I would suggest that she skip the block and go with something like the Bamboo Knife Dock that is sold at the Container Store. It's better for your knives.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/drawerOrganizers/trays?productId=10028653&N=182

I like my magnetic knife rack much more than any block

I second the one good knife idea. Get a knife that fits your hand, that you love and learn to sharpen it. I travel with mine to the family get-togethers because I got spoiled.

Agreed - I know you may really reallllly want that whole knife block set, but I've honestly had just a Wusthof chef and paring knife (and a pair of poultry shears) and I can do ANYthing. Get those and a magnetic holder and you're set.

I've used this OXO set (with the 'frequently bought together' scissors and extra santoku knife) for the last 5 years and have never been disappointed. It's a modest set at a cheap price and relatively easy to find on and offline. I don't have to resharpen too often either. Some of the reviews warn of rust (like pretty much every knife or stainless steel review ever), but I religiously hand wash my knives (most of the time I hand dry to but sometimes I air dry) and have never ever had an issue with rust. If you aren't a 'one good knife' person or you can't break the bank on a really good set, this one isn't bad at all.

Jumped the gun. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Professional-14-Piece-Knife

Scanpan and Bodum have a knife storage systen which uses tightly bunched fibre "reeds".
I believe they are called Spectrum soft touch.
These don't blunt your knives like the traditional wooden or metal blocks do.
If you still want a traditional knife block look for one that stores the knives on their sides rather than sliding the knife in on its blade edge.
I have an expensive set of knives which I love but they have cost me a small ransom so I treat them carefully. Magnetic wall strip for day to day storage, blade guards if they have to be transported or stored in a drawer.
My less expensive knives I use my series of scanpan and bodum soft touch knife blocks, one for clean knves and the other for dirty knives. The stuff that holds the knives in place can be washed in the sink or dishwasher, plus I don't have knives lieing around on my bench.

Agreed- one good knife that costs $100-$150 is worth more in the long run than a set of
"eh" knives. Advice I give others is spend the money on a knife skills class at a place that sells a few good lines of knives (Wusthof, Shun, Henckles, Kyocera, Global etc) -- a cooking school with public-geared classes or a shop (Sur la Table?) Then you can have fun learning how to properly cut items AND get to try out a bunch of different knives! This is how I ended up with my Grand Prix II Wusthof 7" cook's knife, which I prefer to the typical larger size. They sell a number of those more upscale brands at BB&B.

Go someplace you can try out the knives and find one good chefs knife and see if they carry that knife. It saves space having only a couple of good blades however you store them. America's Test Kitchen did a test on knife sets and have their recommendations.

I'd also skip the set in the block. all you really need is a good chef's knife and a good paring knife. you'll be all set!

BBaB sells Victorinox knives. Absolutely cannot be beat for the price. If you REALLY want the block set, there is one for $150. However, I recommend the the three piece chefs knife set and the utility knife. That would be under $100.

I recently bought a block set off Amazon from Hampton Forge. But what I really would recommend is to buy a brand or style of knife that feels good in your hand. I chose my set for the price without being able to handle them first but the first time I held one in my hand I fell in love! Of course, everyone is different but those knives feel like they were custom made for my hand. Even though I bought a block set I would tend to agree with others that warn that you won't use them all. A chefs knife, santoku, paring and bread knife are really the only ones that I use. But I would definitely go with feel between the main brands over any kind of concern over brand name. A great knife really does make a difference!

According to America's Test Kitchen (which is the last word, in my opinion) the Victorinox Chef's Knife is the best chef's knife out there. Bonus: it's inexpensive ($30?). So get that and a good paring knife. Those two knives will see you through 95% of all your cooking.
I think everyone agrees that one or two good knives are better than a bunch of low-end knives. Personal anecdote: I've got a knife set with a bunch of knives and I STILL only use the chef's knife and the paring knife.

Everyone's saying a good chef's knife and a good paring knife. I agree, but I think a decent bread knife is a must, too. It's essential for bread (doh), but also for cutting tomatoes without smushing them. A decent one doesn't have to be expensive.

Just to add, I have this bread knife, and I use it often: http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Cutlery-Tradition-10-Inch-Serrated/dp/B00091SCV4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1361922816&sr=8-3&keywords=bread+knife

I recommend a knife (or knife series) built so that the blade extends down to form the top of the handle, instead of the classic style of handle like the Wusthofs shown. The reason is that food particles love to gunk up in the corners where blade meets handle, so a smooth, corner-less transition between blade & handle is MUCH easier to keep clean. See the Shun Classic series or the Ikea Slitbar series for an example of what I mean. I'm sure there are other knife brands offering that feature too.

