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Cutlery Company Makes Knives With Rounded Tips In Response To Knife Crime Statistics

Cutlery Company Makes Knives With Rounded Tips In Response To Knife Crime Statistics

Sheffield company Viners wanted to respond to the UK's shocking knife crime statistics

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A cutlery company has made a statement about the shocking knife crime statistics in the UK by creating a range of knives with blunt ends.

Last October, it was reported that police had recorded 44,000 incidents involving a knife or sharp implement so far in the year to June 2019.

That's a record number of incidents for England and Wales and a seven percent increase on the same period in 2018.

The Office for National Statistics also announced that the number of instances of knife crime was the highest it had been since 2010/2011.

Viners

In response to those disturbing figures, Viners - a Sheffield-based cutlery and kitchenware firm established in 1901 - has created a new set of knives that have rounded off ends instead of knives which come to a sharp point.

The new and inventive range, called the 'Assure collection' has been designed 'in response to rising knife crime statistics and new government legislation'.

The knives will be available later this week and have all been 'repeatedly tested to ensure the tip does not pierce skin intentionally or otherwise'.

Viners

A press release from Viners stated: "With knife-related crime incidents at a record high and a reported 285 fatalities in the last 12 months alone, the UK government has taken the decision to reclassify kitchen knives as an offensive weapon with the new Offensive Weapons Act 2019, leading some retailers to remove single knives from sale in retail stores.

"The new Assure collection from Viners has been created in response to this new legislation, with the team extensively testing a new shape knife that is highly functional for the modern cook but shaped to reduce and prevent injuries, accidents and fatalities."

The knives are priced at either £3.99 ($5.19) or £5.99 ($7.79) for a single knife, depending on which one you want. A set of four knives will cost £15.99 ($20.79).

The set of knives will be available to buy from homeware retailer Dunelm, and will also go on sale on the official Viners website as of Sunday 16 February.

Viners

The company has also stated that they hope that the knives will allow anyone using them to have the 'same functionality as a standard knife' when cooking or cutting up food, but 'helping to reduce unnecessary accidents when preparing food and washing up'.

Under the new Offensive Weapons Act of 2019, a kitchen knife is classed as an 'offensive weapon per se' and possession of an offensive weapon can be punishable by up to four years imprisonment.

Featured Image Credit: Viners

Topics: Food, UK News, Weird