I was browsing through one of those magazines that come free with newspapers. The sort that contain amazing devices you never realised you needed until you see them advertised.

Like silicon gel toe spreaders. I know! Who would have thought someone would invent something so simple for the relief of bunion pain?

Then there was an electric ear cleaner. This, I thought, was ingenious but of limited appeal. I mean, how many people do you know with electric ears?

But what's this being sold in England's green and pleasant land? A knork?

This is a cross between a knife and a fork and is promoted as: “An extremely handy piece of cutlery that eradicates the need for a knife.”

It is basically a fork that has been given a cutting edge along one side. Like a pastry knife only for main meals.

Is this an attempt to further infiltrate American ideas into our cuisine? We already have McDonalds and Colonel Sanders, and pizzas made the rather circuitous journey from Italy across the Atlantic before coming all the way back to Europe and the UK.

These days, bread shops even stock bagels. In Huddersfield! Whoever heard of a bacon bagel? What's wrong with baps and teacakes? If we want exotic, we can import barm cakes and oven bottom muffins from Lancashire.

And now we have the knork.

This is not new, although I had never heard of it before. According to Wikipedia, that font of all internet knowledge, Horatio Nelson used a specially adapted fork with a cutting edge after losing his arm in battle in 1797, so the knork is obviously a very worthwhile item of cutlery for those with only the use of one hand.

But give Americans an inch and they’ll take your knife. They have already removed it from everyday dining.

The first time I ate out in America 40 years ago, I discovered the knife is a scorned accessory. Only truck drivers use a knife AND fork, I was told, as I got stuck into my steak with both utensils. Polite society first cut up their food then discarded the knife and used only the fork to scoop the small bits into the mouth.

How stupid, I commented. That way, your chips go cold.

Truck drivers, I opined, are obviously a very sensible breed. When in the States, I have ever since conducted myself like one of Eddie Stobart’s finest, no matter how posh the restaurant.

But a Knork? The Yanks will love it. They could even make it compulsory because it means they will never have to put down their mobile phones, even when cutting their meat.

You have been warned.