Type | Stress-relieving toy |
---|---|
Inventor(s) | Zhou Wenhao (Crazy Question Mark 493) |
Country | China |
Availability | 2022–present |
Materials | Plastic |
The carrot knife, ( Chinese: 萝卜刀) also known as a radish knife, is a toy launched in 2022 which resembles a pocketknife with blunt plastic parts.
The carrot knife is a toy typically made of soft plastic and has retractable and foldable parts. The whole toy resembles the shape of a carrot. While it is made of blunt plastic it resembles the mechanism of a spring-action knife [1] or a pocketknife. [2]
The toy is intended as a stress-reliever for teenagers, similar to the fidget spinner. [3]
The toy was conceptualized by a Beijing-born 3D-printing artist Zhou Wenhao [4] who is known online as Crazy Question Mark 493 ( Chinese: 疯狂的问号493). He is a student at a university in Wuhan. [3]
In June 2022, Wenhao came up with the concept for the carrot knife, and dubbed it as Zhònglì yòu zǎi xiǎo luóbo ( Chinese: 重力幼崽小萝卜, lit. 'Gravity Cub Radish'). He posted an 8-second video on his Bilibili account and was viewed by 1 million people, becoming viral. [3] He would share the designs publicly but labeled it as " not for commercial use". [5] [6]
In July 2023, he would post a video on Douyin about the toy which garnered 5 million views overnight. Several third-party manufacturers also began to sell the toy which eventually became known as the carrot knife. [3]
Schools in South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China has explicitly prohibited students from bringing carrot knives to school and has discouraged their parents to purchase the toy for their children. [1] [7] [8]
Concerns were raised that the toy might encourage violence since the toy is often used to simulate stabbings. [2]