No, it’s not the Volkswagon Combi van. Combi is a Japanese company that has been around for more than 40 years making original, safe, and quality baby products. Their range includes strollers, car seats, play pens, and of course feeding products. Among their range of feeding utensils, we can find the uniquely designed contraption that is the Combi Chopsticks Training Set.
My first impression of these chopsticks was they look quite cool and high tech. However, my 3 year old didn’t seem to have the same attraction to it. The lack of cutesy animals could have something to do with it. Nonetheless, these were intriguing enough for me to want to tackle and figure out how they worked. Unfortunately, even my seasoned chopsticks use did not prepare me for this. I had to get the sales person to show me how to hold the device. It will be equally as hard to describe in writing but I will give it a shot anyhow.
This is a three step system.
The first step for beginners is using the chopsticks, the hinge, and the orange supporting piece. The orange piece actually faces the back and towards your palm. It acts as a guide for correct placement of the fingers and thumb. With all three pieces of the set, using the chopsticks was actually a breeze and quite effortless.
The second step is to remove the orange silicon piece. The chopsticks are held together by the circular piece. As your child becomes familiar with the correct grip, losing the silicon piece helps them transition to be more independent and ready for the final step.
The third step is to remove the circular bridge. This means the chopsticks are now just separate sticks and if your child can use them properly like this, well that’s it. They’ve mastered the use of chopsticks.
My final impressions of this is that it seems like a car build by engineers without consultation with the sales & marketing team. Even though I couldn’t figure out how to use it at first, once explained, everything about it makes good sense. The only drawback is that the chopsticks seem a bit slippery. They should have used wooden sticks or perhaps ones with grooves so it is easy for kids to pick food up.
Alas, it is an A+ for effort but the lack of cute characters and safety tip means that this Combi falls short of the Edison Chopsticks.
Where to Buy Combi Chopsticks Training Sets?
US: Amazon.com
