McGizmo Line of Kitchen Utensils

[subwoofer]

I'm sure there is a market for custom kitchen utensils, this is the last kitchen knife I bought!

Desert iron-wood scales with a rose damasteel blade





Apart from being rather nice looking it happens to be the best balanced knife I have.

Why is this reply showing as post 1 in the thread?

[nbp]

Don, I have a project for you to work on in all your spare time.

We men who do venture into the kitchen from time to time are in sore straits. The influx of imported garbage utensils that wear out in two uses makes us crazy. We need your expert craftsmanship, attention to detail and eye for design when it comes to making some good quality kitchen utensils a man would be proud to use.

I posted this rant in my food type thread in the Cafe:

Since we have some ice cream eaters here, I gotta vent about ice cream scoops. I am so sick of these crap scoops that are cheap steel plated with cheap whatever and start to disintegrate as soon as they go in the dishwasher and get hit with some detergent. I want an ice cream scoop that is milled out of a bar of real stainless and polished to a mirror shine and will last the rest of my life. It should weigh three pounds and survive an IED without issue. I want to put it through the dishwasher 10,000 times and never see any pitting or flaking. The steel the dishwasher is made out of and the forks and knives are made out of survives just fine. Why can't they make the flippin' scoop out of that stuff?!

Another member jokingly suggested a custom Ti scoop with an ice pick handle. I thought it was brilliant.

So, what I want is for you to design a Ti ice cream scoop that will outlive me.

I think to make things simple, the handle could basically just be your 2xAA clicky pak on the outside, but you just wouldn't bore out the center. That is already a beautiful and ergonomically pleasing design. So it would have the same look as the pak, but no hole/switch in the ends. Then the only thing you really have to design from scratch is the scoop. I have no idea if this is hard or not. But it probably is. And I don't know if making the whole utensil all out of a solid piece is hard or not. If that is hard, you could make the scoop end separate and with a female threaded neck, and you could just screw it right onto the male end of the solid clicky pak and voila! It's like legoing a light and a scoop together, haha.

And then after that, I need a pizza cutter too.

Anyways, I don't know if you have ever thought about making other cool gadgety stuff like that, but if you do, I think you could sell a few to us suckers here.

I'd be happy to beta-test any prototypes.

Would you other Gizmo fans be interested in some cool kitchen toys from Don too???

[McGizmo]

nbp,
I feel your pain and agree! I have Ti forks and spoons that came from Japan a number of years ago and eat with them daily. You have to get used to them because they feel like plastic in your hand because they are so light. A Ti spoon is great for eating ice cream with because it doesn't impart any metal ion taste. I actually had the shop who does my Ti pocket clips cut out a pair of scoops/ ladles with their water jet out of some 1/4" thick Ti plate. My plan was to figure out how to mill or grind a shallow spoon scoop or form into the business end of it but I never got past putting a simple beveled edge on it. It doesn't cut well into very hard ice cream but it does get the job done and it sure as heck won't bend or break!!

The guys you should contact for some of these tools are Stiletto. They make some cool hammers and pry bars from Ti and seem to have the means of forging Ti in forms that would be prohibitive if machined. They could make an awesome ice cream scoop!

[fyrstormer]

I already have a couple Ti knife/fork/spoon/spork sets from LifeVenture. Very effective for avoiding disposable plastic utensils when I get lunch at the cafe in my office building. You're definitely right about the lack of taste, which is also why I got a couple water bottles made of titanium. Great stuff all around.

[nbp]

Hey Don,

That is so cool that you had the ice cream scoop idea too! If you get a chance, I'd love to see some pics of what you have done, or if you ever get to doing any more work on them, I'd be interested in seeing them. I just thought it would be really cool to see your design qualities imparted into something like a scoop or other handy kitchen tool.

I have a Ti fork I got at REI and eat with all the time too. Those sorts of simple utensils you can find fairly easily, but I've never seen heavy duty equipment before. I will have to do some Googling, and find out if anyone makes something like that.

I looked at the Stiletto site, and they do make some really cool tools. I wanted a prybar after perusing the site, even though I have no use for one, haha. I wonder if they have ever or would consider doing something other than construction tools. A line of sweet Ti kitchen pieces would be awesome: ice cream scoop, meat tenderizer (basically a hammer, hehe), pizza cutter, spatulas, grilling forks, all that stuff. I wonder if I emailed them my idea if they would have any interest in prototyping some stuff. I suppose it couldn't hurt. I will let you guys know what they say if I get a response. I am surprised at the relatively low prices of their tools also, based on what you are getting. Economies of scale I suppose; I am used to buying my Ti goodies from small operations like McGizmo or Atwood. A ti scoop or spatula for say $50 that would last 30 years. Seems reasonable to me.

