Knives expert, Alastair Fisher, director of Taylors Eye Witness is among those responding to the news that surgeons have asked the home office to work with knives manufacturers and retailers to consider the redesign of knives to have a rounded blade (see HousewaresNew.net on Friday February 15).
Acknowledging that: “the misuse of kitchen knives brings us great sadness,” Alastair states:” I appreciate the sentiments behind the Surgeons letter, but I would like to point out the practicalities of the situation.” He highlights four aspects as part of the bigger picture of knives usage:
1. There are over 400million knives in circulation in the UK today, so if a criminal wants to get his hands on one they can do so easily. Changing the design of newly produced kitchen knives will have no effect on the availability of “old” pointed knives.
2. The evidence is that the knives used in knife crime are almost always “old” knives.
3. We have market tested kitchen knives with safety points and have found no interest from our retail partners or from end users. We do sell some into the education sector for use in school Cookery lessons but the numbers are very low.
4. The solution to the current increase in knife crime is firstly strict enforcement of the existing laws prohibiting the carrying of knives in public without good reason and secondly education – young people need to be taught about the use and care of kitchen knives as part of a Domestic Science module in schools that will teach them to prepare inexpensive healthy meals, a necessary life skill.”
Another viewpoint comes from Stuart Theobald, head of sales for Sigg UK and Ireland, who says:“Though not a knife retailer I am a knife user. Asking manufacturers to redesign their knives is 100% pointless; it takes less than 30 seconds with a Dremel or on a pavement to put a point back onto a knife. Increasing the price will also do nothing; there are enough knives in people kitchens in the UK that any change wouldn’t be felt for generations. One house theft can easily give someone ten new pointy knives to go and cause mischief.”
Continuing, Stuart emphasises: “The root cause isn’t the use of knives, it’s the issues causing people to get into these situations in the first place, this is like a sticking plaster being put over a gaping wound. The only people knife laws affect are the people who follow the law, not those whose aim is to break or ignore it.”
Top: Taylors Eye Witness continues to manufacturer some of its collection in Sheffield.
