Made To Last —

The Knives of Hinoki

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The brand Hinoki may be best known for the S1 Gyuto Chefs Knife, but 24-year-old founder Hamish Grace is doing a lot more than just selling blades on the internet with this project.

 

Behind what appears to be a sleek knife brand is actually a mission to create 30 perfect objects built to last a lifetime. Hamish talks to Maekan about the union of traditional craftsmanship and modern design, and how Hinoki is a rebellion against our disposable culture.

Hamish Grace.

“One of our goals is to really harken back to this time of, you bought one thing and you bought it for the long term—you didn’t buy it with this planned obsolescence in mind.”

“To me, the ultimate luxury is something that can be repaired, and I’ve always believed in that. Especially when we put so much effort and hard work into every product that we realize.”

“Our process of manufacturing is kind of inherently opposed to high demand—it’s not a process we can simply speed up to meet this heightened expectation.”

The Hinoki Gyuto with companion oil and cloth.