Kitchen Knives as Weapons
As a circuit judge, I presided over numerous jury trials involving serious violence. Many of the victims and defendants in those cases were very young people, twelve year-olds, fourteen year-olds and sixteen year-olds, who were carrying knives. One mother described seeing her son bleeding like a watering can full of holes. Some were injured by knives which they had themselves taken out of fear, but were then used against them. Knife crime is not limited to gang-related violence or planned attacks - it frequently occurs spontaneously, often involving young teenagers on the streets or during domestic violence incidents in the home.
In the cases I heard, the weapons most frequently used were kitchen knives. They are the knives which come to hand easiest. They are the lethal weapons in every kitchen drawer. It is the simplest thing in the world for a young person, without thinking what will happen, to take out a kitchen knife from his mother’s kitchen drawer, or indeed his friend’s mother’s kitchen drawer. The same applies to domestic quarrels. A kitchen knife is often the most accessible weapon.
My experience in court is now confirmed by government statistics. They show that in homicide cases where a sharp instrument was identified as the cause of death, kitchen knives accounted for over half the deaths (101 out of 192 deaths). In other words, two people are killed by kitchen knives every single week. In contrast, zombie knives, samurai swords, and Rambo knives account for only 8% of such homicides. Those knives and swords grab the headlines, but it is kitchen knives which are the most frequent killers. They are also a major factor in self-harm and suicide and cause serious accidental injuries.
Why Safer Knife Design Matters
Research and clinical experience show that it is the points of long knives that penetrate rib cages and sever arteries, causing life-threatening and fatal injuries. Removing the pointed tip of a kitchen knife does not stop it from being used in violence, but it significantly reduces its lethality. The blades of knives can injure and disfigure, but they rarely kill.
So, over the last ten years, a small group with different professional experiences of knife-related injuries, have been calling for a practical, public health based approach to reduce knife-related harm by phasing out pointed-tip kitchen knives and introducing safer alternatives with rounded ends as the norm. We have done this working both collectively and individually and now call ourselves the Safer Knives Group.
The Labour government has rightly prioritised tackling knife crime, with measures such as banning ninja swords, zombie-style blades, and machetes, as well as tightening online sales regulations. We support these measures but argue that they do not go far enough. On their own, they will not be enough to meet the government’s ambition of halving knife crime in a decade.
We have engaged with government, law enforcement, manufacturers and retailers. In recent months, we have had meetings with the relevant Home Office minister and with senior civil servants. We have made television and radio appearances and written articles. Our campaign has gained added impetus after comments by Idris Elba which were probably the result of our high-profile letter published in The Times published on January 24th.
Policy Recommendations
We advocate a practical, public health based approach to reducing knife-related harm by phasing out pointed-tip kitchen knives as the industry standard and introducing safer alternatives. Rounded knives should become the norm.
Our recommendations are
1. Encourage manufacturers and retailers to replace pointed kitchen knives with rounded-tip alternatives.
• There is little culinary need for pointed-tip knives in home kitchens.
• Rounded-tip knives, such as those in the Viners Assure range, have been shown to perform all necessary kitchen functions while significantly reducing risk.
• Retailers should display rounded-tip knives openly while storing pointed knives securely (as with tobacco sales) to deter impulsive purchases and theft.
• Knives with rounded tips are much less attractive as weapons. Individuals carrying knives for intimidation tend to favour long, pointed blades. A knife without a sharp tip is perceived as less threatening, making it less likely to be chosen as a weapon.
2. Remove restrictions on the sale of safer, rounded knives. Knives with rounded ends should be openly displayed in shops, advertised and sold by email. Manufacturers and retailers should be encouraged to actively promote the sale of different ranges of safer, rounded knives. On the other hand, manufacturers and retailers should end the remote sale of pointed knives to be delivered to residential addresses, ideally voluntarily but, if necessary, by legislation. Individuals who want to buy pointed knives by mail order/via the internet, should be required to collect them in-store where age verification is easier. Businesses (butchers, fishmongers, restaurants) operating from commercial premises would still be able to order by internet/mail order.
3. Introduce a pricing differential to discourage the purchase of pointed knives.
•A levy of £10 on pointed knives over a certain length could encourage safer alternatives, just as the 5p plastic bag charge dramatically reduced single-use plastic consumption.
• This could be implemented through a voluntary retailer/manufacturer initiative or a government-led tax.
4. Launch a knife modification scheme.
• Supermarkets, high-street key cutters, or police could provide a service to grind down the points of existing knives in exchange for small incentives, such as food vouchers.
• A similar scheme was successfully implemented in the recent knife surrender programme, where individuals were offered £10 to hand in banned knives.
5. Differentiate knife type in crime data collection.
• The latest Home Office homicide statistics now differentiate between different types of knives. This should continue and be expanded to all knife crime reporting to provide a clearer picture of trends.
6. Phase in the use of rounded kitchen knives in shared accommodation settings.
• Approved Premises, supported accommodation, local authority residential settings, student halls of residence, workplace kitchens, and hostels should be encouraged to transition to rounded-tip kitchen knives as part of routine safety measures.
Conclusions
Tough sentencing alone has not been shown to reduce violent crime. Custodial sentences stop offenders engaging in knife crime while they are in young offender institutions or in prison, but they rarely act as deterrents to further offending. Many violent offences are committed on the spur of the moment, without rational thought about the consequences.
The key is prevention, not just punishment. A safer default knife design is a low-cost, high-impact measure that complements wider crime reduction strategies.
Our proposals are not about restricting personal freedom, nor are they a magic bullet that will end violence. They are simple, practical steps that can save lives with minimal disruption. Knife crime is a complex and multi-faceted issue—there is no single, simple solution, but the shape of weapons matters. Just as seat belts do not stop all crashes but reduce deaths and injuries, safer kitchen knives will not end knife crime, but they will reduce its lethality. These measures align with the government’s commitment to halving knife crime and reducing preventable deaths.
Making safer kitchen knives the norm, rather than the exception, is a realistic, evidence-based intervention that will save lives without restricting legitimate knife use. The choice should be obvious.
Safer Knives Group Members
His Honour Nic Madge – Former circuit judge, who presided over many cases of serious violence involving knives.
Professor John Crichton – Consultant forensic psychiatrist, past chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, with a longstanding research interest in homicide reduction.
Duncan Bew – Consultant major trauma surgeon at King’s College Hospital, with first-hand experience of treating life-threatening injuries caused by knives.
Leisa Nichols-Drew – Chartered forensic practitioner and Associate Professor of Forensic Biology at De Montfort University, specialising in the forensic investigation of knife-related injuries.
Andy Slaughter MP – Chair of the Justice Select Committee, a long-time advocate for legislative reform to reduce knife crime.
His Honour Nic Madge, Former Circuit Judge, Safer Knives Group
