York

That is the central idea behind York. Robert Berking gives the forged stainless steel an unusual three-dimensional profile: thick beneath the functional end, flatter through the centre of the handle and substantial again towards its tip. There is no need for applied ornament. The changing volume of the material creates the character.

Because much of the design cannot be understood from above. Viewed from the side, the shifts in thickness become visible and the handle begins to feel almost architectural. Light moves differently across each section, while the changing volume gives York a tactile identity that becomes clearer through use.

At Leopold Restaurant at Weingut von Winning in Deidesheim, York accompanies a dining culture shaped equally by food and wine. Named after the winery’s founder, Leopold von Winning, the restaurant combines relaxed Palatinate hospitality with refined interpretations of traditional dishes and regional specialities. Sauces, sausages and local classics are prepared in-house, while careful sourcing remains central to the kitchen. York fits naturally into that world: substantial, precise and refined without becoming ceremonial.

York demonstrates how. The material becomes thicker and thinner deliberately along the handle, concentrating weight and volume where Robert Berking wanted them rather than keeping the profile uniform. This gives the pieces a strong physical presence while preserving a clean and controlled silhouette.

York was designed by Robert Berking for Robbe & Berking. Rather than treating stainless steel as a flat industrial sheet, the design uses forging and changing material thickness to shape the object in three dimensions. It reflects the house’s German silversmithing tradition: character is created through the metal itself, not simply through surface decoration.