For this year’s Table Knife Project, we’ve designed a set of five knife handles crafted in tin. Tin has been used for centuries in cookware and tableware due to its non-toxic, food-safe properties and natural resistance to corrosion and bacteria. Historically, it was a prized material for preserving the purity of food and drink, often used in pewter-ware and early kitchen utensils.
Our knife handles are made using a traditional sand casting process, drawing inspiration from the fine details of the original 70-year-old blades. By choosing tin casting, we pay homage to this age-old craft while giving it a contemporary identity.
Each handle is cast in a closed sand mold, where the prepared blade is placed, and molten tin—heated to 300°C—is poured in. As the metal cools and solidifies, it encapsulates the tang of the blade, creating a seamless and durable bond.
This method results in five distinct handle designs, each bearing a unique surface texture from the sand molds. The raw, organic finish of tin contrasts with the polished stainless steel blades, offering a simple yet striking aesthetic that reflects the diversity of shared meals."
Alejandra Perini is a Colombian designer, a graduate of ECAL, based in Zurich. Her works speak the language of her explorative curiosity and distinct sensibility for the interplay of materiality and process. Finding inspiration in the properties of material, process and human interaction unique to every project, her Designs radiate this genuine fascination for, as well as highly personal relation to skilled craftsmanship and semi industrial process.
Jonas Villiger is a Swiss designer based in Zurich and a graduate from ECAL. He has a background in art production were he draws inspiration from craftsmanship and the exploration of different technologies. In his spare time, he enjoys being outdoors and tinkering in his workshop, where hands-on experimentation plays a key role in his creative process.
Together, Alejandra and Jonas collaborate to bring their perspectives into a creative process. Combining their expertise in material exploration, craftsmanship, and production techniques, they develop projects that balance functionality and emotion, tradition and innovation.
