Nendo’s redesigned chopsticks intertwine into each other to create a singular cohesive form

Chopsticks are a 4000-year-old eating implement that has remained untouched. And, for almost four centuries, the quaint town of Obama in Fukui Prefecture, Japan has manufactured beautiful lacquered chopsticks. The lacquered chopsticks are considered the hardest and the most beautiful of the Japanese lacquer chopsticks, and they’ve been named ‘Wakasa-nuri’. Nendo teamed up with Hashikuru Matsukan – a manufacturer who has continued the Obama legacy. Nendo gave a contemporary and innovative twist to the age-old chopsticks!

Designer: Nendo

Called the Rassen or spiral chopsticks, these unique chopsticks merge fun and functionality to create a product that is quintessentially Japanese, yet quite contemporary. The Rassen chopsticks can be joined together to create one convenient single unit, and they can be detached or separated whenever you need to use them! Rather than having two separate pieces of tableware, you have a single unit in the shape of an elongated cone. When you pull both the chopsticks apart, you notice an interesting twist in their wooden handles.

The entire experience of bringing the chopsticks together and then separating them becomes a fun and amusing experience. It feels like you’re playing with a jigsaw puzzle! Using the chopsticks to eat your meals, brings joy and a certain sense of playfulness to your everyday ordinary meals. Putting them back together is really quite swift and easy too, and it eliminates the fear of losing one of them.

While designing the Rassen chopsticks Nendo had the intention of giving people a small ‘!’ moment. We often find many small ‘!’ moments in our day, and these tend to make our days brighter and richer. Nendo wanted to contribute and add a ‘!’ moment in people’s lives with their lovely chopsticks. These chopsticks are handmade by artisans, and Nendo also utilized a multi-axis CNC miller to build the unusual yet useful utensils.

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Canadian company turns used chopsticks into furniture, homeware

While I would most of the time use a pair of spoon and fork to eat my meals, I am also very partial to using chopsticks whenever I can. I have my favorite pair at home but when I eat out at East Asian restaurants, most of the time they use disposable chopsticks. Just like with a lot of disposable things, these contribute to so much waste globally, with 80 billion pairs being used and thrown away each year. One solution is of course to use a reusable pair and bring it with you wherever you go. But how to go about making sure those thrown away can still be salvaged somehow?

Designer: ChopValue

A Canadian company has actually been trying to do something about all these used, disposable chopsticks. They have been collecting the used ones from restaurants in Vancouver and then turning them into furniture like tables, which is a good way for the chopsticks to sort of come full circle. They are also used to create decorative pieces and even other homeware you may need in the living room or kitchen. They would fit right in with your wood aesthetics if that’s what you’re sporting.

Of course they have to do something more to it than just building furniture since the used chopsticks themselves will grow mold and bacteria over the years. So they developed a proprietary process that involves coating them in water-based resin and then placing them in an industrial oven and “bake” them for around five hours. After that, they are broken down and built into a composite board. Before turning them into furniture or other materials, they are sanded and lacquered. In keeping with the eco-friendly nature, the entire process is chemical-free and therefore the final products are non-toxic.

One of the work desks that they created actually used more than 10,000 chopsticks. Since they collect an average of 350,000 chopsticks per week in Vancouver alone, there should be enough chopstick waste to go around. Hopefully, other cities or parts of the world where they throw away a lot of these disposable utensils will be able to adopt something like this just to make sure that they are not left in the garbage landfills to just rot away.

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These chopsticks give you a mini Jedi moment while eating in the dark

You’re not supposed to eat in the dark in the first place, but this tool will at least make it less cumbersome when you do.

Ever since the day computers invaded our homes, it has been common wisdom not to eat in front of it. In addition to potentially attracting ants or insects, the grease and the crumbs that fall off our hands could damage some parts of the computer, especially the keyboards. Such wisdom is often lost on gamers, who sometimes, by necessity, have to eat their life-saving bag of chips, which means there’s no avoiding getting those crumbs on your keyboard. You can master the art of eating with chopsticks, which is still an insurmountable challenge in the dark room of stereotypical gamers. Not unless you have special chopsticks that give a Jedi-like glow and feel to your late night snacking.

Designer: Thirdwave Co., Ltd.

Eating chips with chopsticks might sound ridiculous, but you shouldn’t be surprised that it is quite normal in cultures that rely on these utensils more than spoons and forks. It also sounds inefficient since our bare fingers are better at gently gripping thin and fragile objects like chips. That said, it does have the advantage of saving your fingers and your computer from the oils and crumbs that accumulate after getting in close contact with food. It won’t save you from the food you accidentally drop even using the chopsticks, of course.

