Tomorrow I have an appointment with an Occupational Therapist to discuss aids & adaptations I may need. I say may, because I don’t really know what I need or even what’s available. I know what I’m struggling with & a few options available to me, but am sure there are others! Unfortunately, I’ve been told that the community team only deal with things if they impact mobility, so can assess for a perching stool for the kitchen & shower, but that they can’t assess for special cutlery & cooking aids. With all the difficulties I’m facing at the moment because of my EDS, this is the perfect time to share with you my Nimble review of a handy gadget to aid in opening parcels & letters!
Please excuse the paster – I cut my finger trying to open a tin! Tomorrow’s appointment is badly needed!
*This is a sponsored post. I was provided the product in exchange for an honest review, I have been compensated for my time through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. All opinions remain my own and I was in now way influenced by Version22 Designs or Chronic Illness Bloggers for my Nimble review.
So what is a Nimble? A Nimble is a finger tool to help you open things, developed by Version22 a company who focus on coming up with handy solutions to everyday problems. The Nimble slips onto your finger a bit like a thimble & stays put. It has a small blade on the end of it. To open things with the nimble, you just run your finger across the surface – easy!
So the first thought that might have some to your mind is “why not just use scissors?” Well, have you ever tried opening a letter with a pair of scissors? The chances that you will cut your letter as well as the envelope are pretty high! Scissors can also be awkward for some people to hold. With the Nimble, the blade is just the right size & sharpness that it only cuts through the first layer of paper, so there’s no risk of damaging the contents of your letter or parcel!
Your second thought may be “isn’t it dangerous to have a bold on the end of your finger?” In the Nimble’s case, no. The blade is small so it isn’t east to catch yourself on it. On the odd occasion that you might catch yourself, the Nimble’s blade isn’t sharp enough to cut you. To test this theory out, I ran my thumb over the Nimble blade – see the lengths I go to for you guys! While the blade made a white line on my thumb, it didn’t break deep enough into my skin to cause me to bleed. Freya (my cat) found it on the table after I’d taken the photos & sat down to write this &, while I certainly wouldn’t give this to her as a toy to play with, I wasn’t worried that she would hurt herself batting it around on the table.
So how have I found using the Nimble? Well, it’s bee so useful! I struggle with opening letters & having this has made such a difference! The only thing I would say was that I put a few lines in a piece of paper to test the Nimble out when it first arrived & it very slightly marked the kitchen work surface underneath. So if you want to use the Nimble to score into things, just make sure that there is a layer between the thing you’re scoring & the table! Opening a letter on a table wouldn’t cause you a problem as the other side of the envelope would act as a barrier.
The other drawback I have noticed is that if I don’t put enough pressure on the Nimble, it marks the paper, but doesn’t cut into it so you can open your letter. This need for a little pressure is necessary for the makers to be able to make the blade as safe as possible so that people don’t hurt themselves.
I’ve found the Nimble an invaluable tool & will be looking into getting at least two more in the near future for opening raw meat packages & general food packages, as the Nimble is suitable for use on thin plastic such as food packets.
Want to know how you can get your hands on a Nimble? There is currently only one place you can get your hands on one of these amazing gadgets – through Version22’s Kickstarter project. For those of you who have not come across Kickstarter before, this is how it works:
You pledge £7 in return for one product (see below for early bird & multipack discounts), essentially just buying the product. You aren’t charged until the total of £5,000 has been raised, so if the Kickstarter doesn’t reach it’s target in the given amount of time, you won’t loose your money as it won’t have left your account. Once the Version22 Kickstarter has reached it’s goal, your money will be taken from your account & your Nimble will go into production. Nimble estimate that products purchased will be shipped in November & December. Why the long time frame you ask? Well let me explain…
The Nimble I have to test is from their original design. These were produced in small amounts & are now sold out. The money from the Kickstarter (essentially your pre-order of a product) will be being used to produce a mark 2 design, on a much larger scale. To do this, Version22 have to cover the costs of new moulds & a large order on materials to make the Nimbles from. You can find out more about what the Kickstarter money will be going on on the Version22 Kickstarter project page, linked above.
So what’s the benefit of ordering your Nimble through the Kickstarter campaign? By ordering through Kickstarter, you’ll receive a discount on the retail cost of your Nimble. In addition to this, Version22 have set up an early bird discount on top of the saving you will already be receiving from ordering through the Kickstarter! You could save up to a 28% more with the early bird discounts. The first 50 people to sign up to the Kickstarter will receive their Nimble for just £5. The next 50 people will get theirs for £6. All other Nimbles purchased through the Kickstarter will be £7, £2 cheaper than the RRP! If you want to order more than one of these nifty gadgets, never fear! Version22 have thought of you all & have put together some package offers just for you, which you can check out on their Kickstarter page.
I hope you fond my Nimble review helpful, particularly if you struggle with opening letters & packages.
Will you be picking up a Nimble? Do you have any other gadgets that you find helpful?
Find me on:
Bloglovin’ | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Snapchat | Google+
You can also sign up for my newsletter!
