My name's Rob van Dyck and I started Sanctum because I have a healthy, non-addictive relationship with sharp objects and I simply couldn't find the products that I wanted.
I’ve always been drawn towards knives. When I was young I was offered to take one thing from my Grampa's log cabin to remember him by… there were some wooden smoking pipes, animal pelts, maybe a revolver if I had looked long enough, but I chose a vintage 10" WWII knife. I was 12.
I think that's where my knife obsession first showed itself.
I’ve been designing and building things all of my life, but more formally for a few years now. I’m an independent product designer based in Vancouver and Buenos Aires. I’m bootstrapping this brand on my own, but I also work alongside some talented freelancers to help me when needed.
One of the first product ideas I ever sketched was a mini knife that clicked into a compact object that's frequently carried by many people. It was super cool and incognito, but I had no idea how to 3D model it, let alone manufacture it, so the idea got shelved. I like to think that all ideas are connected and worth exploring because you never know where they might lead. Perhaps this was a stepping stone that brought me to making The Hard Bar. The Hard Bar and Overlord knife have a special place in my heart because this particular idea came from when I began spearfishing, but more on this connection another day.
My Design Process
It's a relaxed creative exploration of materials, how they interact with each other and their surrounding elements. Its like playtime for me because I get to make new things, test my creations in the real world, and then apply what I've learnt immediately. I think my brain is always looking to reconfigure existing things into something improved - which is often how most new ideas occur.
Innovation
The adaptation of a compliant mechanism into the knife world isn’t new, but it hasn't been done in the way I've designed it into the Overlord knife. People are sometimes weary of innovation, in fear that it may take away the "character" of an object, such as the move from petrol engines to electric. People claim that electric vehicles have "no soul", even if on paper they are improved in every way.
Something easy to forget is that a problem for one person, may actually be a source of joy for another.
If I were to create the ultimate steel that never needs to be sharpened again, a lot of people would miss the practice of sharpening and taking care of their knife - this innovation would therefore be a detractor for them because they find joy in maintaining their knife. Falling into a flow of effectively sharpening a knife can be incredibly soothing.
My Take
Regarding The Hard Bar's innovation, what I'm most proud of is that it takes none of the knife's "character" away. In fact, it adds to its character by creating a truly novel experience, one where the user's connection to the tool is amplified because of the haptic-feedback that can be felt and heard when sheathing the knife. It needs to be experienced to be fully understood, but the best thing I've heard someone say so far is that,
"It sounds like a samurai sword!"
What an honorable comparison, but also quite ironic given the knife's tiny size. I love it. Either way, I’m proud that I'm able to innovate and improve the functionality of the knife and pry bar, while not robbing it of its character, and actually amplifying that into something completely novel, thus increasing the connection we have with this age-old tool. Let's go!
This is the just beginning of a massive line of tools that I’m launching, so thank you for your interest in Sanctum's first product launch, it really means a lot to me. Early backers of this project, like yourself, will allow me to stay incredibly lean, resourceful, and quick to bring it to market. I'll be launching the Hard Bar next month with a crowdfunding campaign (November 2024), so stay tuned.
If you dig what I'm creating, follow along, share this tool with anyone you know that would like it, and consider backing my project when I launch.
Sign up here before launch for a chance to win a free Hard Bar and for more details on how to purchase.
Sincerely,
Rob van Dyck
Sanctum Brand
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