You may remember Jayson Orkins from the bamboo kiteboard he entered in our project of the month contest back in March 2010. Turns out, Jayson’s passion for kiteboarding would sail him straight into a promising business partnership. Years back, while competing in a 60-mile kiteboard race from Florida to the Bahamas, he met fellow competitor H Trimble. The two became buddies, and when H had his son Jayson presented the new dad with a hand-crafted knife made with Cali Bamboo plywood. The knife was so impressive the two friends decided to start a business together, and in 2010 Reef Rayley was formed.

Today Reef Rayley presents a whole array of cutlery and cutting boards made from different exotic woods and ceramic blades. Jayson still makes each piece by hand, using traditional fine wood-working techniques. In fact, that’s one reason Cali Bamboo plywood is so perfect. Because kitchenware gets so much use, quality and durability is paramount. Jayson had experimented with an array of other plywoods before determining Cali Bamboo’s product to be the best. The extreme density of the bamboo translates to a solid knife handle without any gaps or soft spots.

More Bamboo Cutlery Photos