01 THE STORY
From Sketch to Table
The line begins with Tias Eckhoff's study of proportion. In Chaco, the handle, transition and functional form are resolved as one continuous object.
02 THE DETAILS
The Details
Chaco is shaped through a balance between slim, stringent lines and soft, precise curves. The restrained profile gives the pieces a light and carefully controlled expression.
A note from Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoffs relationship with cutlery became especially important in 1962, when he designed Maya for Norstaal. The broad handle narrows into a triangular form, while rounded edges give the pieces a strong but comfortable grip. The design became one of the defining Scandinavian cutlery patterns of the twentieth century, later entering Phaidon Design Classics and museum collections including MoMA in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Eckhoff continued to explore the table through collections including Una, Chaco and Maya 2000, each revisiting proportion, balance and the relationship between strict geometry and softer curves. His work rarely depended on ornament. Character emerged instead from the way an object was refined — slowly, physically and with extraordinary attention to the smallest shifts in form.
“I work slowly, I would like to file on a piece of cutlery for a year.” — Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoff
Questions about Stelton Chaco Complete Collection — 72 Pieces / 12 People
What makes Chaco work as a complete cutlery system rather than just a place setting?
Chaco is built around a consistent balance of slim, stringent lines and soft, precise curves. That design language can extend across different utensils and functions without losing its identity, allowing the collection to feel coherent from everyday dining pieces to more specialised parts of the table.
Who designed Stelton Chaco?
Chaco was designed by Tias Eckhoff, one of the pioneers of Scandinavian industrial design. His work is known for combining functional clarity with carefully controlled proportions, and Chaco reflects that approach through a restrained design where line, curve and usability are closely connected.
Why does a complete Chaco table still feel visually calm?
Because the collection does not rely on ornament for character. Its identity comes from proportion and the controlled transition between straight and curved lines. Even when more functions are introduced around the table, the restrained design keeps the overall expression coherent rather than visually crowded.
How long are the main pieces in the Stelton Chaco series?
According to Stelton’s product specifications, the dinner knife measures 22 cm, the dinner fork 20 cm, the dinner spoon 20 cm and the teaspoon 15 cm. These elongated proportions contribute to Chaco’s slim and carefully balanced appearance.
When does a complete table reveal more about a design than a single fork ever could?
When the same idea has to survive different functions and scales. Chaco shows that Tias Eckhoff’s design is not dependent on one iconic piece: the relationship between strict lines and soft curves remains recognisable across the collection, turning a simple formal principle into a complete language for the table.