The aim of this project was to study, in an ergonomic way, the use of knives, an particularly the most used one: the Chef's knife, to produce a new one, more user centered and human friendly.
Our study was developped in three parts:
- A concurential watch to analyse existing knives, from the bottom to the top of the range, but also "ergonomic" ones, made for disabled people.
- Readings from ergonomic publications (Ergonomics & Applied Ergonomics), articles about hand and knives.
- A field study with Canadian & French cooks: professionals chefs, amateurs and beginners.
- A concurential watch to analyse existing knives, from the bottom to the top of the range, but also "ergonomic" ones, made for disabled people.
- Readings from ergonomic publications (Ergonomics & Applied Ergonomics), articles about hand and knives.
- A field study with Canadian & French cooks: professionals chefs, amateurs and beginners.
We developped ours knives based on the previous study, and particularly the position of the hand on the knife: The more experienced is the user, the more his hand move closer to the blade.
So we propose a fade between the handle and the blade to help this movement, but also for more comfort and less pains to the fingers, and to make a smaller knife (a 8' blade on a 11' knife).
We decide to prototype one of ours knives with cheap materials, and this one was tested and validated by a professional chef, so we made a new one with real materials, a stainless steel blade, riveted in a cocobolo handle:
So we propose a fade between the handle and the blade to help this movement, but also for more comfort and less pains to the fingers, and to make a smaller knife (a 8' blade on a 11' knife).
We decide to prototype one of ours knives with cheap materials, and this one was tested and validated by a professional chef, so we made a new one with real materials, a stainless steel blade, riveted in a cocobolo handle:
