Eric Ripert's Louis Vuitton Knife Case (56k warning)

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by dragon8

Good color and none of that LV logos. If you're not paying attention you wouldn't know that its LV.

The Epi leather is a dead giveaway.

I agree with matt. the studs and egdes are ugly.

 

[ZhiMingBuFanDe]

^LV logos are stamped all over the accents. :|

 

[NaTionS]

Epi leather is only a giveaway if you know what it is, and I'd guess 99% of the people don't. I do agree the LV logo along the edge is ugly.

 

[pebblegrain]

Originally Posted by texas_jack

I don't really understand why you need something like that. Does he go to people's houses and cook? Does he not trust his employees to leave them at the restaurant?

even a neighborhood restaurant cook will sometimes carry his own knives with him. and no you can't leave $300 knives in a restaurant with 50 employees. it will get stolen, or at the very least damaged.

Seems like a colossal waste of space though. also, i presume he has to check it as luggage? or do celebrity cooks now have private planes? are we at that level?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by pebblegrain

even a neighborhood restaurant cook will sometimes carry his own knives with him. and no you can't leave $300 knives in a restaurant with 50 employees. it will get stolen, or at the very least damaged.

Seems like a colossal waste of space though. also, i presume he has to check it as luggage? or do celebrity cooks now have private planes? are we at that level?
When I worked in a restaurant I left my knives there during the week and took them home on weekends. Nobody ever stole anything.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

When I worked in a restaurant I left my knives there during the week and took them home on weekends. Nobody ever stole anything.

+1. when everybody else has $300+ knives, they have no reason to take yours.

 

[MarquisMagic]

First, Ripert travels almost constantly and much of his cooking is done on television or before an audience. Indeed, as you can see from the contents of the case, he travels with far more than just his knives, but includes other tools that may not be available in such situations. It's not like he's a line cook at Le Bernadin.

Second, keeping one's knives secure and in good condition is an attribute that every chef or even home cook should possess. These are essentials of the profession. Most of us eventually find knives that are just right for us and maintaining them properly (ie...not leaving them around in a kitchen where they can be used by others, damaged or stolen) is a pretty basic concept.

Third, setting aside the outside appearance, the actual interior construction of the case looks quite well thought out, practical, and secure.

Third, if the same case were made of Russian calf by the boys at Cleverley or by Tony Gaziano in burnished calf or maybe even Alden in cigar-shaded cordovan, the shoeguys on this Forum would be gushing all over the place.

Fourth, anything by LV would be gauche to many on this Forum (for rather good reason) but my guess is that this was really a professional arrangement rather than just a personal style choice by M. Ripert.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by sonick

I'm glad he's got a copy of his cookbook in there! Just in case he forgets his recipes.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by pebblegrain

even a neighborhood restaurant cook will sometimes carry his own knives with him. and no you can't leave $300 knives in a restaurant with 50 employees. it will get stolen, or at the very least damaged.

i've had knives stole (err, permanently misplaced) in a test kitchen with only 5 employees. contrary to matt's experience in the monastery, almost every cook i know who works in a kitchen with more than a couple of people has some method of stamping their knives -- tape on the handle, etched names on the blades, etc. good knives are very expensive, very personal and very portable.

 

[SirGrotius]

How is that tacky? It looks great. Love the epi leather (I think that's what they call it).

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by foodguy

i've had knives stole (err, permanently misplaced) in a test kitchen with only 5 employees. contrary to matt's experience in the monastery, almost every cook i know who works in a kitchen with more than a couple of people has some method of stamping their knives -- tape on the handle, etched names on the blades, etc. good knives are very expensive, very personal and very portable.
Yeah, I mean thinking about it now it would make sense, but what was somebody going to do with a knife they stole? Use it right there in the kitchen for 11 hours pretending it was theirs?

 

[NaTionS]

Use it at home?

 

[ErnestoG.]

sell it?

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Yeah, I mean thinking about it now it would make sense, but what was somebody going to do with a knife they stole? Use it right there in the kitchen for 11 hours pretending it was theirs?
some people just want what other people have. you know, socialists and such.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by NaTionS

Use it at home?

For what?

Originally Posted by ErnestoG.

sell it?

To whom? Where? This was before ebay.

Originally Posted by foodguy

some people just want what other people have. you know, socialists and such.

All I can tell you is that there were no problems. I don't think there were many socialists, so that may have been why. I can totally understand taking them home and locking them away, I don't want my stuff stolen, but that just was not the culture, either locking or stealing.