While eating with chopsticks might already be challenging for some people, imagine having to do that in a dark room lit only by a computer monitor and RGB lights from your computer. Gamers are often seen in such settings and are also most often the ones that need to keep their keyboards and mice clean while taking nourishment in the middle of an intense raid. Leave it to the Japanese to think of a solution that not only works but also has some quirky side benefits to its design.

These LED gaming chopsticks might have a generic name, but their appearance will most likely imprint on your mind forever. The idea is pretty simple, actually. You have chopsticks that have a transparent body that allows colored light to shine from an LED module on the end of each stick. You now longer have to grope in the dark for your chips, plus the sticks look like mini Jedi (or Sith) lightsabers, which is appropriate given your Jedi-like skills in eating chips with chopsticks while playing games.

As you would expect from any gaming accessory with RGB lighting, you will be able to select your preferred color. You can have both sticks match or have them clash like dueling swords. You can even have them match the general color scheme of your gaming station, though you’ll have to do that manually rather than have it automatically sync with your Razer Chroma peripherals.

The chopsticks are guaranteed to be heat resistant up to 100 C, and you probably wouldn’t put anything in your mouth that’s above that temperature anyway. As for putting things in your mouth, the LED gaming chopsticks are advertised to have passed “food hygiene inspection.” Just don’t forget to take out the LED modules before you wash the chopsticks, or you might find yourself back to a primitive way of eating chips with your hands.

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This guilt-free fiberglass cutlery set will let you dine in style anywhere

After more than a year of being stuck indoors, people have finally started meeting their urge to go out and enjoy the great outdoors. Some have even started working on their “revenge travel” plans. Whatever the reason or the distance, food is almost always involved, which often means dealing with utensils to eat them with. Cutlery has never been high on a lot of people’s priorities until they find themselves dealing with fragile plastic forks, bulky spoons, or deadweight knives. Carrying your own cutlery, even just for your meals at the office, can feel like a burden and a chore unless you get this handsome set that’s not only lightweight and easy to clean but also has an interesting sustainability story to tell.

Designer: Gary Lin

Click Here to Buy Now: $41.65 $49 (15% off). Hurry, sale ends May 3.

Utensils we carry around all the time are one of two kinds. There are the typical metal ones that can be a literal drag, weighing down our bags and taking up a lot of unnecessary space. On the opposite extreme is the typical plastic cutlery that weighs next to nothing and is also practically useless against tougher food. And despite their unassuming demeanor and clean, white surfaces, these are vicious killers of the planet like most plastics are.

Lightweight, toxin-free, and resistant to corrosion, making it the most ideal portable cutlery to help you go eco-friendly.

That is what sets the S+ Cutlery apart, offering the best of both worlds without the guilt. Taking advantage of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers or GFRP, these utensils wrap lightness and durability in a reusable and recyclable package. And you won’t have to worry about that last part anytime soon anyway because these things are made to last a long time.

GFRP weighs about 6 times less than stainless steel and 3 times less than titanium.

GFRP is known for how light it is while still boasting mechanical strength, which means your knife and fork aren’t going to break on you just because that steak wasn’t cooked the way you liked it. As if that weren’t enough for portability, each of the members of this set can be split in half for even more compact storage. Thanks to medical-grade 316 stainless steel inside, it’s easy to screw and unscrew the parts but still maintains a firm connection so they won’t just suddenly split on you.

Free of n-Hexane / Cadmium / Mercury / Lead / PBBs / PBDEs / DBP / BBP / DEHP / DIBP, so you won’t be consuming toxic elements when enjoying your favorite meal.

Most travel utensils are also a headache when it comes to cleaning up. Of course, you’ll just throw plastic ones away, but that doesn’t mean they won’t ruin your dinner as it happens by soaking in too many sauces or oils from other foods. This cutlery, on the other hand, is resistant to odors, stains, heat (up to 110 °C or 230 °F), and acid or alkali. It’s the all-rounder tool you can use to poke, scoop up, or cut anything and everything you’d put in your mouth (that is edible, hopefully). Even better, it’s easy to wash, either by hand or inside a dishwasher.

This cutlery set includes anything and everything you need to enjoy your meal, including a fork, a spoon, a serrated-edge knife, and chopsticks. There’s even a chopsticks rest, so you don’t have to worry about where to place them when you’re not holding them in your hands. Of course, there’s an equally beautiful carrying case in matching color to safely stow your utensils after use. With this glass fiber-reinforced cutlery set, you’ll be able to focus on enjoying your meal using a handsome set of tools and feel good about doing your part in helping protect the environment, too.

Click Here to Buy Now: $41.65 $49 (15% off). Hurry, sale ends May 3.

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Electric Chopsticks can enhance taste of your low-sodium food

Electric Chopsticks

We had never heard of electric chopsticks because we never imagined that such simple and straightforward tools would need to be improved. But when it comes to innovation, you can trust the Japanese to think in ways most people would never think of.