[fyrstormer]

Unless you can convince them there's a reasonably-sized market for a Tactical Ice Cream Scoop, I don't think they'll bite. The tools they make are made from titanium because they're lighter than steel and don't generate sparks when struck or scraped in potentially-explosive environments. You'll have a hard time convincing them a titanium ice cream scoop which is heavier than a comparable aluminum one will be worth the extra money to anyone who actually plans to scoop ice cream with it.

[nbp]

Don doesn't have too much trouble selling us his gorgeous Ti flashlights despite the limited benefits and clearly higher cost of Ti over comparable aluminum models.

There seems to always be a market for niche luxury items. Stiletto tools are already a niche luxury item as far as I am concerned. I know many tradesmen, and I don't think any of them wield Ti hammers. I don't think high end kitchen items is that much of a stretch for a company that already makes high end semi-exclusive tools. That's my take anyway.

[fyrstormer]

Titanium and brass tools are a must in certain niche markets, like in natural-gas power plants and other places where a stray spark can have very significant ramifications. Titanium ice cream scoops, not so much. It's not a big stretch, you're right, I just don't think it's a stretch they'll make. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, though.

[nbp]

Me too! Haha.

I think Ti's strength, light weight, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance would make it ideal for harsh kitchen environments. I think they could have some success pitching it to larger restaurant kitchens maybe where metal tools are subjected to long term contact with highly acidic foods, or get washed in very caustic solutions. (Company I work for makes a commercial dishwashing solution with a pH of 13+. It's nasty stuff).

Imagine Bobby Flay or Giada or Wolfgang busting out a sweet Ti spatula and flipping some crabcakes on the food network. I can see it. And Giada + Ti =

I'm just brainstorming here-it might be a dumb idea, but it's cool anyways.

[McGizmo]

A Ti spatula I made years ago still looks as good as the day I made it (That is to say looks home made) But it works and the handle doesn't get hot.

[LumensMaximus]

A Ti spatula I made years ago still looks as good as the day I made it (That is to say looks home made) But it works and the handle doesn't get hot.

I'll take it, pay pal sent

[nbp]

That's pretty nifty Don! It may be homemade, but that thing will last FOREVER. I didn't even think about the heat issue. But that is a great selling point too! The very aspect of Ti that makes it a tough material to use in lights would be a huge plus in kitchen utensils. Poor heat conductivity would be nice when it comes to something like a grill fork or spatula. This would alleviate the need for rubber/plastic grips which are a breeding ground for little nasties. So it's more sanitary too. How can people NOT be using Ti kitchen utensils?

[fyrstormer]

Me too! Haha.

I think Ti's strength, light weight, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance would make it ideal for harsh kitchen environments. I think they could have some success pitching it to larger restaurant kitchens maybe where metal tools are subjected to long term contact with highly acidic foods, or get washed in very caustic solutions. (Company I work for makes a commercial dishwashing solution with a pH of 13+. It's nasty stuff).

Imagine Bobby Flay or Giada or Wolfgang busting out a sweet Ti spatula and flipping some crabcakes on the food network. I can see it. And Giada + Ti =

I'm just brainstorming here-it might be a dumb idea, but it's cool anyways.

I didn't think about the commercial market. Good point. Tomatoes will leach the iron out of stainless steel, and probably some of the chromium too. I wonder what that does to our insides.

[Ny0ng1]

mmmmm....

if all my kitchen utensils can come without those plastic handles.....

cool.....

[The Voice of Reason]

I wonder how many dozen of us it would take to convince THE MAN to do a limited run of spatulas and ice cream scoops?

[Barefootone]

I wonder how many dozen of us it would take to convince THE MAN to do a limited run of spatulas and ice cream scoops?

Why not do a poll ?

[nbp]

I wonder how many dozen of us it would take to convince THE MAN to do a limited run of spatulas and ice cream scoops?

I would take a McG spatula in a minute! It'd probably be the last one I'd ever need. I'd never grill with another burger flipper again. I was camping this last weekend thinking while I was grilling meals on the fire about this thread and how I needed a matching set of Ti tongs and a flipper.

[RedLed]

Why not do a poll ?

Guy's,

Really don't talk about this around here...he could make tens of millions off of this, and then who would make your lights?

Or, somehow a mixed up news story could get out: (Fictional Headline) MAUI, HAWAII - World-Class Custom Flashlight Engineer Reduced to making Ice Cream Scoops...

Look, you can have them made out of gold, you would like that better anyway, right? Also, I already know where to get them. Call the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC and they will tell you where they get them made... If that does not work, again in DC, call the Congressional switchboard, ask for the Senate Private Dining Room, and speak to the Head Chef...I am certain they have them.

Don..that's ok, we'll be fine, you don't have to make the ice cream scoops...

[RedLed]

I forgot...if he did make these kitchen items - would they get used, or be put away in a drawer or the kitchen safe?

You know, like our lights.




