
You see the picture, so I don't need need to explain what this is, but I'm going to anyway. A standing knife. I repeat: a standing knife. In other words, a knife that doesn't leave a mess of peanut butter or jam or cream cheese all over your countertop. The future is here, people.
I should be clear and say that this is really a spreader knife, not a regular dining knife. (Although I am getting a kick out of imagining the look on my friends' faces if they came to dinner and sat down at a table with 8 standing knives!) And as much as I think "awesome!" when I see this, I'm aware that other people may look at it and think it's a little ridiculous, especially when they hear about the $28 price tag.
But I maintain that it's genius. I feel like it's now an unthinkable part of my peanut-butter-eating routine to wipe down the countertop when I'm done because I've inadvertently made a mess. So to me the standing knife says, stop. Relax. Enjoy your peanut butter or your spreadable cheese. I'm just gonna hang out here, all upright and non-messy, a stainless steel stalwart.
Buy it! Standing Knife, $28 from The MOMA Store
Now I have to know: what do you think of the standing knife?
Related: Butter Spreaders: Old News or Timeless Staple?
(Image: MOMA Store)
Monterey Pitcher fr...

Way cool.
Whoa, the future IS here. And I like it.
I like it. Yes, I do.
The question is whether it will still stand when it's got a glop of shmear on it. Anyone with that data?
Love it. Maybe I wouldn't have to wipe up PB after my BF from the counter everyday!
I love it but I can't get my mom's voice out of my head: "that's an accident waiting to happen!"
Almost. It needs a hilt (...or guard? any pirates here?), so the condiment you're keeping off the counter doesn't just slide down onto the handle.
I love it...but I can't justify the price when I could just set my regular knife on the jar lid and not make a mess. It also looks like the base is a little rounded? I worry that it might fall over once there was something on it.
I want all of my kitchen spoons to have this feature. I love it!
This will be wonderful for parties! On my wish list.
A lot of the comments on the MOMA website say that the knife is unstable and falls over too easily.
Anyone remember Weeble Wobbles? "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down!" went the little ditty. This is like a Weeble Wobble with a knife on the end.
And it's all fun and games until someone gets their eye poked out.
Ha ha...that's cool. But I'll venture to say that the same people who won't put their dirty knives in the sink (my husband) won't bother to balance the dirty knife either.
What's wrong with resting a knife on a plate?
hate to see someone trip anywhere near that thing.
Really? It's not sharp and it's not attached to the counter. I think if someone fell into it it would just get knocked over.
Weeble Wobbles were exactly what I thought of, even to the point of wondering how you would store this. Based on the MOMA comments though it will fall down if not placed vertical, so I don't have to worry about it standing itself up when placed in the drawer and causing a problem. I really love the spreader I have though, so I wouldn't buy this anyways; unless I wanted something to play with, but there are better toys out there.
Why not just do what the French do for fancy meals? Get a knife rest.
It's something to set a dirty knife on, without worrying about whether you set it down just right; and it keeps the table cloth clean. Not only that, they can be super attractive! Or just fun: my mom brought me back a set of hand-carved knife rests from Madagascar, that are each in the shape of a water buffalo.
(The French call them "portes couteaux" in case you're wondering)
*shudder* Eye poking concerns. Price. Glob still just sliding down the handle.
Is it really that hard to lean the knife on a plate, or scrape the PB on the edge of the jar or something?
Interesting! It's hard to see the scale from the photo, but it seems like it could be a little shorter and fatter - like a real spreader. That would solve the knock-down problems. Love the hilt idea and.. I too would be concerned with putting it away - would it stand up and jam itself into my cutlery drawer or do I need to stand it in a corner with a dust cover.
Great idea, loved the comments with all the suggested improvements even more!!
Ciao,
L
It’s a great looking standing knife. But I think to grip this knife it will little uncomfortable.