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The Knife Rack THE KNIFE RACK www.kitchenwarenews.com n APRIL 2017 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 2 1 6 PCS BIG WOOD BLOCK CUTLERY SET FROM GUNTER WILHELM Made from premium X50CrMoV15 German steel, this reliable knife will last. It gets its superior hardness, durability and flexibility from optimized multi-stage heat treatment with CRYO ice-hardening. A new and improved full triple-tang handle gives the user and knife balance, control and precision, included with the SMART-BOLSTER™ design. Guaranteed with a lifetime warranty. Suggested retail price: $479 Gunter Wilhelm Sales@gunterwilhelm.com 201.569.6866 REVERSIBLE CHOPPING BLOCK Michigan Maple Block Company has been producing maple chopping blocks for more than 125 years. This 15-inch square end-grain chopping block fol- lows the tradition of the company's Wood Welded ® products. It's large enough to chop, cleave, carve, slice and dice, and small enough to stow when not in use. End-grian construction means the wood grain is verticle to the cutting surface. A modern and compact take on old-style meat market blocks, this block will endure years of use, yet is gentle on knife blades. Available in four wood types and easy to clean with soap and water, plus a little mieral oil or wood conditioner. National Sanitation Foundation Certified. Suggested retail price: $68.03 Michigan Maple Block Co. www.butcherblock.com 231.347.4170 mmb@mapleblock.com SWISS DIAMOND PRESTIGE KNIVES Made with the highest-quality German steel from the tip to the handle base, Prestige Knives feel comfortable in the hand and offer unsurpassed cutting control. The full tang of each knife and perfect balance delivers durable, flexible blades. Ice hard- ening of the steel increases strength during manufacturing, and an eight-stage grinding and sharpening process results in an ultra-sharp cutting edge. The knives come in a 8-inch chef knife, 8-inch carving knife, 8.5-inch bread knife, 7-inch santoku knife, 5-inch utility knife, 3.5-inch paring knife and 7-inch cleaver knife. Suggested retail price: $29.95 to $119.95 Swiss Diamond customerservice@swissgourmetusa.com 980.224.9044 BOSIGN SPREADER KNIFE AIR, LARGE The self-standing Spreader Knife Air is designed to minimize the mess on kitchen surfaces during use. "During the design of Bosign's spreader knife, our objective was to integrate all the functionality in the natural shape of the butter knife," says product designer Harald Hynel. "Nothing added. Just a shape and its inherent function. The result is a func- tional spreader knife with a clean shape. A butter knife with shape and function in perfect harmony." Ideal for spreading butter, jams, soft cheeses and dips, Bosign's Spreader Knife is a stylish and decorative addition to any dinner table. The grip-friendly shape and form of the handle adds extra power when cutting into butter. The Spreader knife series is offered in two sizes and two materials, stainless steel and wood. In addition to the Red Dot Award, the Spreader Knife received the International Design Plus Award in 2016. Suggested retail price: $48.40 Bosign, Stockholm 46.0.8.661.00.92 en.bosign.se Shun Cutlerys' 15th Anniversary Part of what has enabled the Shun brand to innovate, said Matsushima, is the use of technology from Kai's other brands, which include sport and utility knives. All of that sounds rather complicated and mechanical, but all Shun Cutlery knives are made by hand. "All our knives are hand- sharpened, handles hand-finished. There's no lines of robots at any stage of production," said Matsushima, adding that each piece must undergo at least 100 individual steps before completion, and that some take many more steps. "With the knife industry and cutlery in general, it 's been pretty stagnant for a number of years, since the days of the mom- and-pop manufacturers," Matsushima said. "Fifteen years ago, people didn't know the difference between German style and Japanese style cutlery," but now things have changed, and consumers know the difference. "With blade material, what we're seeing is there's the VG-MAX, the clad material," said Matsushima. "We're seeing DualCore starting to take hold, and a slight trend toward lighter knives. People are moving away from the heavy, club-like knives to more agile knives." That trend, he said, comes from the new paradigm on the family in the kitchen. Consumers need knives that are more personal, lighter and more versatile, that everyone can use. "Cooking has become more of a focus than a chore. People get together and pitch in and help cook at the same time. It's not just about enjoying the meal, but the whole experience." This year at the International Home + Housewares Show, Shun introduced new sharpening tools and barbecue knives. "For 2017, a big push for us will be sharpening, with whetstone products," said Matsushima. "We're introducing a couple new things." He said he's personally excited about the introduction of brisket knives and new shapes for the boning filet. "We'll be combining those in both the Classic line and Kanso for a barbecue set…. People are spending thousands of dollars on backyard grills, grills in general, and it's becoming a more recognized segment of the culinary seal." In addition to Shun cutlery, Kai USA produces sporting and everyday carrying knives under the Kershaw brand, and premium and professional knives under the Zero Tolerance brand. For more information, visit www.kaiusaltd.com. KN (cont. from Page 1) Boska Releases New Stainless Steel Cheesewares Boska Holland has launched the Copenhagen product line, stainless steel cheese tools for $9.99. The line consists of a slicer, grater, three cheese knives for soft, semi-soft and hard cheeses, and two knife sets. The tools are made of stainless steel, which means that they are shiny and stylish, as well as dishwasher safe. They come with the standard Boska 10-year guarantee, promising high quality and a lengthy lifetime. "Everyone needs a great set of cheese knives in their lives," said Designer Frank Bleeker. "They are a great investment and a beautiful way to complete your cheese board." Boska identified a clear need among American supermarkets: their customers wanted stainless steel looks for a steal of a price. The design team went to the drawing board with a mission and came back with a line of products that fit the need. Boska believes that ever y cheese deser ves its own knife, to avoid cross- contamination and bring out the best in each cheese. W ith the right knife, experiences with cheese are better and easier. Boska is also releasing the Cheese Slicer Monaco+, a new cheese tool that is designed to take slicing to the next level. It is the successor to Boska's bestselling Cheese Slicer Monaco. W hat makes the Monaco+ slicer so unique is patented non-stick treatment, which makes slicing young cheeses simple as pie. The blade has a quilted pattern so that the cheese is less likely to stick or roll up. The slicer is sharpened on both sides, making the slicing experience very smooth. It received an honorable mention at the Red Dot Design Awards in 2016, for its functional and attractive design. When asked about his creative vision, Bleeker said, "I transform creative or traditional concepts by bringing them to the modern day and using modern trends. But as opposed to art-focused colleagues, I work on making a complete picture. The designs have to make sense in terms of functionality, commerciality and design. An art piece doesn't have to have a practical use, but everyday tools do. My designs have to be functional and look good at the same time. That's a really great challenge." To date, Bleeker has acquired four Red Dot Awards for product design, as well as two honorable mentions for the Boska brand. For more information, visit www.boska.com. KN

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