Knife-Wielding Columnists

In a video line extension of the Atlantic brand, my fellow columnist Corby Kummer, who covers food, demonstrates how to pick a knife. He believes the handle is what makes all the difference and features an knife-making entrepreneur who uses bicycle grips for that purpose (a great example of the innovative power of new combinations, for all Future and Its Enemies fans).

I'm no foodie, let alone much of a chef, but I'm not convinced. A comfortable grip is certainly important, but it won't make up for a lousy blade. Prompted by Megan McArdle's kitchen blogging, I've become a convert to Kyocera ceramic knives. They're a great example of repurposing industrial materials for domestic use--and they are scarily sharp. If Kyocera needed advertising for its industrial applications (the way these guys do), the knives would do the trick.

Posted by Virginia Postrel on April 28, 2007