Get your pre-ban kitchen knives now...

[Ron G.]

The insanity never stops...

Docs Want Kitchen Knives Banned

Sunday, May 29, 2005

There is a menace lurking in British homes — the common kitchen knife.

Citing a rash of stabbings across Britain, three physicians wrote in a British Medical Journal article published Friday that the large pointed knife beloved by chefs both professional and amateur was needlessly deadly and should be replaced by safer, blunter counterparts.

"The long pointed kitchen knife is an easily available, potentially lethal weapon, particularly in the domestic setting," wrote lead author Dr. Emma Hern of West Middlesex University Hospital (search) in London.

Short knives, Hern and her colleagues Drs. Will Glazebrook and Mike Beckett wrote, generally caused only superficial wounds, but long pointed blades slip into human flesh in a way akin to "cutting into a ripe melon."

The doctors proposed a simple solution — outlawing pointed choppers and slicers.

"Government action to ban the sale of such knives," they wrote, "would drastically reduce their availability over the course of a few years."

Reaction from professional chefs in Britain was less than enthusiastic.

"Kitchen knives are designed for a purpose," the head of the Edinburgh, Scotland, Restaurateurs Association told The Scotsman newspaper. "It would be like asking a surgeon to perform an operation with a bread knife instead of a scalpel."

In America, where deadly weapons tend to be more sophisticated, leading authorities thought the proposed British ban was cute.

"Are they going to have everybody using plastic knives and forks and spoons in their own homes, like they do in airlines?" Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (search), asked The New York Times.

"Can sharp stick control be far behind?" wondered LaPierre's erstwhile opponent, Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (search).

New York celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, not known for mincing words, was both blunt and sharp-tongued.

"This is yet another sign of the coming apocalypse," he told the Times. "Where there is no risk, there is no pleasure."

[Raf]

The world's going to be made of Nerf by the time these bozos are through with their stupid laws.

[gc]

This article would be funny if not for being so sad!

I remember the first time I had a discussion about the pros and cons of gun control in England and America. A few months laters I saw on the front page of a british newpaper an article reporting on a robbery using a knife. My question at the time was, "so will the British government outlaw knifes next?"

Ron G., do you have the link to the article?

gc

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

i am a chef i WILL NOT surrender my knife!!!should we start a national knife association? how silly!

[Steve!]

"Sure, you can take my knife from me, when you can pry it from my cold, dead fingers!"

[LG]

That's just goofy! I have probably hundreds of things in my house that would be very effective deadly weapons. (I have only two guns, but lots of tools and cutting implements, many of which I'd prefer to a chef's knife if I were of a mind to harm someone.)

[Trefor Heywood]

This caution and nannying gets ever worse!

Not only can you not smoke on a plane these days but since April you cannot even carry a lighter on one!

No plane in history has been hijacked by a lighter!

[Zshot]

I like my Henckles 4 star kitchen knife set. I am not going to give up my knife set!

Chefs and cooks like any other tradesmen, have "tools of the trade". Knives are an essential tool for these professionals.

As most good tradesmen know, you should use the proper tool for the proper job.

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

as a chef i don't even want to think how much $ i have invested in my tools. 750.00 just for a set of 6 ice carving chisels

[Pirate1974]

quote:

No plane in history has been hijacked by a lighter!

Very true, but you could always use it to light your exploding shoes. Can't be too careful.

[dmiller]

quote:

Very true, but you could always use it to light your exploding shoes. Can't be too careful.

Shoes are next -- Pirate. -->

and then (dare I say it???) sox after that!

:D-->

[Zshot]

Here's an idea...

We all fly nakee

[krys]

What I really wish they'd ban in planes, and, indeed, all public places are those really strong spicy heavy perfumes that some women believe make them desirable or attractive.

We've all been victimized by the lingering effects of this. If I have to fly nakee then at least let me fly with pleasant fragrances.

[lindyhopper]

I'm with Z, on this. Fly nekid an don't touch my Henckles.

If they take these types of knives away, how am I supposed to cut though a tin can and then still slice beautifully though this ripe tomato? -->

[Galen]

I would not mind flying naked.

But I do know that some folks are upset by it.

I dont normally hang-out in my birthday suit, but on subs I did commonly walk between my bunkroom and the showers wearing sandals and a towel [the towel hanging around my neck that is] and it did commonly upset people.

I mean really now, it was not like I was totaly without, I did wear sandals and afterall I had my towel draped around my neck, but some guys just get bothered by such a sight.

:-)

[Ron G.]

The only really safe way to travel is to travel nekkid and unconscious.

Just go to your private booth, strip, lie down on a gurney, place the mask over your face and let your friendly staff do the rest.

An ironic note to the original post is that it's been published and documented that MD's cause more deaths than guns and knives together.

Sounds to me as if they don't like competition.

[SafariVista]

How stupid!

Let's start stocking up on sharp kitchen knife sets... whole sets from China, only $4.00 for 12 :)--> (Min order 1 freight container = 200,000)

Then sell them on e-Bay... for $15.00 plus $2.50 shipping a set... we'd more than triple our money...

Anyone interested?

;)-->

[Shellon]

quote:

Just go to your private booth, strip, lie down on a gurney, place the mask over your face and let your friendly staff do the rest.

[Trefor Heywood]

You have to take your shoes off and get them scanned so that's a non sequitur. :D-->

[Zshot]

SafariVista said,

"Let's start stocking up on sharp kitchen knife sets... whole sets from China, only $4.00 for 12 (Min order 1 freight container = 200,000)

Then sell them on e-Bay... for $15.00 plus $2.50 shipping a set... we'd more than triple our money... "

IMO, German kitchen knives are a much better quality. And currently, a "good" set of knives is about $300.00 (retail).

[nellie]

When i have to go to court to fight yet AGAIN another stupid thing regarding my ex, i get scanned going in. They took away my knitting once, but left me with my bic pens, which if i wanted to kill him, would do the trick.

I did pass through the scanners another time with my swiss army knife without a problem ... go figure. I didn't know i had it in my backpack. They did make me take a video tape out of the bag though - what? was i gonna beat him over the head with it?

It's all just a little silly.

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

zshot

sweedish and i hate to say it japanese are the best i've found.but costly.

[Zshot]

Chef,

Concerning knives and cookware, I am sure that you know much more than me.

I will go play with my Henckles 4 star knives and Cuisinart non-stick stainless cookware in my little kitchen... ;)-->

(I just made it to "short order cook" over 20 years ago)

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

what ya cooking zshot? can you overnite it to me? have fun in the kitchen!

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

ps i just got done doing lobaster clams prime rib corn on the cob and baked potato for 368 people. it was fun but now i am tired and sipping wine!