The Knork and The Big Idea: Brilliant
Last night I couldn’t get to sleep so channel-surfing led me to one of my favorite talk shows: The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.
In this sound-bite media world, I truly appreciate how Donny spends time with entrepreneurs from all arenas, trying to understand their a-ha! moments and how they set about to execute them. He gives them ample time to talk and since it looks like it’s shot live-to-tape there’s none of the filtering and editing to which we’ve unfortunately become accustomed. I think we can all learn so much from his guests. Or, at least walk away with a big smile on our faces after some shows, hearing the stories of regular folk who create their own destiny.
From yesterday’s rebroadcast I learned about the Knork created by Mike Miller. Yep, that’s a fork and knife rolled into one. Miller had been carrying this idea in his head since he was a tween on a first date at a pizza joint. Because he was too embarrassed to just shove the pizza in his mouth like we all do (aww, he was trying to make a good impression), he struggled to cut up his pizza with only his fork. His idea was born right there.
Years later Miller went on to produce a prototype by molding a regular fork in putty (which he proudly showed Donny—aww). He also took tons of pictures of people of all ages using their regular forks.
The first thought that jumped into my head was no, no, no. That thing is way too sharp. But, instead, Miller created a cutting fork that focused on dulled and smoothed edges and the physics of how we use forks to cut. For stability, there’s a finger platform that allows one to leverage that knork through even the toughest of foods, like a raw carrot. Okay, I’ll just shut up.
Here’s a demo video that does it justice.
As I’ve written before I am a fan of a beautifully dressed table. Would I forgo a traditional knife and fork? No. But, there are plastic versions for sale. For packing a picnic lunch or a meal on the go? Absolutely. For the mom of a newborn who rarely has both hands free, the knork is perfect. For a recent graduate with a new apartment to furnish, this is a great gift because Miller now has for sale a five-piece place setting that includes the knork and a regular knife.
