Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Simha.
From a B.S. in Physics to several stints in the restaurant industry to music to sound effects, in 1995, after a welding class, Adam Simha ultimately found an enduring foothold in the design and fabrication of sculpture, and furniture, in metal. In 1998 he formed MKS Design to pursue the practice of furniture and homewares design and fabrication full time and in 1999, he enrolled in a knife making class at the Massachusetts College of Art with master bladesmith J.D. Smith. “Once again I found myself standing before a banquet of irresistible possibilities and challenges I had never before imagined existed”. Following on from a still strong love of food and connection to food production, various culinary knife patterns were developed in reaction to a growing collection of sub-optimal and often downright annoying kitchen ephemera. Many different steel and stainless steel alloys were tested in the context of daily use and across a spectrum of food, use, different hands, and years. Prototypes emerged (and continue to evolve) from scrutinizing commercial knives like 1940’s/50’s era carbon steel Sabatiers (France), Dexter Russells (US), knives from Germany, Italy, and Japan as well as MKS custom pieces as they make their way back to the shop after rigorous use whether for a simple sharpening or full on repair / refurb. The first production line of knives to come out, in conjunction with a small scale manufacturer in Sheffield, UK featured bicycle grip handles and allowed each knife to be tuned to fit in as many ways as possible in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable cost. Subsequent production has ranged from design only (full line for All Clad 2012) to successfully crowdfunded midtech (semi-custom) patterns. Currently any MKS production blades are manufactured in the US, and all custom work, which has largely taken over the business, is done in Adam’s North Cambridge workshop.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The largest ‘bump in the road’ was quite frankly the crash of ’08. Sales of Bicycle handle knives went from a steady flow to zero in 30 days. Thankfully, the market for full custom pieces was relatively unaffected. After a tumble, sometimes one needs to take the time to identify the best train to jump back up on, and then pluck up courage and jump!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the MKS Design story. Tell us more about the business.
MKS Design/ MKS Knife currently specializes in the design and fabrication of superb knives for cooking. Most proud of the care, thought, hard work, and uncompromising attention to detail that goes in to every piece, as well as (I hope) excellent customer service above and beyond expectations. There are a number of other custom knife makers, each with their own style and principles, many of whom are counted as friends. But the MKS focus on custom design is one large feature that sets us apart
I’m very gratified to be part of an increased awareness among chefs and civilian cooks alike of the importance and value of excellence in culinary tools, knives in particular. My hope is to see growth in that awareness and a coincident increase in awareness of and involvement in cooking, eating, and issues related to food production/sourcing.
Pricing:
- Large custom Chefs knife expect to pay $500-$700
- Small custom paring or petty knife expect to pay $300-$500
Contact Info:
- Address: MKS Design, LLC / Adam Simha
- Website: www.mksdesign.com www.mksknife.com
- Phone: 617-876-0103
- Email: info@mksdesign.com
- Instagram: mksknife
- Facebook: mksknife
- Twitter: mksknife
Image Credit:
Shots of AS :John Burke
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
