The name palion originated in siena, a city in the italian region of tuscany, which hosts an annual horse race named palio with a tradition that dates back 800 years. the palio in siena puts a whole city and the entire nation into a state of excitement. carl mertens has turned the palio into a culinary event. the designers who came up with the idea for palio are carsten gollnick and gert trauernicht. it is made of high-grade 18/10 stainless steel. its design marries functionality and ergonomics with aesthetics, thereby turning it into a culinary experience. palio is cutlery of the highest quality. the consistency found in its design and the precision that is evident in the way it is made elevate this cutlery to a prominent part of any cultivated tableware. the sleekness of its stylish portions punctuate the great effort that has been applied from a production standpoint. the result is a design and surface feel that reflect an unprecedented level of consistency. the reddot award for “h.