The New Classic Collection is a fresh approach to German-style kitchen knives. It introduces soft ergonomic curves, straight cuts and a single triangular rivet in a consistent aesthetic. The forged stainless steel body has a particularly long bolster to improve strength, balance and grip. Each knife has an icon on its back to represent its main function, ensuring a friendlier and faster interaction with the set. The set includes all the essential tools for cooking enthusiasts. The modular beech wood block consists of separate small blocks can be acquired as a set or separately according users’ cooking needs and budget. They can be configured in multiple ways through magnetic connection dots to adapt to different living space conditions.

Innovation： The main innovation with this product is at an experiential level, achieving a useful, durable and beautiful set of tools that put user needs at the center of the design. Every part of the product is designed to detail, from the ergonomic handles, blade types and the icons that improve access, to the modular blocks and the way people can evolve with them in time. The product is a result of the blend between industrial manufacturing technologies and handmade intervention, achieving slight hints of uniqueness on every piece. Utility： User observation shows consumers prefer to buy single knives rather than standard sets, missing out on proper storage for the single items. This family of knives are grouped in modular blocks so the user can buy the exact modules he needs according to his budget and needs. The tool collection offers 6 different knives and a pair of shears that cover all essential needs in a home kitchen. Blocks protect the knives and keep them organized in a clean and accessible way. They can be connected by embedded magnets in multiple configurations to form a single unit. They harmoniously adapt to multiple kitchen areas (drawers, cabinets, countertop) without affecting a correct access to all the knives.

Environmental-friendly: The New Classic Collection aims to change the paradigm of fixed knife sets that force consumers to buy a whole system of products even if they only need two or three items out of the whole set. Its main scope is to offer what is really needed, reducing significantly the amount of items consumers purchase but will never use and end up as waste. It consists on a set of separate small wooden blocks with a 2-knife capacity each, that allow the user to acquire them together or separately and then configure them in a single unit . Blocks are made out of natural beech hard-wood, which can be easily tinted with natural stains in a wide array of tones and can withstand frequent use with ease for a long time. This reduces the use of plastics and allows easy modification on the structure for future updates without having to produce new complex toolings, thus reducing resource consumption and waste. Aesthetics： The New Classic Collection is a fresh approach to German-style knives. Itintroduces soft ergonomic curves on the contour of the body mixed with straightcuts on the butt and bolster of the knives in a consistent aesthetic construction togive life to useful sober products. This gives a modern twist to the classic knives,ensuring the robust feeling yet expressing a much more dynamic and distinctdesign language. The classic German circle rivets were rethought into an iconicsingle triangular rivet that represents the logo of the brand in its minimalexpression. The icons on the back of the knives add character to the set througha friendly use cue that make each knife stand out for its particular use.

Main designer: Mauricio Carvajal Design team: Design2Gather Manufacturer team:DKS Enterprise Co.,Ltd Design2Gather (D2G) is an international product design company that brings designers and companies together from all around the world. The studio aims to transform the best ideas into reality by designing products that create impact for the end user and lead to a unique market postition. Located in the heart of China, Shanghai, and the innovation capital of the Netherlands, Eindhoven. The D2G is a team comprised of international designers who design and develop products for noteworthy Chinese corporations as well as international corporations from the USA and Europe. For both markets, the team is focused on user-centered design, developing innovative new products and strong visual product identities. Customers select D2G due to their unique approach in which they focus on collaborating with manufacturers in an early stage to optimise products.

The forged stainless steel knives are manufactured through mixed techniques, blending the high precision of mass production processes in the basic rough first sample with the uniqueness and skillful touch of handmade intervention in the final forming and polished finishing of the whole body. The construction of the knives presents a particularly long metallic bolster that flows sinuously into the blade to improve strength while cutting, better balance for control and more accurate grip for precise chopping.

The Collection allowed DKS to launch a product that challenged their previous production processes and business model. The introduction of mini blocks instead of monoblocks called for a new way to market the product through benefits and not quantity; moreover, the use of standard materials to achieve high end quality were not yet explored by the company, thus, improving internal processes and making the leap from OEM to OBM a natural success. The biggest achievement from the design point of view was the possibility to create and launch a product that challenges the everyday expectations, making small innovations in usability through simple use cues and ergonomics. This in the end resulted in a product that puts quality and excellent use experience at the hands of everyone.