Adaptive Kitchen Knives: One Handed Knifes, Rocker Knifes

What are Adaptive Kitchen Knives?

Specifically designed to help users with weakened or unstable grip capabilities, adaptive kitchen knives come in a variety of configurations to suit individual requirements. From users with only one hand to users with arthritis, there are adapted knife features that are sure to fulfill everyone’s special needs. Angled handles, t-shaped rocking blades, weighted handles and ergonomic grips provide assistance for a range of users with hand and wrist impairments.

These daily living aids enhance independence for the elderly or disabled, as they enable people with manual weaknesses, pain and tremors to safely slice, chop and cut food. This adaptive cutlery is more appropriate than the use of regular knives for people who are recovering from stroke, illness or surgery, and for those with hand or arm injuries. They make food preparation tasks easier and safer for anyone who finds using regular knives hard to manage, or impossible.

What Type of Adaptive Knife is Best?

There are several features and styles of adaptive kitchen knives available. Choosing the best knife is dependent upon each user and their specific requirements. All of our adaptive knives are designed to minimize the usual pressure required to use a regular knife, which helps to mitigate pain and to reduce the risk of a cutting injury.

Built-up Handles and Ergonomic Grips—ergonomically designed grips and angled kitchen knives help to keep the wrist and hand in a more neutral position, resulting in comfortable slicing, dicing, cutting and chopping tasks. Built-up handles are easier to grasp for many users, especially those with manual limitations or arthritis. Because the weighted handles absorb the pressure, there is very little force required from the user’s hand.

Angled Handles—angled and perpendicular kitchen knife handles allow users to position their hand in a more natural upright angle. This eliminates the stress and force required when using the whole arm for sawing actions with a regular knife. Angled kitchen knives also help to minimize the finger and wrist movements that are necessary when cutting or slicing with a regular knife. Users will find that employing an angled knife allows them to exert more strength to improve the knife’s function, while the design keeps their hand, wrist and arm in a neutral position to reduce the risk of pain and inflammation. Angled knives are generally well suited for individuals who have lost fine motor skills, have a weakened grip or overall physical weakness, or only have the use of one hand.

Rolling Blades—rolling kitchen knives resemble pizza cutters, although they generally have sharper and thicker blades. They have easy-to-grip handles and are rolled through and over foods to cut and slice. While they don’t require a lot of strength on the part of the user, the specialized design exerts pressure to easily and safely cut through meats, vegetables and other kinds of foods. Rolling kitchen knives are appropriate for use by just about anyone with manual or physical weakness or disability, and can usually be used one-handed.

Rocker Blades—also known as T handled knives or C handled knives, rocker bladed kitchen knives are one of the most popular adaptive knives available. Configured with either an ergonomically T shaped or C shaped handle to grasp, the blade is then gently “rocked” back and forth through the food to cut it. Very little pressure is required on the part of the user, yet it cuts food extremely effectively. Security is further enhanced with a safety edge, and the specially designed handles are comfortable for virtually any user to hold. Rocker knives are perfect for one-handed users, as well, and are small enough to take along to restaurants or when dining out at a friend’s house.

Rehabmart is pleased to offer a variety of innovative adapted kitchen knives from esteemed vendors that include North Coast and Snug Seat/ETAC.

Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO

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