Carrot knife
A blunt plastic toy resembling a pocketknife, popular among teenagers.
The carrot knife, also called a radish knife, is a toy introduced in 2022. It looks like a pocketknife but is made of soft, blunt plastic. The toy is designed as a stress-reliever for teenagers, similar to a fidget spinner.
Its creator is Zhou Wenhao, a 3D-printing artist born in Beijing who goes by the online name Crazy Question Mark 493. He was a university student in Wuhan. In June 2022, he came up with the idea and called it "Gravity Cub Radish." He posted an 8-second video on Bilibili that got 1 million views and went viral. He shared the designs publicly but said they were not for commercial use. In July 2023, he posted another video on Douyin that got 5 million views overnight. After that, other manufacturers began selling the toy, which became known as the carrot knife.
Schools in South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China have banned students from bringing carrot knives to school and have advised parents not to buy them. Concerns exist that the toy might encourage violence, as it is often used to mimic stabbing motions.
- type
- Toy
- launch_year
- 2022
- creator
- Zhou Wenhao (Crazy Question Mark 493)
- origin
- China
- material
- Soft plastic
- known_for
- Stress-reliever for teenagers, resembling a spring-action knife
Lore & Background
The carrot knife was conceptualized in June 2022 by Zhou Wenhao, a Beijing-born 3D-printing artist and student at a university in Wuhan. He initially dubbed it 'Gravity Cub Radish' and posted an 8-second video on his Bilibili account, which garnered 1 million views and went viral. Wenhao shared the designs publicly but labeled them as not for commercial use.
In July 2023, Wenhao posted a video on Douyin about the toy that received 5 million views overnight. Following this, several third-party manufacturers began selling the toy, which eventually became known as the carrot knife. The toy is made of soft plastic with retractable and foldable parts, resembling the shape of a carrot and the mechanism of a spring-action knife or pocketknife.
Schools in South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China have explicitly prohibited students from bringing carrot knives to school and discouraged parents from purchasing the toy. Concerns were raised that the toy might encourage violence, as it is often used to simulate stabbings.
Reader's Guide
The carrot knife emerged as a viral toy in 2022, designed as a stress-reliever for teenagers, similar to the fidget spinner. Its creator, Zhou Wenhao, leveraged social media platforms Bilibili and Douyin to popularize the concept, leading to widespread imitation by third-party manufacturers. The toy's design—a blunt plastic object that mimics a pocketknife—sparked debate over its potential to normalize violent behavior, particularly through simulated stabbing motions. This controversy prompted bans in schools across South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China, reflecting broader societal concerns about toys that blur the line between harmless play and aggressive imitation. Despite its intended purpose as a calming gadget, the carrot knife's legacy is tied to the tension between viral internet culture and child safety regulations. Its rapid rise and fall in popularity illustrate how a simple concept can ignite global attention and regulatory pushback within a year.
Did You Know?
- The carrot knife was originally named 'Gravity Cub Radish' by its creator.
- Zhou Wenhao posted an 8-second video about the toy on Bilibili that received 1 million views.
- Schools in South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China have prohibited the carrot knife.
- The toy is intended as a stress-reliever for teenagers, similar to the fidget spinner.
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