I have a variety of knives from different sources, so I ended up getting a wood finish Kapoosh and love it. Some of the "sticks" get bent or broken over time, so about once a year I pop out the insert, and "comb" it out with my fingers. Apparently it's dishwasher safe, too.

Ah, I forgot, Global knives are made like that too, and I seem to recall Bourdain giving that brand a shout-out as great quality for price.

Well, I guess I'll be the lone voice. I bought a Wusthof block and the chef's knife. It took me a couple of years of birthdays and Christmas's but I eventually filled up the block. I love every knife in the block (except the sausage knife, that was just silly). If you have more than one cook in the family, one knife is never enough.

I agree with the plan of buying a chef/santoku, paring, and utility/sandwich knife. I will say that if you're in a pinch a cheap serrated knife will make a good substitute for a fancy bread knife.
As for the comment of needing a good bread knife for cutting tomatoes, i'd suggest getting your chef knife sharpened.
P.S. having a sharpening steel is a great way to keep your knives sharp.

As Unegen said the traditional blocks are problematic because of the bacteria, mold, and gunk that can grow/get into the slots.

I love my Henckels chef knife. Its easily the most used item in my kitchen. If you can't afford a whole set of fancy knives, starting with a great chef knife is a life changer!

Victorinox Chef's Knife I have one great knife when it comes to knives you mainly need just three a chefs knife a serrated knife and a paring knife i got mine a paring and chefs on amazon for 35 dollars you can get a fourpiece set for 61 all top rated by cooks country http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Piece-Knife-Fibrox-Handles/dp/B004IEBTZ4/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1361948273&sr=1-3&keywords=vitronox+knife

I can't agree more that skipping the set and block is the way to go. However, I do feel that you need more than one knife:

7-9" Santoku or Chef's Knife -- this will be the workhorse of your kitchen, splurge here. Choose something from a reputable company (Wusthof, JA Henckels, or one of the nice Japanese ones)

3-4" Paring Knife -- This will handle smaller tasks but is important to have. No need to spend as much on this one, since you'll be using it less and for more delicate tasks.

10" Serrated Bread Knife -- You'll use this of course for bread, but also for things like slicing tomatos and other soft/fleshy fruits and veggies that really need a serrated knife.

If you want steak knifes, you can buy those separately as well.

I totally agree. When I registered for wedding gifts, I didn't get a block - only a 9" Wusthof French knife. Over the years I've supplemented with a paring knife, bread knife, Santoku knife, and steak knives. But the knives you really NEED are pretty minimal, as long as ou keep the ones you have sharp. I actually just did a post on this topic this morning, including knives, pots & pans, and other large equipment:

http://www.foxeslovelemons.com/2013/02/kitchen-equipment-essentials-part-i.html

I'm going to add that a honing steel will go a long way toward maintaining the edge on your good knife. I'd say you could get a good chef's knife and a steel for $100-150 and you'll be happier with your purchase in the long run than getting a full block.

YouTube has tons of videos for honing techniques. Once you learn, you'll be happy you did.

Coming from having a cheapy knife-block set, my recommendations: chef knife, paring knife, bread knife, steak knives, and this may surprise a lot of people: a Rapala 7-inch filet knife.

I think most people probably use their chef knife for what I'm doing with my filet knife, but the filet knife is light, has a great grip, and the blade is super sharp and flexible. It's also thin and narrow, so I can easily butterfly a chicken breast with no noticeable surface drag from the knife.

http://www.amazon.com/Rapala7-Fillet-Single-Sharpener-Sheath/dp/B001NXC8A8/

I'm with DD Lizzy on the honing steel - and I'm going to suggest that what's more important than the brand of knife are a) how it feels in your hand (good grip? does it feel balanced?) and b) how well you care for the blade.

I took a quick look at Bed/Bath/Bwatever, and for better or for worse that will narrow your options. I would avoid the sets that give you a block and upmteen knives, because I can't imagine the quality would be any good. But like I said, see what feels good in your hand, and learn how to keep your blades sharp, and you'll do just fine in the knife department.

Don't buy knife sets. You should buy only what you need, one at a time, and choose what's comfortable for you.

