'Toginon' is a new range of kitchen knives that we have designed for Japanese manufacturer Shimizu Hamono in Seki City in Japan. Seki is one of the seven remaining swordmaking towns in Japan, and these knives are sharp! The antibacterial blades are laminated from 80% copper alloy and 440C stainless steel, the hardest metal used for knife blades.

The knives are being marketed as 'eco-friendly' as they form part of a product-service system and have been designed to minimise their environmental impact. Every knife comes with two blades, and when one is blunt, you remove the handle and post it back to Shimizu where their craftsmen recondition and sharpen the blade for you. While they're doing that, you use the spare sharp blade and the knife stays as good as new for its whole life.

It was quite a challenge resolving issues like corrosion, water ingress into the handle, removal of the handle, ergonomics, grip and creating a new visual language. The solution was to use rubbery inserts which seal water out, give a colour accent and provide grip even for oily hands. The coin operated screw means the handle is very easy to remove and components are easily separated for recycling.

The project was carried out in conjunction with the Oribe Design Centre in Gifu City during 2004 and the knives are being launched in late 2005.

To see the Japanese 'Toginon' website visit www.toginon.com