The hybridised knife, fork and stick, created by young Gomel inventor Stanislav Galkovsky, is to be made of stainless steel and released in Belarus to coincide with the World Hockey Championship in 2014. A little smaller than standard cutlery, it is to have three prongs and cutting edge at the bottom, while sporting a hockey stick design. As the handle is at the top, more pressure can be exerted on the cutting surface, making it more efficient than a disposable version. Meanwhile, the prongs are very strong.
College students worked on the design under the guidance of professors, explains Director Gennady Kozlov. He tells us, “Our team enthusiastically supported the idea of creating new cutlery and it became an unusual assignment for us — not in complexity but in content, as this is the world’s first fork-stick. I think it should be produced in commercial quantities and could become a calling card of the World Championship: you see a fork-stick and immediately think of World Cup-2014 in Belarus.”
Mass production would have to take place in plastic, so they could be disposable; however, a precise mould is required, so it’s difficult to pay for this under non-commercial conditions. The metal version would be made as a souvenir, bearing the World Hockey Championship logo. At the end of last year, presenting the idea, Mr. Kozlov noted, “At such events, we don’t always eat at a cosy table. If you’re holding a plastic plate in one hand, you can’t also hold a knife and fork. Cutting a piece of meat is very difficult and can lead to stains on clothing.” The new cutlery helps solve the problem.
The design is reminiscent of a chicken paw: a 20th century symbol of pacifism. Of course, sport has been known as a realm of peaceful relations since days of old. In Ancient Greece, during the Olympic Games, all wars were temporarily suspended.
After great events, very often, unusual details of local colour are remembered. For example, the Beijing Olympics was known for its souvenir chopsticks. Accordingly, the chicken paw may capture tourists’ interest at the international hockey festival. “The handle should definitely bear the symbol of the championship and be inscribed ‘Minsk-2014’ as thousands of foreigners will take one home to show their friends and family,” notes Mr. Kozlov.
The Gomel invention is ranked top in the contest ‘100 Ideas for Belarus’ and is to be presented at an exhibition of the same name in Minsk, organised by the Belarusian Republican Youth Union.
