The Sole Cookware Story | Redesigning Kitchen Tools for Home Cooks

From Lily

I created Sole Cookware because I wanted a better tool. What started as a search for a great chef knife became a business built to make cooking more enjoyable. The kitchen holds memory, culture, connection, taste, joy, and confidence — and I wanted to design a tool that brings those elements forward and invites more people into the kitchen.

Make room for cooking.

The right tool should reduce friction, not add to it. We design to make the kitchen feel more confident, more comfortable, and more inviting.

Designed with care.

We believe the kitchen should feel more graceful, more intuitive, and more supportive of the person using it. Sole is made to bring ease, beauty, and confidence to everyday cooking.

Make room for cooking.

Designed with care.

From Lily

Our Journey

WHERE IT BEGAN

2019

It started in culinary school, where I first used a professional chef knife. Chef V adjusted my grip and said, “Knives are not made for women. Work harder.” That moment stayed with me.What began as a search for a better tool became a deeper realization: the kitchen could feel more intuitive, more enjoyable, and more connected to the way people actually cook. That realization led to Sole.

The Great Knife Experiment

2019-2020

From there, Lily tested more than 50 knives — cooking with them, taking notes, and paying close attention to what felt good in her hand and what didn’t. She wanted to understand not just how a knife performed, but how it made cooking feel.She also cut down the blade to better understand the balance, weight, and shape that felt right. That process brought her closer to the tool she had been searching for: one that felt intuitive, comfortable, and made for real use in the kitchen.

Set of knives with various handles on a white background

CREATING THE CARDINAL

2021-2023

From there, the work became deeply hands-on. We developed the blades in-house, 3D-printed the handles, and hand-ground the blades as we refined the knife piece by piece. Every decision was made with intention, from the way it felt in the hand to the way it moved through food.We tested 150 different versions before arriving at what is now the Cardinal. That process was about more than just iteration — it was about learning what truly made a knife feel balanced, comfortable, and right to use. Each version brought us closer to a tool that reflected the standard we wanted to hold: thoughtful, functional, and made to be used every day.