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If you’ve never heard of the Red Dot Award, you’re not alone. According to the worldly folks at Gear Patrol, it’s the “Holy Grail distinction” of the international design world, a commendation bestowed upon household objects that “iconify good and thoughtful design,” with the winners put on display in Germany’s Red Dot Design Museum. Its past winners include chairs, bathroom fixtures, and, at one point, the iPad.
But when a froofy yet prestigious design group stands up to salute the simple yet elegant outdoor knife, we have to take notice. Back in April, the Red Dot Award for Product Design was given to Hultafors OK4 outdoor knife, and with good reason.
The Hultafors OK4 outdoor knifePhoto via Hultafors
The OK-4 isn’t just elegant but designed for grueling outdoor work. The 8.2-inch blade is forged from Japanese steel, 3.0 mm carbon steel protected by electrophoretic deposition coating to cut down on rust and corrosion and make sharpening a breeze. And with a ground spine for fire work and a hardened plastic hilt wrapped in a Santoprene low-friction grip, it’s clear why Red Dot labeled the blade as “a powerful, solid outdoor knife with nonslip handle for demanding work.”
Sure, it may not be as menacing as the United Cutlery Cyclone, but it’s a damn beautiful blade — and it’ll only run you around $25 on Amazon. Quite the deal for a nice piece of steel.