner is a blend of natural waxes and food-grade min- eral oil, and will never go rancid. It is ideal for everyone from the gourmet chef who owns expensive butcher blocks to health-conscious parents with bamboo cutting boards. Howard Products 800.266.9545 www.howardproducts.com FUSION WOODS BY PACIFIC MERCHANTS Fusion Woods modern design is an innovative concept based upon the functionality of traditional cutting boards, cheese boards and wooden serving trays. Made from up to five different exotic wood varieties, striped wood patterns are melded to- gether into a rich palette of natural wood grains and vibrant colors. Fusion Woods serving boards, paddles and serving trays have a rich modern feel and offer an elegant presentation when entertaining. Each board or tray comes with an attractive hang-tag attached to a crossed-tied natural raffia string. A compact wooden counter display is available free with minimum purchase. The holiday collection is ready to shop on October 1. Pacific Merchants 888.207.8999 info@pacificmerchants.com www.pacificmerchants.com Sabatier's Edgekeeper Self-Sharpening Block Lifetime Brands, Inc. has built on its Edgekeeper™ with the addition of the Sabatier® 13-piece Edgekeeper Self- Sharpening Cutlery Block. The storage slots with built-in sharpeners will automatically sharpen the knife blade every time the consumer removes or replaces the knife into the block. Bob Vakarian, Group President, Lifetime Brands, Inc., commented, "After a successful launch of our Edgekeeper open stock cutlery, a block set was a logical extension. This set includes all of the key knives a consumer would need at a tremendous value. And it addresses key customer complaints about knives not staying sharp, and knives being WÜSTHOF Releases New Steak Knife Set WÜSTHOF has broadened its range of steak knives with the introduction of the Four Piece Plum Steak Knife Set. The new set is available now at retail nationwide at a suggested retail price of $99.95. Suited for cleanly slicing through the thickest steaks and chops, as well as roast chicken, turkey and other poultr y, the laser-cut stamped, full-tang steak knives feature a 4 ½-inch long straight edge blade made of a high-carbon stain-free steel that resists rusting, holds its edge and facilitates sharpening. The new steak knives are distinguished by their pronounced wide blade which, combined with a comfortable handle crafted f rom a rosy-hued plum wood, give the Four Piece Plum Steak Knife Set a traditional steakhouse feel that can A Slice of the Millennial Market Shun Cutlery's Shun Kanso line offers a sleek style of cutlery aimed at drawing in a younger, hipper target audience: Millennials. "Its a departure for us," says Scott Zahm, Director of Sales for Housewares Division at Kai USA. "It's got a completely different look and it was the first brand series we developed where we did focus groups with our target audience. Our focus is to drive Millennials to the brand." It's become popular with the younger audience because, according to Zahm, when it comes to kitchen knives, the newly available Shun Kanso line is not your parent's Shun. Released in 2015 exclusively through Williams-Sonoma, Shun Kanso was specifically designed to appeal to a younger demographic with its affordable price point, minimalist design and new look. The entire line is principled from the Japanese idea of simplicity — which is what Kanso means — and can be seen in the both the blade and the handle's design. "We stripped the knife to its core elements," says Zahm. Blades in the Shun Kanso line are made from Japanese AUS10A steel, providing an upper-end, highly-refined, high-carbon, vanadium stainless steel cutting-edge with a finish that provides a rustic look while hiding scratches. "We call it our heritage finish," says Zahm. Continuing on the idea of simplicity, the handles in the Shun Kanso line are made of Tagayasan wood — also known as iron sword wood — which are dense, durable and provide a simple beauty in its cutting control. Zahm says that the hard-wood handles provide a balance and strength for both new and experienced cooks — too difficult to sharpen. This cutlery block set takes the guess work out of sharpening your knives and helps make having a sharp knife a non-issue for the consumer." Vakarian added, "Edgekeeper is a great opportunity for retailers to help solve consumer knife sharpening problems and offers exceptional value at the same time." The set, available with either forged triple rivet knives or stainless steel knives, includes an 8-inch chef knife, 8-inch slicer, 5- inch santoku, 4.5-inch fine edge utility knife, 3.5-inch parer, six 4.5-inch steak knives, all-purpose shears, and a block for a suggested retail price of $129.99. For more information, visit www.lifetimebrands.com. KN complement any kitchen or home dining setting. Plum wood, which is exceptionally hard and features an attractive, straight grain pattern, is exceptionally durable and comfortable and provides the set with a striking, on-trend design. For additional durability, the handles are triple riveted to the blade. The accessibly priced Four Piece Plum Steak Knife Set provides most everyone with the opportunity to use the world's finest cutler y when enjoying their steak and other meat dishes, and also provides shoppers with a chic and practical gift appropriate for many occasions, such as graduations, weddings, birthdays and holidays. All WÜSTHOF knives are fully guaranteed to be f ree of defects in craftsmanship. For further information please visit www.wusthof.com. KN something Millennials crave. " We are excited about Kanso because it appeals to Millennials," he says. "After listening to [the focus groups], we knew we were on the right track." The right track, as Zahm calls it, actually began in 2013 when Shun released its Shun Sora line to market as the most affordable line of cutlery f rom the company. " We started with Sora," says Zahm. "It has been very successful with Millennials and has brought in more of that demographic to our other lines." Shun Sora combines traditional Japanese aesthetics with the company's patented Composite Blade Technology, creating a series of knives that brought a contemporary style that appealed to Millennials while influencing how the company would move forward with future lines. "We try to be spot on with our products and we want Millennials to want and use them," says Zahm. "That's why we started using [focus groups]. It's a strategy we will be using with future lines." The success of Shun Sora influenced the company to engage the younger demographic with the release of Shun Kanso. According to Zahm, this also meant that Millennials were becoming interested in what he calls super high-end lines — like Classic or Premier. "As brand recognition grows with consumers...it grows with Millennials as well. And now, Kanso is becoming the entry point for Millennials to use and eventually consider trading up to our higher-end products." The brand recognition by Millennials has increased as well, according to Zahm, as the company has seen double-digit growth with demand exceeding supply at this point. "When I started six years ago, people would ask: 'What's a Shun?' Now, people come up to me at trade shows and tell me how much they love Shun. It's the brand Millennials are wanting to own." KN

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