Storing Kitchen knives?

[FlaMtnBkr]

What is the best way to store nice kitchen knives? I have heard blocks can trap moisture and dull an edge when sliding the blade in and out. I don't want a razor sharp knife just laying in a drawer either.

A couple years ago I remember seeing some custom made magnetic knife strips that were made out of nice burl wood and had rare earth magnets to hold the knives. They were reasonably priced but I can't find anything on Bladeforums and a google search turned up some fairly cheap ones that has exposed strips of metal that I assume is the magnet. I would think you would want solid wood to keep from damaging the edge.

I also saw a neat looking bamboo knife holder that goes in a drawer. It has slots so that the knives rest in it with the blade standing vertically. Only problem with this is the knife would rest on it's edge. I guess that isn't a big deal since the knife will be used on a bamboo cutting board.

So what is everyone's preferred way of storing kitchen knives? And if anyone knows of a source for a nice magnetic block made with some fancy wood (veneer?) I would love to be able to find one or two depending on length.

As a side note I guess I am going to go with Shun Elite knives with SG2 core blade at 63-64 HRC. I would probably get a 3.5" paring, 4.5" deba/chef, 8" chef, and 7" Santoku to start with unless someone has a recommendation for better knives around the same price point. I would think I would like an 8" chef but might go with a 10" if others think it would be better or more useful since I won't have a longer knife for carving. I also think the Honesuki looks like it would be useful in the kitchen although I doubt I would use it for boning and more of a general utility knife.

Thanks and sorry for the tangent but I would love to hear some opinions since I have very little experience with kitchen cutlery except for cheap junk.

 

[oldschool45]

Mag blocks rock. Hardwood custom ones like these http://benchcrafted.com/gallery.htm really rock:thumbup: It keeps them away from my 4 year old and really allows me to show off some of the ones I have made.
I'd start with the paring knife and a 8" Santuko I can do 99% of my kitchen chores with those 2. I like a Yanagiba for slicing duty but all of the Shun ones I just looked up were sold out. Then I'd go with a boning knife. Nakiri maybe. Right now I have an itch for a 6" Chef/Sandwich knife.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

I think those are the exact ones I saw a few years ago. Thank you!!! I might have to get one for me EDC pocket knives too.

 

[Donnydo]

Another option is from Epicurean; (Lee Valley also has the Mag Block at an excellent price in Canada). I have a nice wall magnet from Global, but the US price is insane.

FWIW, I also have several of the cheaper knife magnets and I have had no problems with them scratching the blades. The others do look a lot nicer.

Joe

 

[Alan]

As a side note I guess I am going to go with Shun Elite knives with SG2 core blade at 63-64 HRC. I would probably get a 3.5" paring, 4.5" deba/chef, 8" chef, and 7" Santoku to start with unless someone has a recommendation for better knives around the same price point. I would think I would like an 8" chef but might go with a 10" if others think it would be better or more useful since I won't have a longer knife for carving. I also think the Honesuki looks like it would be useful in the kitchen although I doubt I would use it for boning and more of a general utility knife.

Thanks and sorry for the tangent but I would love to hear some opinions since I have very little experience with kitchen cutlery except for cheap junk.

I suggest you see which one or two of your cheap junk knives you use the most and look to replace those first. Then as you find where those knives are lacking (i.e. I need a slicer, but don't own any long thin knives) add knives to your collection to fill those needs. I don't see where you will get a lot of use out of a 4.5" deba unless you break down a lot of fish, and many people find a 8" chefs/gyuto can do everything a 7" santoku can do. I think those with experience recommend a chef's knife/gyuto and a parer to start and then fill in your needs from there.

I highly recommend you do some reading in other forums that specialize in kitchen knives. You can learn a lot and if you know anything about folders or fixed blades, the discussions can be very fascinating. A few months ago I decided to upgrade my knives and did a lot of reading before I bought anything. I started with a 8" Fujiwara carbon steel gyuto and a 7" Kagayaki Chinese Cleaver (because I do a lot of Chinese style cooking) along with a 6" Shun utility knife (wedding gift) and will probably add some sort of slicer later on.

As far as your original question, I keep my knives in a drawer with each protected by plastic edge guards, but that's far from optimal. Its more because our kitchen has limited counter space.