Choose a knife that's comfortable and works for how you cook. You will use your Chef's knife and paring knife more than the rest. Others that are "necessary" (imnsho) are a Santoku and bread knife. If you love tomatoes, go ahead and get a tomato knife but it's not necessary with a good serrated bread knife.

Do you debone your own meats? You'll need a boning knife. Also, a ~6" utility knife can be helpful, but isn't really necessary.

I use a 10" chef's knife, a 4.5" paring, a 7" Santoku and a 10" serrated breaad knife, almost exclusively. I do have a boning knife and a cleaver for specialized work (breaking down fowl, in articular). I did start with a "good" set, the Calphalon Contemporary Knife Set, because I needed knives, liked the feel, got a good deal and was in a hurry. I've added to the knives over the years and still own the Calphalons which I still use, though less often than most of my newer knives.

Hope that helps.

BTW - if money is an issue, get Victorinox. They are great blades and quite cheap compared to others. Also, learn to sharpen your own knives and then it almost won't matter the brand, just find a decent blade with a good weight and feel, you'll be able to maintain the edge and be thrilled, no matter what the brand.

I totally agree with NOT doing the cheapy set. Quality over quantity is the way to go. Because a quality knife will hold it’s edge longer—especially if you learn to hone it (as DD Lizzy already mentioned) which is a must.

And, yes, I would start off with a quality chef knife, which, judging from the BB&B website you should be able to find. Or, better yet, stretch a little and buy the 2-piece Professional S Henckels set that comes with an 8-inch chef’s and a 4-inch paring knife.

The challenge—especially if you’re new to the knife world—is wading through all the brands and models. Take your time, go to stores (they don’t have to be BB&B), and try as many knives as you can out. I agree with Beth G that the brand is not as important as the quality and feel. The problem is that the major brands, especially Henckels and Wusthof, have a number of different lines of varying quality, and you need to be somewhat aware of what you’re getting for your money.

I’ve got two articles I’ve written on the KitchenKnifeGuru website that cover this process in more detail that might be of help: How to Buy a Great Chef Knife and Best Chef Knives-Six Recommendations.

Knowledge is power, have fun educating yourself!

I am kitchen knife sharpener here in Nova Scotia, and I see a lot of knives, I sharpen 30-50 a week on Japanese Water stones, so here is my advice:
As already mentioned avoid a block of knives, and think about one good knife about 120-150 dollars. When making a knife purchase you should also think, "how will I keep it sharp". A new knife will start losing it's edge very quickly so I would buy one good knife and one good Steel or even better a ceramic hone.
The best performing knives are thin knives, this is why Victorionox is popular, they also take a very nice edge and are easy to maintain. Of course, the majority of the "best"knives are ones with Japanese names such as Masamoto. However, in my opinion the best knife is a thin knife that is comfortable in the hand and easy to maintain. The best knife is a sharp knife, learning how to use a whetstone is really not that difficult and it is extremely rewarding. With practice you can get your knife sharper than when new, every time. Stop buying gadgets and get a water stone and watch some videos by Japanese Knife Imports or Korin. Or send me an email at sharpknives@me.com. I don't sell anything, I just love sharpening knives, I encourage you to learn, it is very cool. MAC knives by the way are nice and thin..just sayin

Kudos, Peter--and my favorite quote:
'When making a knife purchase you should also think, "how will I keep it sharp".'

That's the biggest problem for the average cook and kitchen-knife user and exactly why people keep buying so many new knives. They don't learn the facts about and how-tos of honing. Maintenance is MORE important than exactly what knife you buy. (As long as you're in a decent-quality price range.)

For the me, because of my limited time as a stay-at-home Dad, the solution has been to send my knives out to a high-quality knife sharpening service (such as yourself), and then hone religiously in between sharpenings.

I have a Henckels Pro S chef knife (nothing fancy, right?) that I got professionally sharpened over two years ago and it will still slice a sheet of folded over magazine paper without a problem. Granted it's not my only knife, but it is my main chopper. This is what is possible when you properly maintain a kitchen knife and sharpen it (or get it sharpened) correctly. Sweet!

