The AROS has been discontinued — but will return in a new configuration.

A design that shaped my business, and almost broke it

The AROS is one of my most successful designs to date. It’s also the project that taught me one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned as a maker and business owner.

In its current configuration, the AROS has been discontinued. Not because the design failed, but because the business math did.

A short recap

When I launched the AROS as a Shop-Built knife, the response was overwhelming. It quickly became one of my best-selling designs, loved for its size, simplicity, and modularity.

From the outside, everything looked like a success. But behind the scenes, the numbers told a different story.

The AROS required far more time, resources, and manual work than the price realistically supported. Over time, that imbalance started to put real pressure on the business.

In simple terms:
The AROS was selling extremely well, but it was getting dangerously close to breaking my business.

That’s a situation no design, no matter how good, can justify.

The story behind the AROS

In my YouTube series, you can follow the entire journey, from early ideas and design, to production and launch, and finally the day I had to announce the discontinuation of my best-selling knife, including the mistakes, the learnings, and the reasoning behind the decision.

Watch the AROS video series here or below.

What happens next?

When the AROS will return is still uncertain. But it will return, in a new configuration. If you want to make sure you don’t miss it, sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know.