Here’s a new twist on an old theme. The kitchen knife has remained essentially unchanged since it was invented – after all, there’s only so much you can do when you want a sharp, pointy bit of metal.

But do you really need a kitchen knife to be pointy? That’s the question industrial designer John Cornock asked after a news report on knife crime pointed out that the most common weapon used in impulsive stabbings was the kitchen knife.

Three years and several prototypes later he came up with this – the “new point” knife. The idea is to retain the sharp edge but blunt the business end sufficiently that it won’t do damage in a moment of anger. The tip is also designed to snag on clothing, further reducing the chances of fatal injury.

Of course it doesn’t prevent a slashing attack – but perhaps “normal” people don’t think like that and I’ve just spent too many hours playing FPS games…

More information on www.newpointknives.co.uk