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UK Company Makes Knives Without Tips As Knife Crime Wave Surges

posted by martyb on Sunday January 19 2020, @07:34PM   Printer-friendly
from the pointed-comments dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Sheffield-based company Viners has produced the "Assure" range, square-ended knives which are "shaped to reduce and prevent injuries, accidents and fatalities." With knife crimes in England and Wales at their highest in a decade, a 3% increase on last year and the highest level since 2009, this new knife is intended to not be used in crimes and only in the kitchen. While anti-stabbing messages have been left on fastfood containers and a crackdown on knife crime has been tried, for which included limiting the sale of knives, so far nothing has blunted the knife based problem.

When have social problems been solved by technical solutions?

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday January 20 2020, @12:50PM (5 children)

    by c0lo (156) on Monday January 20 2020, @12:50PM (#945772) Journal

    Or... maybe you weren't actually trolled, but decided to pull a quicky on all soylenters?

    The topic of the story from the horse's mouth [viners.co.uk]

    With over 100 years of heritage Viners has designed a new and innovative knife blade which places safety at the forefront. The squared tip has been designed to maximise safe use in and around the home, assuring the performance will not be compromised.

    As well as being stylish, the knives are still highly functional with food preparation and carving. The knives feature curved soft touch handles for optimum comfort, and the blades are finished with a black non-stick coating which helps reduce cutting friction.

    Do you see anything related to "intended to not be used in crimes and only in the kitchen"?

    ---

    The cited site, the summit.news: some classified it as "a far right conspiracy website" [mediabiasfactcheck.com]. You are free to make your own idea, but do make one, stick with it for the future and be prepared to support the consequences.

    ---

    In any case, the author is Paul Joseph Watson [wikipedia.org]

    Paul Joseph Watson (born May 24, 1982)[1] is an English YouTube personality, radio host, writer and conspiracy theorist.
    ...
    In May 2019, Facebook barred Watson from using its Facebook and Instagram services for repeatedly expressing "dangerous" and "white supremacist" views.

    So... how about you provide a balanced view and publish an aristarchus story now? Let's see... this one [nymag.com]?

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 20 2020, @01:33PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 20 2020, @01:33PM (#945794)

    UK tabloid source. [independent.co.uk] More mainstream news links backing up the claims. [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday January 20 2020, @01:46PM (3 children)

      by c0lo (156) on Monday January 20 2020, @01:46PM (#945800) Journal

      Re: "UK tabloid source" - show me where the company says "we've produce this line to lower the knive perpetrated violence in UK". The fact that a story is printed on multiple sheets of toilet paper doesn't make it true.

      Regarding the "mainstream links backing the claim" (where "claim" = "Viners created the knife line in relation with knife crime in UK") - the relation is tenuous, cherry-picked at best and stretching credibility. Quite a trait any decent conspiracy theory displays.

      Your post? Still unconvincing, most likely troll.

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      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 20 2020, @04:17PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 20 2020, @04:17PM (#945865)

        Ok boomer [liverpoolecho.co.uk]

        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday January 20 2020, @08:39PM (1 child)

          by c0lo (156) on Monday January 20 2020, @08:39PM (#945952) Journal

          Rayware says rising reports of knife crime and changes in the law gave its product developers the idea to try and produce prototypes that could be sold safely in shops.
          ...
          The UK Government has taken the decision to reclassify kitchen knives as an offensive weapon within the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, leading some retailers including Asda and Tesco to remove single knives from sale in retail stores.

          The result is a range named Assure, which according to Viners will not pierce the skin and they say will not even pop a balloon.

          Nothing to do with "the design is meant to reduce the crime in UK", everything to do with "maybe Tesco will take our knives on their shelves, can't use them for stabbing".
          Not quite a "social problems been solved by technical solutions" case, is it?

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          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0

          • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 20 2020, @10:27PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 20 2020, @10:27PM (#946032)

            Nothing to do with "the design is meant to reduce the crime in UK"

            Kate O’Neill, Head of Product and Marketing at Rayware, told the ECHO the plans had come from the "drip drip" effect of constant bleak headlines about rising knife crime. She said: "The directors live locally and they all read the same news we all do. Viners Assure safety knives, developed in Speke, which their makers say are "impossible to stab someone with"

            "From the very top we thought we can do something about this."