S’Up Spoon is a new and innovative assistive eating aid to help people with a movement disorder. Check out their Kickstarter campaign!

Comparing S’Up Spoon to a regular spoon

Inclusive and design for all practices are at the heart of everything we do and we like to support products that offer the same. S’Up Spoon is an innovative new product which provides a safe and convenient utensil, specifically designed for people with cerebral palsy as well as anyone suffering from hand tremors, such as essential tremor. S’Up Spoon helps to ensure independence and dignity to many and their Kickstarter Campaign is currently gaining momentum and we want to help push them along their way!

Eat More, Chat More, Spill Less

With the above slogan opening the campaign, S’Up Spoon is introduced as a spoon for shaky hands and the campaign is looking to raise £33,000 and have provided the below valuable flowchart of exactly how their funding will be spent:

What is S’Up Spoon

S’Up Spoon in Action

The video below explains S’up Spoon very well. The spoon was developed after the inventors met Grant who was frustrated by the limited nature of regular utensils as well as those specifically designed for assistive purposes. The spoon was designed to allow grant the freedom he needed to eat out with friends and from his fantastic feedback, the company went on to further hone the spoon for a wider user group.

The current S’Up Spoon has been developed to suit a wider audience including people with essential tremor as mentioned above as well as Parkinson’s disease. The spoon is on the verge of reaching market and there’s hope that the Kickstarter campaign will help launch them and ensure their product is available for a much wider audience. They’re currently about £20,000 away from their target and have 10 days to go. We’re hoping a final push can get them the funding they need and bring S’Up Spoon to market.

Assistive Utensils Market

The assistive utensils market is a growing area of interest for many inventors and designers. Products such as the Knork, Handsteady and other drinking and eating aids, provide assistance in some ways but not others and it’s clear S’Up Spoon feels a definite gap in the market and could even be used alongside other utensils and products.

We also reckon this is a good time to mention how valuable your Trabasack can be when out and about, providing a sturdy and stable surface to dine from, perhaps when you’re in a busy area or the table height isn’t quite right for dining comfortably.

S’Up Spoon Kickstarter

As with all Kickstarter campaigns, S’Up Spoon offer a range of incentives to their backers to get them on board and thank them for their kind pledges, the S’Up Spoon pledge incentives are as follows:

• £2 or more: the feeling that you’ve supported a great cause
• £15 or more: £3 off the estimate RRP for your S’Up Spoon and delivery by Christmas
• £18 or more: A special S’Up Spoon supporters’ t-shirt (for those who don’t need the spoon but want to back the scheme)
• £18 or more: A black/dark grey S’Up Spoon from the first production line for delivery in December 2014
• £18 or more: A black/dark grey S’Up Spoon from the second production line for delivery in February 2015
• £20 or more: A limited edition Kickstarter S’Up Spoon in green, never to be produced again.
• £25 or more: Two black/dark grey S’Up Spoons for delivery between Jan-Feb 2015
• £40 or more: Ultimate Package – both a black and special edition green spoon and a t-shirt for delivery in December 2014
• £375 or more: A special edition silver anodised aluminium spoon, hand finished with a name etched onto the handle for delivery in February 2015
• £2,500 or more: Lunch in Glasgow with a tour of the 4c Design office and a demonstration of the design processes used to develop the product. Whilst in Glasgow the backer will be able to get involved in ideas and planning for future developments of S’Up Spoon and will become a feature on the website alongside the rest of the team involves in the spoon’s design and development.

There are lots of fantastic incentives there to make that final push to back up S’Up Spoon and ensure it’s available to buy for anyone who wants it. Our main hope for the development of the product is that a stainless steel version is eventually created, allowing the S’Up Spoon to blend in more naturally in all dining environments.

Good luck to the 4c Design team and S’Up Spoon. We will keep this page updated with news as the project progresses.

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The Knork is fast becoming one of the most popular gadgets for those living with disabilities around. If you haven’t heard of it, this is the place to be to find out everything you need to know about the it and its ever expanding range of easy-to-use cutlery.

As this tweeter puts it, users really do love their knorks:

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/XLove_you_moreX/status/141887641628049408″]

Exactly what is a Knork?

The Original Knork

This is probably your first question and we don’t blame you but put simply, a knork is the only utensil you’ll ever need when eating a main meal. It combines the prongs of a fork with the cutting edge of a knife. It was originally designed to aid its inventor whilst eating pizza but has expanded well beyond this original purpose.

