kathleen reilly

 Oku

Oku is a new knife design carefully produced in collaboration with highly skilled craftspeople in Tsubame-Sanjo, an area in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, renowned for its metalworking history for over 400 years.

Influenced by traditional Japanese place settings and arrangement, the design has a unique folded handle that elevates its function, allowing it to interact with objects on the table in new ways.

Oku wins Dezeen Awards-Homeware Design of the Year

"Scottish artist and metalworker Kathleen Reilly designed a knife that takes cues from traditional Japanese table settings while maintaining a recognisable knife form. The knife's folded shape was informed by chopstick rests and designed to keep the blade off the table by hooking onto the rim of a plate or board."

"Judges comments: Oku has a certain humour to it while being beautiful and innovative. The design has an elegant integration of form and function. It is a beautiful, honest and delicate design – the way the knife and the block work together has a kind of unified function that is expressed through the form of each."

Crafted in collaboration with Japanese artisans

2023 was devoted to turning Oku into a carefully crafted product. After perfecting the production process with skilled Japanese artisans for over a year, Oku will be launching on the 25th of June 2024.

A modern take on Western tableware inspired by Japan

Living in Japan, experiencing Japanese culture first hand I was inspired by chopstick rests which hygienically keep chopstick tips off the table. This motivated me to improve the table knife which often falls or slips off of a plate. 'Oku' translates as 'to place' or 'to put' in Japanese, the design combines Western and Japanese aesthetics and functionality.

Folded handle integrating form with function

Oku hooks or wraps elegantly along the edge of a plate or board, creating intimacy between the two objects, improving cleanliness and maintaining stability, while saving space during mealtime. The knife can be turned over and laid flat on top of a board, plate or jar like a conventional table knife.

Wooden board in collaboration with Karimoku Furniture 

Oku's board is made from sustainably sourced Japanese wood by Karimoku Furniture, Japan's leading wooden furniture manufacturer in both quality and technology. Karimoku is committed to providing sustainable solutions while demonstrating the skill and artistry of its craftspeople.

The boards incorporate domestic wood that is underutilised in furniture making. Each board is unique, made of strips expertly cut and assembled to recreate a natural wood grain pattern. 

Oku's editions allow you to enjoy the qualities and properties of Japan's tree species, expressing the beauty of the forests.

Japanese Sakura
The beauty and transience of Sakura (cherry blossoms) have been loved by Japanese people throughout history, with many handcrafted items made from the Sakura tree's wood and bark. Sakura is a hardwood, which makes it durable, smooth to the touch, with a moderate weight. You can enjoy how the wood changes colour over time as you use it.

Sawara Cypress
Sawara is a softwood similar to Hinoki. In Japan, this wood has traditionally been used for rice storage boxes and ladles because it is rich in natural antibacterial oils, resistant to moisture, and durable. Compared to Hinoki, it emits almost no fragrance but is softer.

Hinoki Cypress
Hinoki has a pleasant aroma. It is a strong and lustrous wood used widely in Japan since ancient times for everything from bathtubs to temples. In addition to its natural antibacterial properties, it is water resistant, just like Sawara.

Since natural wood is used, there are individual differences in the material and colour of each board, making every Oku set one of a kind.

Oku’s objectives

Carefully crafted in collaboration with skilled Japanese artisans, Oku promotes a deeper understanding of the links between Eastern and Western cultures. The design utilises generations-old manufacturing techniques and promotes locally sourced materials and craft skills to challenge centuries-old traditions of Western tableware. 

Functional yet unconventional, Oku introduces a refined aesthetic that breathes new life into the dining space.

Specifications

• Oku butter knife 
  High corrosion-resistant Japan-made stainless steel
  Size: 170x20.5x15.5mm approx.
   

• Wooden board | Domestically sourced with urethane coating 
  Size: 170x95x13mm approx.

  
  The knife and board are packaged and held together with a removable strap. 

About me 

I'm Kathleen, a Scottish artist and metalworker with over ten years of experience whilst living in the UK and Japan. My journey creating Oku began in 2018 when I visited the 'Biology of Metal: Metal Craftsmanship in Tsubame-Sanjo' exhibition at Japan House London and discovered the skills of their craftspeople. 

From 2020-2022, I trained with artisans in the region and developed Oku. Discover more about Tsubame-Sanjo's skilled craftspeople and our collaboration.

Press and comments

Dezeen
"Reilly aimed to create a reinterpretation of the western table knife that interacts with tableware in different ways while maintaining a recognisable knife form."

Design Anthology Magazine 
“Simplicity, craft and poetry meet in Oku — a butter knife with a perpendicular blade that slots neatly into the edge of a wooden board, all lyrically wrapped in a poem.”

Tokyo Weekender Magazine
"Oku explores new territory through the manner in which we interact with the everyday through a new knife design made in collaboration with local cutlery makers in Tsubame."

Credits

Video & Editing: Riyo Nemeth
Direction: Paz Castro Ibarra
Tsubame-Sanjo Videography: Kakeru Ooka 
Music: Hiroki Saitoh

Filming Location: Ikeda Gallery, Gyokusendo, Hinoura Hamono

Oku Collaborators: Factarium & Karimoku Furniture 
Graphic Design: Mami Tamada (inu) 

Special thanks: Misako Fujimoto & the inu team, Ritsu Yamada, Minori Shirotori & the Gyokusendo team, Harunobu Sango & the Factarium team, Hiroshi Kato & the Karimoku Furniture team, Mina Miyajima, Azu Kimura, Takuya Takahashi, Dezeen Awards, Japan House London, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, British Chamber of Commerce in Japan 

Contacts

info@kathleenreilly.co.uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kathleenleen
Website: www.kathleenreilly.co.uk