Workshop Wisdom: Hugo Worsley
How would you describe your workshop?
Our workshop sits just off Kingsland Road in Dalston, tucked away but still right in the middle of it all. The walls are packed with kitchen knives, and there’s colourful plastic waste everywhere. It’s chaotic and busy with new stuff being made everyday.
-What is the usual day in the workshop like for you?
We kick the day off with the noisy and smelly stuff (just to wake us up). First up is shredding the plastic waste and organising the different colours, then we move into melting the plastic into handle shapes. After lunch we focus on sanding the handles, cleaning the blades and boxing up orders to be sent out.
-How do you best like to work? Music, podcast, silence?
Music! We’ve got a workshop speaker that’s always playing different tunes. We take it in turns to connect to the speaker and run through our desert island list.
-If you could recommend one podcast or YouTube what would it be?
Hana (Allday Goods, Marketing Manager) recently put me onto ‘Extreme Beachcombing’ which is a YouTube video about a retired plumber in the USA who collects waste from beaches and turns them into beautiful objects. It’s beautifully shot and well worth a watch.
-Who inspired you when you were starting your creative career?
My parents always encouraged me to ask why - so I could understand things properly and not just accept them. Growing up I was busy pulling things apart and putting them back together again. That freedom to experiment and make mistakes allowed me to learn deeply about things and gave me the confidence to try different paths and figure out what I actually cared about.
-What themes, inspirations or concepts drift into your work?
Our brand, the knives, shapes, materials, colours and packaging all have nods to memories growing up in England. There’s loads of nostalgic influences running through our work.
-What is your favourite tool to use?
The Hiut Utility blade is a knife shape that I love. It’s small enough and long enough so that you can use it for pretty much everything. It’s also wickedly sharp, made from British steel and looks amazing (which helps!).
-Do you have a quote or motto that you say to yourself?
Do you have any rules or rituals when working?I have a post-it note that’s pinned to my board in my workshop saying ‘keep it simple stupid’. It came from a chat with a friend about not overengineering what we’re doing. It’s a small reminder that helps me stay focused - do one thing well and don’t overcomplicate it.
-What advice do you have for another maker?
Again, keeping it simple. We make a knife with a plastic handle. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to make something ground-breaking. The hard part is stripping it back to what actually matters. Focus on doing one thing really well.
