Anyone who works with tools regularly will tell you how dramatic the difference is between their favorites and their other, often lowlier implements. That knowledge also comes with the understanding that skill is only one, if not a major, component of creation. Sometimes, you really just need the perfect tool for the task at hand, and that’s where Herbst Produkt comes in. The storied company started in 1962 as a design, brand, and strategy consulting agency, with its design DNA present in many popular products.
Herbst is now celebrating its 15th anniversary with Slice, the experts in ceramic safety knives. With the creation of more than 40 products over the span of their creative collaboration, the two brands introduce the 15 Collection, featuring a pair of new, innovative cutting tools: Spry and Snapr.
As nothing is created in a vacuum, collaboration has undoubtably produced some of our greatest designs. Herbst and Slice see the 15 Collection as a testament to innovation and the intuition it takes to stay in business in an erratic economic landscape. Spry and Snapr seamlessly blend form and function – the original design collaborators.
Snapr looks like a slick carabiner on the surface, yet it is so much more. With their patented ceramic blade, the cutting mechanism is embedded in the far edge of the loop. Always cut packages, never your fingers. Coming in four distinctive shades, this is an easy way to keep holding keys with ease, and never stay stuck searching for scissors again.
Spry features a built in “pry bar + screwdriver,” bottle opener, and of course Slice’s signature ceramic blade technology. You can tackle boxes, cans, bottles, and that annoying loose screw in mere seconds. Both Spry and Snapr are made of forged titanium metal. Spry even includes a military spec paracord loop for easy fastening to bags or belts.
Designed with longevity in mind, even if you do manage to wear down these ultra-rugged blades, Slice products are evergreen: simply slip a release key into the bottom of the blade, and it pops out like an SD card. Replace with a new blade and you’ll be good to go for another few years.
Herbst and Slice ran the gamut in terms of prototyping – ergonomics, materiality, and strength were all tested extensively, knowing the type of jobs these knives get up to. Eleven times more durable than metal, ceramic blades are the small-but-mighty invention that has transformed workplaces as well as the home, reducing accidents and keeping people safe. As our globalized economy necessitates the shipment of massive quantities of goods, there is no telling how much time, energy, and blood is saved with Slice products.
To learn more about the 15 Collection from Herbst Produkt and Slice, visit herbstprodukt.com.
Photography courtesy of Herbst Produkt.