The Knork’s cutting edge is specifically designed not to be sharp and require a simple rocking motion to cut through foods, avoiding the risk of sharp edges. This product is a stylish and modern piece of equipment that could be an essential gadget for your home especially if you have limited dexterity or limb paralysis.

Expansive and expanding: the ever growing adaptive cutlery range

The Knork inventors knew they were onto a winner with their original design and have since rolled out many different styles and types of cutkery, including full flatware sets and foam handled knorks to aid gripping. The range was further enhanced with the release of the Knork Flatware line which includes a range of different pieces including a salad knork and steak/butter knife. It doesn’t stop there, they have also extended their range into plastic cutlery so you can take your knork with you if dining alfresco or enjoying a family picnic.

Fans of the Knork can’t help but sing it’s praises, describing it as study and weighty, which makes its cutting edge more effective and aids independence as food no longer needs to be cut up on behalf of the individual with the disability. It has opened new doors for people who may previously have been embarrassed eating in public as with a knork, there is no need to ask for food to be cut up as you can do it yourself.

This informational video gives some extra info regarding the range:

UPDATED Recent Feedback

We have had some brilliant feedback via our store – Trabasack.com in the past few days for knorks. Whenever we take  knorks to shows and exhibitions we always hear from people how much they are helping so we thought we would share this useful feedback that was posted on Amazon.

The fork has provided a new level of independence for my 9 year old who suffers from cerebral palsy and has a weakness down one side. He has been able to cut up his own food for himself for the first time. Am thrilled with the knork.

And from another customer who highlights the ‘universal design’ non-stigmatising aspect of the knork cutlery:

well packaged nice looking item will be able to use when I go out for a meal without people wondering what I am using as looks like a normal fork

We are often told that the knork is particularly useful cutlery for people with a stroke condition:

Excellent item and would definitely buy from this seller again, I bought it for my wife who has had several strokes and it has made a huge difference to her eating at home or out in a restaurant, would thoroughly recommend it.

But ANYONE can use a Knork:

Although I am not without two hands, I prefer to eat one handed. I have been looking for a while for a KNORK and decided to have a look on Amazon and found what I was looking for. The item arrived promptly and well packaged I was delighted with the product and can recommend this seller.

The Salad Knork is as stylish and functional as the original, yet smaller in length.

The Knork Range of Adaptive Cutlery

The Knork is an ever-growing range of cutlery, and includes the original Knork, a steak knife and plastic versions, ideal for camping and picnics.
The newest addition to the Knork family to be stocked on our store is the Salad Knork. The salad Knork is a smaller version of the original Knork.
The salad Knork is as stylish and practical as the original, however the slightly more compact size allows you to use it for dining on salads or starters, and is ideal for children or anyone with smaller hands. The size of the new salad Knork is easier to hold for little ones, and measures 17cm in length with smaller prongs and a slightly more curved shape.

To view or purchase from our range of Knorks, please click here to visit Trabasack.com, or alternatively, visit Amazon.co.uk for further Knork products:

UPDATE

The Knork in the Huddesfield Examiner

We are always on the lookout for mentions of the knork and spotted this review in the Huddesfield Examiner

Denis Kilcommons describes the knork as “the perfect accessory to a mobile phone”! His review is quite tongue in cheek and he likens the knork to the part of the Americanisation of Britain. All good fun but a little bit alarmist we feel!

And now we have the knork.

This is not new, although I had never heard of it before. According to Wikipedia, that font of all internet knowledge, Horatio Nelson used a specially adapted fork with a cutting edge after losing his arm in battle in 1797, so the knork is obviously a very worthwhile item of cutlery for those with only the use of one hand.

But give Americans an inch and they’ll take your knife. They have already removed it from everyday dining.

The first time I ate out in America 40 years ago, I discovered the knife is a scorned accessory. Only truck drivers use a knife AND fork, I was told, as I got stuck into my steak with both utensils. Polite society first cut up their food then discarded the knife and used only the fork to scoop the small bits into the mouth.

How stupid, I commented. That way, your chips go cold.

Truck drivers, I opined, are obviously a very sensible breed. When in the States, I have ever since conducted myself like one of Eddie Stobart’s finest, no matter how posh the restaurant.

But a Knork? The Yanks will love it. They could even make it compulsory because it means they will never have to put down their mobile phones, even when cutting their meat.

You have been warned.

We are still glad that the amazing functional and stylish knork has reached even Denis’ sheltered corner of Huddesfield!

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