The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.
They consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen.
None of the chefs felt such knives were essential, since the point of a short blade was just as useful when a sharp end was needed.
The researchers said a short pointed knife may cause a substantial superficial wound if used in an assault - but is unlikely to penetrate to inner organs.
Kitchen knives can inflict appalling wounds
In contrast, a pointed long blade pierces the body like "cutting into a ripe melon".
So if someone much much larger than you are comes into your house with, say, a lead pipe, intent on mashing your skull into pulp, these docs say that it's okay to dissuade them with a little knife, but not a big one?
I don't own a gun, but I support gun owners' rights. If I don't support the right of gun-owners to protect themselves with guns, eventually something like this will happen in our country, too. Of course I wish violent self-protection were never necessary, but sometimes people find themselves in such situations. Limiting choices for self-survival seems foolish.
Peace,
Tor
