Everyone knows that kitchen accidents are no laughing matter, particularly when it comes to slicing bagels. As a daughter who witnessed her mother gradually move a potentially dangerous bread knife closer to her hand, you feel a sense of impending disaster each and every time. It's a sight that triggers anxiety not just in me, but also in everyone in my largely laid-back family, as my mother admitted. She revealed that the fears started three decades ago when my aunt became alarmed each time she spotted my mother cutting bagels in that terrifying fashion.

It was evident that an alternative needed to be found, yet all my search efforts led back to the retro-style bagel guillotine, a tool that enjoyed immense popularity in the nineties. But then the light at the end of the tunnel appeared - an innovative product retailing for just $18 on Amazon. The Urban Trend Premium Bagel Knife offers smart aesthetics coupled with remarkable functionality. What sets it apart is not only its razor-sharp, serration-equipped stainless steel blade, but also the added safety feature of plastic rails on either side that protect your fingers from the blade's shorter length.

When I gifted this knife to my mother, it revolutionized her kitchen routine drastically. She swears by its safety, and recounts a painful bagel-related accident from her college years, where she ended up with severe cuts that required no ER visit but was nevertheless traumatic. The Urban Trend tool, she finds, delivers a neat, identical cut every time, unlike the asymmetrical slices that she'd get when doing it manually.

The ease-of-storage is another appealing feature of this knife – it fits snugly into a plastic sheath that houses the blade and protects hands from sudden sharp surprises in the cutlery drawer. Turns out, it’s highly favored in my family circle too. When my Aunt Mindi saw it, she didn't hesitate to purchase one herself, and even Grandma was suitably impressed all ended up with her very own. However, tiny niggles remain from childhood memories of bagels being squashed into distorted shapes by the once-treasured guillotine.

Bringing the Urban Trend bagel knife into my mom’s kitchen has not only increased kitchen safety but has also amplified her enjoyment of hosting brunches. "It’s a relief to be able to put my family at ease," she disclosed. "The world is stressful enough without me adding to it." This incredible kitchen gadget could perhaps be the answer to healing your household's kitchen stresses and wounds, all for a mere $18. When last checked, this was the listed price on Amazon.