A sharper experience.

I spend hours searching Insta for independent makers for LOWY, and when I came across Florentine Kitchen Knives, I instantly fell in love with their design and approach to the craft of knifemaking.

So I did a bit of digging around. Florentine started in 2012 as a graduation project by industrial designer Tomer Botner in Tel Aviv. Tomer spent ten years working in restaurants, mainly front of house. Working alongside chefs Tomer developed his interest in cooking and the inspiration to design his own knifes.

His early knives attracted a lot of interest, and a crowdfunding campaign helped him produce the first 100. They sold, followed by another 200, and what began as a university project turned into a business.

A few years later, Tomer and his wife, fashion designer Noam Blumenthal, moved to Barcelona, bringing them closer to European suppliers and customers. They eventually settled into a workshop in Poblenou, where Florentine is based today.

Their knives have found their way into some impressive kitchens, including Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat in London and The Jane in Antwerp, where Tomer worked with chefs Sergio Herman and Nick Bril.

The blades are beautifully simple in shape, while the handles are full of colour, texture and interesting combinations of materials.

You can personalise your knife, choosing from the available blade options, finishes, handle materials and colours, and engraving. Each knife is made to order in their Barcelona workshop.

A bespoke knife like this isn’t going to be cheap, but when you consider the work involved, the materials and the fact that you’re having something made specifically for you, I actually think the price is fair.

I started off loving the design and the aesthetics, but the more I learned about Florentine, the more I appreciated the people and the thinking behind the knives.

I’ll certainly be looking at getting one for the LOWY kitchen. And who knows, perhaps one day we might dream up something amazing together for our Ledger members.