The issue of knife storage came up in a recent post, specifically whether or not magnetic strips were a good way to keep one's knives.
My mom says the strips pull the edge out of whack. Being a professional, she keeps her finest in a knife roll, and her "everyday" (which are pretty darn nice) in a wooden rack fashioned by my grandfather and screwed to the side of the wooden butcher block. I don't have that kind of space. We have a strip.
So I put the question to Margery, our resident knife expert. Here's what she said:
I too used to tell customers that I didn't trust magnetic strips because I felt that they could possibly cause misalignment on a molecular level. I brought up this conversation with a mechanical engineer and he assured me that that was impossible.
I keep my knives on a magnetic strip in my kitchen (because we don't have very much drawer or counter space). I can't really say it causes my knives to get dull faster because I sharpen them regularly. Though, if the knife is placed on the magnetic strip lazily, with the edge touching first, that is bad for the knife. Also, wooden blocks that have perpendicular slats can be bad for knives because the knife slides against the wood every time you put it in or pull it out of the block. Horizontal is best.
(You can find Margery sharpening knives outside Bowery Kitchen Supply in the Chelsea Market Building at 460 West 16 Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, Saturday and Wednesdays from 12 noon - 6 P.M.)
Thanks for this. I too keep my knives on a magnetic strip that's on my refrigerator (the side facing the counters, which are very small). From time to time I get concerned b/c the entire strip tends to slip south (regardless of the number of knives it's holding). I'm thinking of using two strips.
Tip: Hold Everything has canvas knife rolls now that are at a deep discount. I bought a couple to hold my knitting needles but they're intended for knives.
Stacey,
Do you have a link for the Hold Everything knife rolls? I don't see them on the website. Thanks!
i can vouch for how smart, competent and mild Margery is because she sharpens my knives on Saturdays when I am in Chelsea. It's so nice to see her highlighted here, Sara Kate! and for the record, i use the magnetic strip in the interest of space conservation. it works fine.
me three,
happy to be reassured that my knives are
not being made molecularly dull
by the magnetic storage.
good one SK
Re: Hold Everything knife roll. I got mine at the 7th Ave & 17th Street store and have noticed that the site doesn't have everything that's in the stores. And some things that are on sale in the stores aren't on sale on-line. Wish I could be more helpful; I dug around the site and couldn't find them there either.
RE: Hold Everything knife roll: Eureka! I looked again at the website. The good news is that I found the knife roll in the "classic china protection" collection. The bad news is that it isn't on sale there. They're still charging $12.00 whereas I paid $8.
Feng Shui practicioners recommend that knives always be stored out of sight. A knife block is better than a magnetic strip, but tucked away in a drawer is best.
More kitchen Feng Shui tips can be found at:
http://www.kitchens.com/Remodeling-And-Design/Design/feng-shui-2.asp
what use is feng shui in a kitchen if you hurt yourself getting knives out of a drawer?
and why would any serious cook ever tuck their knives away?
thats really silly
Contrary to Feng Shui, I recommend storing your knives out and ready, in case a ninja jumps through your window and attacks. Thanks for the tip on Margery, because I've got a Shun Santoku that needs desperate attention. Does she use a stone, belt, or ceramic sticks?
How bout this knife bar -- I have two and I love them. Only the wood shows, and touches the blade. Actual magnets are hidden in hollowed-out back of the wooden strip.
http://fantes.com/images/8019knife_storage.jpg
The one pictured is 8" by 2"; they also make 12-inchers.
aren't butcher blocks for storing knives also full of germs/bacteria? pretty sure i heard alton brown say that once.
Magnetic strips are fine for knives. The person in the article that suggested the edges would be molecularly knocked out of alignment is making a cosmic leap & then some. Don't tell that to the Feng Shui master or they'll come up with some other b.s. cosmic reason why you shouldn't do it as well;) Also, yes it's true vertical rather than horizontal slots in a knive block would theoretically be harder on knife edges, but an easy solution is simply to place the knives in the slots upside down. Again, no pun intended, but I think this is 'splitting hairs'. Far more problematic is the typical cutting surfaces that knives are used on such as countertops or cheap, hard plastic "cutting boards". They quickly destroy the edges on knives. Also, cutting a lot of acidic foods such as tomatoes or citrus fruits dulls knives quite quickly. Steel your knives before you use them each time.
stacey... don't know if u still check here... but i've been doing serious surfing online looking for a magnetic knife strip that will just go on the fridge and not be mounted on the wall... i can't find one... u said that u have one... can i ask where u got it?