A big thanks goes to Jenny Gordon who kindly road-tested the Etac Relieve Angled Cheese Slicer for us.  Here’s her customer review!

“I have now used the cheese slicer regularly and found it very good.  My review of the Etac angled cheese slicer is that it was a bit awkward the first time I used it and although it produced nice thin slices of cheese it did make  a mess of the block of cheese used on ( not sure if this was because cheese was a type that doses crumble)? But once got the knack of using it I have found it very good, it produces nice thin slices, perfect for a sandwich of for cheese on toast.The size of the handle provides a good grip and the angle of the handle makes it easy to use and pain free! I found it much easier to cut the cheese then using a normal knife-would recommend it!”

Would you be interested in joining our customer review panel?

We’re hoping to create a pool of people with arthritis who would be interested in road testing our products.  You get to keep any item you review and no essays are required - just a brief outline of the pros and cons of a product as you see it!  If this sounds like something you would be interested in please email customerservice@funkyarthur.co.uk with the subject title “customer review panel”, we won’t use your data for anything else and we’ll be choosing our next product for review soon!

We are offering one lucky visitor the chance to win a One Touch Jar Opener. Retailing at more than £25, this gadget is one of the best tools around for opening stubborn jar lids. Safe enough to use on any jar yet powerful enough to deal with the toughest jars it’s perfect for anyone who suffers from arthritis in their arms, wrists or hands

To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is complete our quick 5 minute survey. The competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland and the closing date for receipt of entries is midnight Friday 5 March 2010. One lucky winner will be selected at random from all entries received and will be notified by email within 10 working days of the closing date.   Good Luck!

We recently had an email from one of our visitors asking why we use the word “sufferer” on our website.  The author of the email, someone with arthritis, felt that the word was negative, depressing and indeed cringeworthy.

I have to say that I agree.  The word “sufferer” simply does not reflect the ethos of Funky Arthur.  Personally speaking, I also find the term unpalatable.   So why do we use it?

Unfortunately it comes down to a technical issue.  When I look at how people find us online, a large proportion of them include the word “sufferer” in their search terms.  Common keywords include “gadgets for arthritis sufferers”, “aids for arthritis sufferers”, “products for arthritis sufferers” and so on.  This means that if we were to remove the word “sufferer” from our site, then fewer people would find us and fewer people would have access to what we hope you agree are some great products.

It’s not all doom and gloom though.  As Funky Arthur grows and becomes better known, I can see a day when we will be able to drop that word altogether.  I for one can’t wait.

Wow it’s been a busy couple of weeks.  We’ve been working hard to expand our range of arthritis aids and have added a couple of new products which we think you’ll really love.

Functional Hand Splint

The first is the Functional Hand Splint.  This handy gadget has been designed by therapists to turn a whole range of implements into tools you can use without having to make a painful tight grip.  Use it for toothbrushes, cutlery, pens and pencils - whatever you can think of really.  It’s keeps your joints perfectly aligned, relieving presure and pain and we’re sure that you’ll love it.

Arthritic Crutch

The next new product for Funky Arthur is the Arthritic Crutch.  Feedback from our customers suggests that traditional walking sticks and canes can be difficult for painful hands and wrists.  This crutch is specifically designed for people with arthritis and, unlike normal crutches, body weight is supported through a cushioned forearm trough.

We’re always on the look out for great aids so if you find anything that you think we should stock then please let us know.

Angela - still trying to track down some pink Thermoskin Gloves…..

Firstly, I need to make a little confession.  I have never been a potato peeler type of girl, having always preferred to use my trusty vegetable knife for peeling.  However, recently I have been struggling with the arthritis in my wrist and the pressure needed for this most simple of tasks has become unbearable.  So I decided that it was time to road test the OXO Good Grips Y-Peeler.

The first thing that I noticed was how comfortable it is! The Y-peeler has a really wide, soft handle with grips to rest your thumb and fingers on - so no more tight grasping.  The second thing I noticed was how little pressure was needed to peel.  The blades are incredibly sharp (so be careful!) and literally glided across the potato I was testing on.  The blades also rotate meaning that you end up peeling the skin and not three centimetres of potato.

I really can’t recommend this product highly enough, both in terms of look and function - my not so trusty vegetable knife is soon to be consigned to the bin.

From now until the end of July, Funky Arthur are offering every customer a FREE Dycem Bottle Opener with every order over £35.  You don’t need to do a thing, the free bottle opener will appear in your basket when you checkout - it’s that simple!

The Dycem bottle opener is a handy little gadget, simply place it on top of stubborn bottle tops and twist to open. The non-slip Dycem properties also provide a great grip to ensure a good seal when closing bottles tops.

Hurry though, this offer ends 31st July 2009.