Hi and thanks. I also think it is important for folks to understand what happens to a knife that makes it dull, this way, keeping it sharp is not such a mystery.
Although I am old now and have had the sharpening OCD for many years, I didn't always understand what was happening to the edge. We know that the micro or cutting edge of the knife is actually quite fragile and impact with a cutting board, some foods, dishwasher racks, other objects in a drawer will cause the edge to fold over in places. Over time, this fatigued metal folds over (invisible to the naked eye) in many places and then the entire length of the knife is unlike it was when purchased or sharpened. This fatigued metal can be re-aligned by a Steel or Ceramic of course and the right maintenance will keep a sharp knife sharp for long time, such as your Henckels Pro S.
However, there will come a time when the tired out metal needs to be removed, the Steel just isn't cutting it anymore. That's when it should be sharpened, I remove that worn out metal, refine the edge and you have fresh new, very sharp knife. Basically, you just need to send your knives to the Spa every now and then and people like me, obsessed with knife sharpening and who loves your knives will return it with an edge that will startle you. I had a lady start crying once when I returned her old, what she thought was ruined knife....now that is a rewarding feeling. Stay sharp friends :)

You're preaching to the choir! (I cover all and more on my site.) Bless you, Peter, and all the quality professional sharpeners who continually make the cooking world a better place!

Cool, I just visited your website, very nice, thanks for that, I love sites like yours.
FYI, I own an Edge Pro Professional and a boat load of high end water stones cut for the system, absolutely amazing product by a Prince of a man, Ben Dale.
Also, I have been in contact with Mr. Tate from Seattle sharpening, I think I found him the same way you did, by a Youtube video. I also know Dave Martell. You sure know what you are talking about :).
HUGE Bob Kramer fan as well :)

Thank you for your very kind words.

Cool, I just visited your website, very nice, thanks for that, I love sites like yours.
FYI, I own an Edge Pro Professional and a boat load of high end water stones cut for the system, absolutely amazing product by a Prince of a man, Ben Dale.
Also, I have been in contact with Mr. Tate from Seattle sharpening, I think I found him the same way you did, by a Youtube video. I also know Dave Martell. You sure know what you are talking about :).
HUGE Bob Kramer fan as well :)

Thank you for your very kind words.

Peter, thanks for the positive feedback for KitchenKnifeGuru. Looks like we've just started up our very own mutual admiration society ;)

If I were ever to find the time to do my own sharpening, the Edge Pro system would probably be my 1st choice. At any rate, I would definitely use water stones.

Bob Tate is a neat guy to talk to--very smart, but fun, and relaxed. I'm planning to do a post called something like, "Interview with a Professional Knife Sharpener" with him where I will ask him questions and he will write back answers. Stay tuned. . .

p.s. I really really really would like to buy one of Kramer's Henckel knives that sell for around $350. Have you tried them?

Yes the Edge Pro is a pretty amazing product, easy to learn to use and it will produce edges on a knife that few people have seen. I use mostly full sized stones now but still rely on the Edge Pro for knives of certain shapes, birds beak parer for eg and also serrated knives. Also, you can substitue the stock stones with all the best water stones on the market now. (Stock stones work just fine though)

I have not cut anything with the Kramer Henckels yet, however I have handled them and read some very positive reviews. They are quite beautiful and I suspect that I will be getting a couple to sharpen soon. They will take a great edge, as you know.

I look forward to the interview with Bob, that would be cool. I recently was interviewed by a little newspaper here, a 15 minute little chat which turned into a 1 hour session with a front page article. It sure helped my business out a lot and was a lot of fun. Unlike you however, the interviewer didn't know anything about knife sharpening, regardless, it was a very positive experience.
http://www.halifaxnewsnet.ca/Business/2012-12-21/article-3145511/Hobbiest-hopes-to-grow-his-knife-sharpening-businesses-into-retirement/1

Great article! Glad it helped your business.
BTW, how did you learn how to sharpen?
1) Did you teach yourself or have some mentoring?
2) Did you use either Dave Martell's or Murray Carter's CD tutorial? (That's probably what I would do.)
3) What made you decide to use waterstones? (Again, just what I would do. . .)
Ooops. . .looks like I'm starting some kind of interview :)

