A Knork In the Road

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Using Your Knife and...Knork?

Post Food Writer Jane Black tests out some of the latest, and quirkiest, cutlery to hit the market.

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At 21, with a decent design in hand, he signed on a few investors and had a prototype made -- "$800 for a fork," Miller remembers. But the issue has always been "getting it into a consumer's hand so they can try it. That's when they realize how different, how useful it is."

Miller says that to date he has sold about 1 million Knorks at 500 independent retailers and online. But persuading people to try something new is a battle. After several years in business, Miller realized he couldn't sell the Knork individually, so he designed a complete set of flatware.

And even those who try it might not see the benefit: Nancy Pollard, owner of Alexandria's La Cuisine cookshop, tested the Knork on a thin slice of grilled steak and salad and found that it cut only slightly better than a regular fork. In addition, she found that the upward tilt of the tines could scrape the top of her mouth. "It's a little better, but not good enough for me to make a change," she says.

Technology advances also are driving designers to experiment. Mark Wilson, a Charlottesville architect, uses 3-D software -- a version of what architect Frank Gehry uses to craft his sinuous masterpieces -- to create his Curvware cutlery. Rather than gripping the utensils, diners pinch each piece between their index fingers and thumbs. The design, ergonomists say, requires "minimum gross motor movements" and therefore makes the utensils more comfortable and efficient. "Thanks to production methods, we've all got the wagon wheel instead of radial tires," Wilson says. "Computers now let us design more exotic shapes. All I have to do is send the file to a manufacturer who can cut it to my specifications."

It's not often you see people looking at their fork, muttering: "We can put people on the moon, but, boy, this silverware is awkward!" But Wilson says there are dozens of common designs that could -- and should -- be improved. Flatware as we know it is functional but far from thoughtfully designed: "We could all drive Buicks. They go from point A to point B," Wilson says. "But a lot of us still want and pay for the Mercedes." Wilson's design is more comfortable, especially for diners who eat European-style, not swapping the utensils from hand to hand after cutting, and keeping the fork facing downward.

Wilson got a patent in 1992, but he only recently began to seriously market the product. Bebo Trattoria's Roberto Donna is a fan, and Curvware is used at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. A set was also on display at the Cooper-Hewitt's "Feeding Desire" exhibit.

Like Miller, Wilson says trying is believing. Instead of mass-marketing his product, he's setting up Tupperware-esque parties at fancy restaurants where guests can try and then, he hopes, buy the product. It's a smart strategy, says author Norman: Early adopters are trendsetters who don't care about price. They'll pay for something cool and then spread the word.

The first Curvware event is scheduled for April 26 at 1 p.m. at Bebo Trattoria in Crystal City.

Still, Norman and others are skeptical that new designs -- even really excellent ones -- will make quick inroads. A lot of designs are just "good enough," Norman says. Take the qwerty keyboard. There are better keyboards that are faster and easier to learn, but not if you've made a habit out of the traditional one. "The 10 to 20 percent improvement you'd get just isn't worth it," Norman says.

"When new innovation arrives, it takes decades before it's accepted. Not months. Decades."

Knork flatware is available at www.knork.net ($27.50 for a five-piece place setting.) Curvware: curvware.com ($99 for a three-piece place setting). Museum of Modern Art's ramen spoon: www.momastore.org ($12, on sale beginning in May). Mono Zeug tools: http://www.unicahome.com ($225 for a four-piece place setting).