Functional Art for Everyday Life:
NEW WEST KNIFEWORKS
BY FRAN MILLER | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEW WEST KNIFEWORKS
A tumultuous year of sheltering and staying in place forced many of us to seek comfort in the simplest of pleasures: a homegrown tomato, a chair placed within a small spotlight of sun, a homecooked meal, and the perfect tools with which to make it. Without the typical distraction of our normally busy lives, the small things took on greater significance.
B
ritish textile designer William Morris once famously said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” That sentiment is shared by Corey Milligan, Founder of New West KnifeWorks, whose aim is to make functional art for everyday life. Bold, colorful, and begging to be displayed, NWKW knives are not simply utilitarian. Each is a mini piece of art, as heirloom 76
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worthy as a Piaget watch; their resilience recently illustrated when a Napa fire victim lost nearly everything, save for the charred remains of his NWKW kitchen knives, one of which the company was able to restore. With colorful handles and etched details, each knife pairs the ultra-sharp sleekness of Eastern-style chef’s knives with a western edginess and toughness. “We aim to bring more joy to everyday
chores by making tools that are as beautiful as they are useful,” said Milligan. The self-taught cook founded his company in 1997 after failing to find kitchen tools with which he was satisfied. “I thought, ‘here is a tool I use all the time; I like to make things; let’s see if I can make my own knife.’ That morphed into an understanding of how knives are made, and I realized I could do it better myself.”
Pictured above: The Rock Block, New West's one-of-a-kind functional knife sculpture.
