Cutlerette

Without workshop access, I work from a desk in my shared house, limited by space, money and the tools available. Without machines, fundamental processes take a lot longer. During prototyping, I worked mainly with a hacksaw and set of files. This naturally guided me towards an opportunistic design process rather than a linear one. It forced me to be observant of connections between existing products, using pre-made forms wherever I could. 

The prototype I created was closer to an assemblage than a design concept. The idea began with the hobby knife handle, and found its shape with the cigarette case, which matched in material and texture. From there, the other details came quickly. Using repurposed parts from commercially available products, cut and sanded to size, ensured that everything could actually be made, while spending time hand-working the material forced me to understand it fully.