JOHN PAWSON FOR WHEN OBJECTS WORK

John Pawson’s collection of steak knives for When Objects Work is the outcome of collaboration with the specialized Japanese knife makers KAI. The knife’s spare formal language is a modern expression of proportion and detailing, but is recognizably informed by longstanding aesthetic precedents. Pawson’s design takes contrasting conditions – curved and straight, matte and gloss, the handle’s heft and the slenderness of the Damascus steel blade. The seamless assimilation of Pawson’s contemporary vision and KAI’s age-old craftsmanship is reflected in the refinement of the finished object. Every example of the organic patterning produced by the working of the metal is unique and perfectly complements the rich grain of the ebony handle.

set of 4

damascus steel with ebony makassar handle