NUK draws from the form of the narwhal and abstracts it into a functional and playful handheld tool. Rather than directly replicating the animal’s anatomy, the design interprets its defining feature, the horn, as a retractable X-ACTO blade.
This project was born from a dissatisfaction with the prevailing, purely functional aesthetic of most utility knives. While their performance is rarely in question, their forms often feel cold and utilitarian.
PROTOTYPE
Prototype Variations
Promotional Content
The prototyping process focused primarily on fine-tuning the slider’s tolerance. I tested a range of tolerances to ensure the knife’s central mechanism felt smooth and intuitive. Color variations draw inspiration from the narwhal’s natural habitat, glacial ice and the deep blue ocean.
Assembly
PROCESS
Modeled In SolidWorks
Preliminary Test Renderings
All Rendered In Keyshot