Reader Gallery: Knife Storage Solutions

Yesterday we asked you for your best knife storage solutions. Where do you store your knives? Do you hang them on the wall? Throw them in a drawer? Well, several of you responded, and here's a look at some of your favorite knife-keeping products, as well as real-life photos of where you store your knives. If you'd like to show us your knives too, just send us a photo and we'll add it to this gallery.

TOP ROW
• 1 Chase in Austin, TX
• 2 jumpyfroggy
• 3 Deb in Somerset: I use KnifeSafe plastic covers and place them in a container within a drawer.
• 4 Meg in New York City: I store my knives horizontally on an Ikea magnetic knife strip. It keeps them in easy reach, in shape & sharp, and looks cool, too!
• 5 katti: I have the angled Eva Solo knife stand. Its brilliant design will happily accommodate lots of knives of all shapes and sizes. Highly recommended!

BOTTOM ROW
• 6 burrda2000: I have an in-drawer knife tray from J.K. Adams that I love. It's very low profile so it will fit my shallow utensil drawer. it will hold 6 large knives and 6 steak knives and a steel. It's a great wedding/housewarming gift too. ... I also have one of their "wave" style in-drawer trays but it's thicker and won't fit my favorite drawer. I have it in a "storage" drawer with rarely used cheese knives etc. in it.
• 7 Jeni_Rae: I use a "Kapoosh" brand knife block. It fits all sizes and shapes of knives. And is fun to say.
• 8 sierracreek: My Corian counter has a cut out for my knives. It involved having the cabinet designer leave space between the refrigerator and the lower cabinets for the knives to descend and a cut out in the Corian fabrication. I love that is takes very little counter space and keeps knives accessible.
• 9 art in Chicago: I used to have one of those magnetic strips from Ikea for storing knives and it was great. Now I have a wooden knife holder which also serves as a design feature on my backsplash. (See more here.)
• 10 Mike: I saw this Vivaterra knife block a long time ago, but couldn’t justify spending $90 on a box of bamboo skewers. As with many things, my first reaction was, “I could make that.” However, I never did. Fast forward 3 or 4 years: I was visiting one of my favorite hardware stores, Harbor Freight. In that kitchen section….a very familiar (if ugly) knife block for only 13 bucks! After some woodshop work and staining the wood to a rich, dark color, I got the elegant knife block I was looking for. See how I did it here.
• 11 & 12 ArlingtonEric: We have a beautiful marble-topped wheeled kitchen island (which conveniently doubles the amount of countertop workspace in our small kitchen) that has slots for seven knives on one side. Super-convenient and attractive to boot.

Thank you to everyone who sent a photo! And again, if you want to submit your own knife storage photos, send a message here.

Comments (10)

I still don't understand why anyone would want to store knives with the points up. Its a lot easier for a knife to slide and fall this way. If you store a knife point down then the hilt can stop a downward slide.

I used to have one of those magnetic strips from Ikea for storing knives and it was great. Now I have a wooden knife holder which also serves as a design feature on my backsplash.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/2087521654/

My husband and I bought a magnetic holder for our knives at the recommendation of our favorite local kitchen store, and we loved it! But our current apartment won't let us put any holes in the wall (we understand they're really anal about that), so I had to dig out the old block again, and it sits on the table we never actually eat at; instead, the table's an extension of my counter space (of which there's, like, 3').

I love the magnetic strip on the blackboard idea! i may have to adopt that at some point.

No. 4, Meg in New York City, I think your strip is vertical and the knives at an angle, though according the Plaid Ninja's keen observation, tip up invites slippage more certainly than tip down.

@39520expat: Yes, they're at an angle (due to gravity, not my positioning - the weight of the handles pulls them this way). Had them stored this way for about two years, with no slippage issues. The handles seem to hold them steady.

er, HAVE had them stored...oops!

my knives face point up. no slippage thus far.

I need to put all my stuff on the rack and then I'll send a photo. Me lazy - several knives go through rotations in the cutlery drain.

Anyone a fan of the knife roll? Personally I find that a knife roll is the safest way to store knives. While it is true that knives stored in these storage rolls are not as quickly accessible as the magnet or the knife block, I think the more important question that should be asked is: Should one really be in that much of a hurry when cooking at home?