The winner of the Cutting Edge trophy at PH/CHA Excellence in Housewares Awards 2009, Robert Welch Signature Knives are setting a new standard in kitchen knives, and the story behind the journey explains the tradition of quality craftsmanship that permeates this British family-run company.
The late Robert Welch began his design career in 1955 and is credited with some of the most important and influential British household designs in the last 50 years. Amongst them Kitchen Devils Professional knives from 1984, the Chantry Classic knife sharpener and Prestige kitchen tools, not to mention the vast expanse of silverware work.
Asian Knives
Now his children Rupert and Alice are heading the company, carrying on his work and taking it to new levels, the main change being a new marketing of the Robert Welch brand in its own right.
It all started in 1991 when Rupert decided on a change of career and joined the small team at Robert Welch. He wrote a business plan to direct the company down a new route towards creating their own work for their own brand, rather than taking commissions from well-known household names. Robert wasn't keen initially but Rupert set about turning his vision into reality nevertheless. Alice similarly had a career change from beauty therapy to take on PR work and visual merchandising for the company. She is now marketing director and the proof of the brother-sister team's success is plain to see.
The next step on the road to brand implementation was in the form of a cutlery set which was snapped up by Virgin for its Atlantic Upper Class in 1998. It wasn't until after Robert Welch's death in 2000 however that the brand really took off. In 2005 they set out to design 'the best knives in the world', focusing on 'aesthetics, comfort, ergonomics, performance and wide market appeal' ('Modern Heritage, Progressive Housewares May/June 2010). It took two and a half years for the design team, working with professional chefs, to develop the Signature knives range.
Each Robert Welch Signature knife has been specifically designed and individually constructed for its task in food preparation. Fully forged in German stainless steel and hardened to Rockwell 55-56, every knife has a full tang for extra strength and a weighted bolster for a perfect balance in the hand.
The blades are honed and tempered to razor sharpness using World Edge Geometry, a technique inspired by Japanese master sword craftsmen. This produces a precision edge when slicing to give maximum quality for minimum effort.
The handles are made from Dupont material and are moulded onto the full tang. They are finished to the highest standards to ensure that no food particles can become caught, thereby eliminating any food safety risks. The 'RW' signature initials are part of the tang and 'run through' the whole handle.
The full Robert Welch Signature range encompasses all knives and accessories required in the kitchen: 8cm and 10cm vegetable knives and 14cm kitchen knife for peeling and small intricate preparation work; 12cm serrated utility knife and 14cm serrated tomato knife for those tough-to-slice food items; 12cm, 14cm, 18cm and 20cm cooks knives for the bulk kitchen work, all with a slightly curved blade for an easier chopping motion; 16cm flexible filleting knife for accurate skinning and filleting and finer slicing; 17cm santoku knife for multi-purpose work with an Asian-style blade; 22cm bread knife for bread and cakes; 23cm carving knife with beautifully long curved blade for effortless single-stroke carving, 18cm carving fork and a smaller gift boxed carving knife and fork set; and the all important 23cm sharpening steel for keeping the knives at the peak of sharpness. Also available is a pull-through knife sharpener set to the angle of the blade for easy sharpening, a wooden drawer knife holder and a knife block set comprising six knives and integral pull-through sharpener. The slots in the knife block have magnetic walls to prevent damage to the knife during insertion and removal from the block.
For the consumer costs are lower in comparison to its brand competitors such as Global and Wusthof. This was a conscious decision by the company because affordability was important to them. The Signature knife range has moved the Robert Welch brand on from department store stockists to independent cookshops as well, where the sales assistants receive training from the company on the products to optimise sales. Demonstrating the Signature knives range is a pleasure that is then passed on to the customer when they experience the knives' attributes for themselves. Few customers can resist Robert Welch Signature knives once they have tried them out in store.
It's an all-round winning formula for Robert Welch; beautiful design with graceful, flowing lines; impeccable quality for ultra-sharp, precision use; affordable price to appeal to a wide market; and of course that all-important British design heritage. A new standard has definitely been set by Robert Welch Signature Knives and will be hard to beat.
Robert Welch Signature Knives Offer a New Vision for Kitchen Knives
Helen is a very experienced member of the team at Cooks and Kitchens, a UK-based cookshop that had the distinction of being voted Britain's Best Cookshop 2005 and the runner-up for the same title in 2008. As one of Britain's leading cookshops, all Cooks and Kitchen's staff members have to show a deep knowledge of products like kitchen knives and cookware, in addition to being able to offer detailed advice on pretty well all areas of cooking, preparation and presentation. As one of the longest-serving members of staff, Helen has this knowledge in depth and she just happens to be a skilled writer, having graduated in English. For more information on what we do at Cooks and Kitchens, please see http://www.cooksandkitchens.co.uk
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