The beauty of imperfection
- Patrick’s functional art brightens up kitchens
- As a child, he wanted to become a chef
- He experiments with all kinds of materials
Factory robots can in a relatively short time make hundreds of perfect knives, but these products won’t have a true personality. Artisanal knife maker Patrick Pevernagie on the other hand is proud to underline that his own creations are imperfect, but that he gives them a soul as he slowly turns the steel into a knife. He even named his studio near Antwerp iPKnives, short for ‘imperfectly Perfect Knives’. Imperfect though they are, Patrick's knives are efficient kitchen tools that look great and are made to last. “As a passionate hobby cook, I know very well how a knife should perform. Design-wise, I love to think out of the box. My creations are functional pieces of art, which perfectly fit in with all the trendy and colourful appliances in modern kitchens.”
INTERVIEW
I have always had a great passion for cooking and for knives in particular. As a child, I wanted to become a chef and already assembled a large collection of pocket knives. I still cook every day, but I no longer collect knives, I now make and sell them.
I already made my first knives 22 years ago, as a student, during tool making classes. But I started creating knives in a professional way about 6 years ago. It was my best friend who rekindled the flame as it were, by showing me certain YouTube videos.
I create the oldest tool known to mankind, so that’s quite some tradition. Everything else is innovation. I really enjoy experimenting with all kinds of materials: steel, wood, plastics, leather and so on.
No, quite the opposite, making knives as a hobby has never been so popular. I run workshops for amateur knife makers and have an apprentice. Still, it is a big challenge to make it your profession.
