Each product we craft has a story behind it. This one started with two friends — our founder Robert and his long-time business partner, Mr. Deng.
Robert has always found connection through camping, gardening, being outdoors, and traveling to new places. He enjoys cooking, whether it’s a simple hot meal cooked over a campfire, or trying new flavors and recipes in the kitchen — inspired by people and cultures he’s encountered.
He discovered a unique handmade, all-purpose from a maker in Wyoming, USA. Its versatility for indoor and outdoor use invited another thing he values — simplifying life. It inspired him to create something similar in quality, usefulness, and design that would be affordable for everyone.
This kind of inspiration is where a lot of Robert’s ideas come from. It’s not simply seeing the thing, though. He lives it. Robert’s way of living life outside the box comes to life in the products we make.
Mr. Deng is a long-time business partner and friend of our founder, Robert. We etched his family “Hanzi” on each of the Chef Knife’s he’s produced.
Calling On An Old Friend
Mr. Deng, an exceptional metal engineer, agreed to come out of retirement and help create NoBox’s first product. One of the last products that Robert and Deng worked on together, was the Cricut cutter. Wait, what? A craft product? Yes.
Robert and Mr. Deng were the creators of this product. This was also something that had not been made before. The success of the Cricut machine enabled Mr. Deng to retire. Robert would periodically ask him to work with him throughout the years. It wasn’t until the chef knife, though, that Deng obliged.
The Challenge In Creating The NoBox Chef Knife
Designing a knife that was comparable to a hand forge blade AND keeping the cost down took some ingenuity. The heating and cooling process had to be done with precision in order to produce a durable blade. Creating multiple blades at the same time leaves a lot more room for error in this process. If it’s not tempered properly, the metal can become brittle. As far as we knew, no one had attempted a process like this.
Mr. Deng’s ingenuity, skills, and personal standard of quality meant it took some time. He was not willing to produce anything that didn’t meet his standards.
Proudly Partnered
In honor of Mr. Deng’s determination, skills, precision in crafting a beautiful product, and gratitude for his and Robert’s 18-year friendship — we’ve branded his family’s hanzi on each of the knives he’s produced.
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