Thank you and I enjoy questions like these, let the interview begin:
. My dad got me interested in knives and sharpening about 40 years ago, he gave me the basics on and old workshop oilstone. No Youtube then, no computers so it was a trial and error thing on cheap old knives but the spark was ignited.
1. I taught myself but only became confident enough to open up a business because of some mentoring by a Japanese sharpener I met. I learned traditional knife sharpening from him and it changed everything. Confidence levels soared and I became completely obsessed.
2. No, although I have great respect for them, I had the fundamentals down because of my mentoring with my Japanese teacher. Then I found a man named Jon Broida at Japanese Knife Imports, his videos are the best on the internet in my opinion. He spent years in Japan and what is so cool about them is that he has both a theory portion and a practical demo. However, his methods are exactly as I was taught. Also I had already read An Edge in the Kitchen by Chad Ward. Watched hours and hours of other videos and made friends (online) with some world class sharpeners who taught me volumes. I highly recommend those vidoes though, I will get them one of these days.
3. I was lured in to Water Stones by my fascination with Japan and their traditions/skills in sharpening and knife making and the first time I tried a water stone, a King 800, I was just blown away by the results. I have never touched an oilstone since. John Juranitch in his book The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening explains that oil as the lubricant on oilstones leaves metal from the knife edge in suspension on the surface of the stone, you are dragging the knife edge through this which is not good. Also, the oil reduces friction on the surface of the stone which is counter productive. Besides, what sounds better, "Naniwa Chosera 10,000" grit or "fine oilstone". In my opinion there is just no comparison. This is not to say that you cannot sharpen a knife with an oilstone of course. Waterstones come in so many exquisite brands and grits, they really do produce startling edges on a knife.

Great answers! Yes, everything you've written jives with my research. But it's great hearing it from another source. I might have to do an interview with you, too :)

Do you have a mail-order biz set up? Although it might be problematic for Americans to mail to Canada knives--you're centered in Nova Scotia, is it? Anyway, I might want to (if I ever find the time) to do another webpage focusing on Japanese waterstone sharpening services along with some reviews. (I warn you in advance, I'd owe it to my readers to be tough.)

One last question (at least for now): How long have you been sharpening professionally?

Hi there.
Yes, I get knives in the mail to sharpen, including new knives but from Canadians only so far and yes I am in Nova Scotia. You've identified a few great spots in the US anyway for folks to send their knives. If you are curious about my sharpening however, feel free to send me a knife, I'll do what I love to do and then send it back, whats' the worst that could happen? (Send me the dullest one you have, if you have anyway dull ones that is :)

Regarding the webpage, I'm very fortunate here in Nova Scotia, I am the only one that I know of who sharpens knives professionally using traditional methods. So that sparked an interest with the Manager of a high end kitchen store here and I've been sharpening for his customers for almost 2 years now. Over time that caught the eye of some local chefs and and it just took off from there. Then I got really lucky and was asked to teach sharpening at the Culinary Institute here so I'm living the dream in terms of getting my hands on knives to sharpen and I truly enjoy teaching the process to folks

I opened my business 2 years ago, before that it was sharpening knives daily for anyone, just to get my hands on knives and build the layers of confidence I needed before I could take somebodys beloved knives and sharpen them and charge them.
Imagine my fear when I was asked to meet with a highly recognized, award winning Executive Chef for the first time and then for him trust me enough to give me his knives.
At that time I felt as if my future hinged on how I did with his knives. His follow on kind words and testimonials had a ripple effect though, he is a regular customer and true gentleman to whom I will be grateful forever.
I really love sharpening, in all honesty not an hour goes by of the day that I don't think about it.

I am a Naval Officer, 35 years now so until a few years ago, it would have been impossible for me to open a business, I was away at sea too much but it is the Navy that kept the spark alive in me. Every sailor has a knife (mandatory) so I had plenty to practice on. I will retire soon so I will have all day, every day to sharpen knives.

Could you tell my wife that for me :)

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you wish.
I realize that the term Professional Sharpener does not necessarily imply "good sharpener" I didn't go to sharpening school, I have no diplomas just a lifetime of making some mistakes and learning from them and I contine to learn on a daily basis. In fact, I hope I never get to the stage where I stop asking questions about knife sharpening.
My teacher has his own mentor, a Japanese gentleman of 67 years of age, he has been sharpening knives in Japan since he was 15 and now is in New York. He travels back to Japan once a year to get "caught up" on his techniques, the sharpening journey never ends.
sharpknives@me.com is my email.

Thanks much, Peter! Ah, the zen of Japanese knife sharpening. . .

I agree with buying just a few pieces that are quality. Bought a Hampton Forge block set and it is GARBAGE! Rivets coming out of the handles, blades were dull right out of the box, and they rust even after hand-washing and drying. Add to that they have crappy customer service. For just a few dollars more, buy just a few Henckels knives, forget the block and you'll be much better off.