Sorry, Guy's, I am just teasing.

[mahoney]

Stiletto makes their tools via investment (lost wax) casting. That's how they get titanium into all those interesting shapes. When they started up they contracted with Ruger to do the work, don't know if they still do. I have not talked to the folks running Stiletto for years (my 10 year old titanium hammer is holding up well), but they might make kitchen utensils if they think there's a demand there. If they say no, you could always approach Ruger to make them for you.

[McGizmo]

I recently bought a hammer from them and the invoice as well as shipping papers were from Milwaukee Tool. Seems Stiletto is now a division of them?!?

[archimedes]

I recently bought a hammer from them and the invoice as well as shipping papers were from Milwaukee Tool. Seems Stiletto is now a division of them?!?

Yep, as of 2007.

https://stiletto.com/t-about.aspx

[nbp]

I kinda forgot about sending them an email.

I will have to do that, I'd be very interested in the reply. I think we compiled some good arguments in this thread for the use of Ti utensils, so that was helpful.

And thanks to Don for keeping this neat discussion open even though it has nothing to do with his flashlights.

[McGizmo]

No worries nbp! I am as interested in ultimate tools as the next guy; especially if they will last longer than I will and require no maintenance or special care. I have lived in the house on Maui now for 6 years and am on my upteenth dish drying rack. I bought a top of the line KitchenAid rack about 6 months ago and it is now so rusted and grungy looking that replacement was a priority. I found an even more expensive rack from simple human that is reportedly stainless steel and it's design is certainly a step above all the others I have owned. Good engineering in terms of draining as well as dish and utensil support while drying. If it turns out that the stainless is a low grade 18-8 and ends up rusting then I think I will attempt to replace the stainless rack portion with a Ti construction of my own. People can put thousands of dollars into a kitchen counter but what options are there for equal quality in the devices that go on these counters?

[RedLed]

No worries nbp! I am as interested in ultimate tools as the next guy; especially if they will last longer than I will and require no maintenance or special care. I have lived in the house on Maui now for 6 years and am on my upteenth dish drying rack. I bought a top of the line KitchenAid rack about 6 months ago and it is now so rusted and grungy looking that replacement was a priority. I found an even more expensive rack from simple human that is reportedly stainless steel and it's design is certainly a step above all the others I have owned. Good engineering in terms of draining as well as dish and utensil support while drying. If it turns out that the stainless is a low grade 18-8 and ends up rusting then I think I will attempt to replace the stainless rack portion with a Ti construction of my own. People can put thousands of dollars into a kitchen counter but what options are there for equal quality in the devices that go on these counters?

What I would like is a rack for the shower that is alum.Ti., or something that does not rust.

[Cataract]

What I would like is a rack for the shower that is alum.Ti., or something that does not rust.

+1 one where we can stand the bottles upside-down with an open hook for the curtain pole and a decent soap holder.

Titanium barbecue utensils makes so much sense... there might already be a line of these somewhere...

[nbp]

Bumpity. I finally sent Stiletto an email tonight. Here is what I wrote, I'll let you know what they say if/when I get a reply.

Hello Stiletto Friends,

I hope that business is going well for you folks. Unfortunately, I do not work in construction, or really have any need to buy tools such as you make, but as a gadget junkie and titanium lover, I can appreciate the things you make and I wish I had a use for them as they are very cool.

I wonder though if you have ever considered doing a line of titanium kitchen type utensils. I know it is a bit different from what you manufacture now, but I believe that there would be a market for such things both in the private and commercial sectors.

I think that titanium has many attributes that would make it ideal in the kitchen as well as the construction site. For example: the strength to weight ratio, the durability and fatigue resistance, the lack of metallic taste transfer, low heat transfer rate, high corrosion resistance when exposed to acidic/caustic/saline foods or washing solutions, hypoallergenic properties, low maintenance/care... the list goes on. Plus, it's really cool.

It seems that with the influx of cheaply made kitchen utensils these days that disintegrate after a few uses, high quality titanium tools could be a great market to corner. Knowing how they would last, I'd buy some, and I know plenty of other tool lovers who would too. Scoops, spatulas, grill forks and flippers, tongs, meat tenderizers, pizza cutters, measuring cups, etc. I definitely think it would be something you guys could do really well.

I am curious if you have ever considered this sort of tool line, or if you ever would in the future. Thanks so much for your time, and I hope that you are able to continue making neat things from my favorite metal for a long time to come.

Best Regards,

[fyrstormer]

Sounds good to me!

[fyrstormer]

People can put thousands of dollars into a kitchen counter but what options are there for equal quality in the devices that go on these counters?

Bah. You know what your problem is, you're just not trendy enough. You should look forward to your kitchen accessories wearing out so you can replace them with the latest and greatest models!

[nbp]

Bump to get this out of 2008.

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm eager to see what they say.