Chopstick innovations and redesigns have been presented, but nothing like this project introduced together by Kirin Holdings and the Miyashita Laboratory (Meiji University Dr. Homei Miyashita Laboratory of the Department of Frontier Media Science, School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences). The chopstick device comes with an electrical stimulation waveform that together work to adjust the taste of low-sodium food.

Designers: Homei Miyashita and Kirin Holdings

Electric Chopsticks Information

The chopsticks can make low-sodium food taste salty. So you can enjoy the food more but sans the high sodium content. This idea can benefit those who need to go on a low-sodium diet.

Right now, chopsticks can be used, but other utensils can also take advantage of the system. Salty taste enhancement is possible with electrical stimulation on a utensil. With the goal of improving the electric taste sensation, more people can enjoy what they eat even with reduced salt.

So is a low-sodium diet now possible for you? Yes, with a pair of electric chopsticks and we think this idea will work for those who need to reduce sodium in their diet. And if it really does good to a person’s body, then maybe the designers of these electric chopsticks will try making a plate version. Now that will fly off the shelves and really sell.

You see, people need all the help we can have to get fit. But, if working out is too difficult, then maybe changing our diet can work. Personally, I just need something that will reduce my appetite and make healthy food taste better.

Electric Chopsticks Design

How does this electric chopstick system work? The device uses a weak electrical current in transmitting sodium ions from the food to the mouth. It’s done through the chopsticks and then straight to the mouth, where a sense of saltiness is created.

There is no real sodium added so don’t worry about extra sodium intake. Right now, the project is still in its chopsticks prototype stage. The development needs to be finished before hitting the market early next year. If this becomes a real product, we’ll place it under the useful category together with the SL27 LINK Chopsticks, Penstix (Chopsticks for the modern man), and the Lekue’s Twin One cutlery set.

Electric Chopsticks Concept

Electric Chopsticks Details

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Postmodern dining with the Japanese art of useless gadgets

The Japanese word "chindogu" covers a delightful range of terrible gadgets. It's about vaguely genius concepts, ruined either in their execution or ambition. If you've seen the baby-floor-mop onesie or the upside-down umbrella for capturing rainwater...

Eastern Western Cutlery!

A great product experience is usually a result of two things. A great concept, and great execution. That’s what Lekue’s Twin One cutlery set is. The very idea that two pieces of cutlery can naturally lock into one another and become a third entirely different piece of cutlery is an ambitious one, but Lekue executes it brilliantly, creating a winner set of eating instruments.

Designed for two different cuisines, the Twin One can be used individually as a fork and knife. The plastic construction makes it easy to carry and maintain while being able to work its way through any food, including meat. However, when you make the switch from occidental to oriental cuisine, the fork and knife interlock, becoming a pair of chopsticks that have their own spring mechanism, making it easier for the chopstick novice to use. The chopsticks can be gripped and operated like a pair of mini-tongs. The fork and knife interlock and snap together, so that they don’t fall apart. The choice of polymer and a clever bit of detailing+engineering on the knife allow the chopsticks to have a spring action that lets you stay true to the cuisine by eating its food the desired (traditional) way and not using a spoon… or worse, your hands!

Designer: Lekue

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T-Rex Chopsticks Crush, Crumble, and Chomp Your Food

Time to go Jurassic on your Chinese food with these T-Rex Chopsticks from Fred & Friends. The top has a T-Rex head that moves its mouth with chomping action when you open and close the chopsticks. So basically you will want to supply the sound effects and roar your way through dinner.

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They’re perfect for dinosaur lovers of all ages and also for people who are not skilled at using regular chopsticks, like me.

Now they just need a few other dinosaur varieties so kids can gather around the table and have an awesome dino-fight for their meal. I’m thinking some Raptors and maybe a Triceratops.

[via That’s Nerdalicious via Geekologie]

Star Wars Kylo Ren Lightsaber Chopsticks: A Disturbance in the Forks

Wield six blades in just three fingers with Kotobukiya’s officially licensed Kylo Ren lightsaber chopsticks. It doesn’t light up like the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader chopsticks though.

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You can pre-order the chopsticks for $12 (USD) straight from Kotobukiya; check out the rest of the arsenal here.

Ahoy, Matey: Peg Leg Pirate Chopsticks

Peg Leg Pirate Chopsticks

 

It’s frustrating to use chopsticks when you haven’t gotten the hang of it. It’s worse when you’re doing so on an empty (or close-to-empty) stomach. But you’re not alone. The pirate at the end of these uber adorable chopsticks echoes your sentiments with his comically pained expression, and he wants to help you.

With his mere presence, he turns the chopsticks into sort-of clips that makes picking up food easier. They’re great if you’re just starting to learn to use chopsticks.

The Peg Leg Pirate Chopsticks are available online for about $6.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ TIWIB ]

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