eftychia: Cartoon of me playing electric guitar (debtoon)
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posted by [personal profile] eftychia at 11:58am on 2007-08-29

I was recently given a bunch of knives, most nicer than what I'd been using (Thanks, [info] dmk and [info] whc!) and am considering how to store them conveniently. Drawer space in my kitchen is a bit limited, mainly because there's only one drawer in which I've never found evidence of mouse activity, and keeping tools or flatware someplace where I'll have to wash each piece before using it doesn't count as 'convenient' to me. So unless somebody points out a way to mouse-proof another drawer, I'm thinking in terms of: (a) a knife block -- þe olde hunk o' wood with slots in it for the blades -- which I'd probably wind up having to make myself considering the rather eclectic assortment in question (though that one shaped like a person falling backward after being stabbed, the photo of which circulated for a while, does appeal to me) ... or (b) one of those honking big magnetic bars bolted to a wall for the knives to stick to.

So, of course, I'm here this morning to ask y'all for opinions and knowledge, covering aspects of each that I may not have thought of yet, regarding these two methods of knife storage. My concerns are mainly sanitary (worrying about the byproducts of mice and the occasional arthropod -- mostly centipedes and small flying insects) and effects on the condition of the knives (and how long they stay sharp). When it comes to aspects like making sure the magnet is strong enough to hold the knives when an especially heavy truck thunders past, or finding counter space for a knife block, or just integrating the placement of whichever type of holder into the way I move about the kitchen, I think I can figure things out on my own.

Does cruft get into the slots of a knife block and make it unclean eventually? (Does the anti-microbial nature of wood counteract that? Is the ick factor lower than the odds of having a centipede walk across the knives on a wall-mounted magnet?) Does being stuck to a magnet promote corrosion? Should I just get a vermin-proof plastic bin to use as a non-drawer knife drawer?

And, of course, a common bonus question for me: am I overthinking this?

There are 12 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 
posted by [identity profile] tcb.livejournal.com at 04:03pm on 2007-08-29
I personally go for the wall-mounted magnetic type..
twistedchick: watercolor painting of coffee cup on wood table (Default)
posted by [personal profile] twistedchick at 04:11pm on 2007-08-29
I think a lot depends on how your kitchen is organized. I have had both methods; I've never had trouble with stuff getting in the slots. Since our wall mount for knives is above the stove (and in the warmer-air zone) I haven't had critter trouble there. Also, for the sake of your arms and pain levels, which is easier to work with? Knives that aren't banging into each other stay sharper; how often do you have to sharpen them now? I have not noticed corrosion on the wall knives, but have had some on the drawer knives (in small amounts) because of dampness not dissipating.
 
posted by [identity profile] liritsvoice.livejournal.com at 04:35pm on 2007-08-29
:-D

I've seen a different sort of knife block at bed bath and beyond. It wasn't wood; I'm not sure what it was made of, but it would basically mold itself around any knife you stuck in it.

I've also heard good things about the magnetic wall-hanging kind.
 
posted by [identity profile] tattycat.livejournal.com at 05:18pm on 2007-08-29
I have had good experiences with knife blocks, even in kitchens with high mouse activity. The only reason that we don't go for magnetic strips is that we have cats and will eventually have kids-- I'm way too nervous about the possibility of knives ending up on the floor due to overly well developed feline curiosity.
 
posted by [identity profile] polydad.livejournal.com at 06:03pm on 2007-08-29
>am I overthinking this?

Yes. And you contain insufficient mead.

best,

Joel
 
posted by [identity profile] dianec42.livejournal.com at 06:22pm on 2007-08-29
I'd go for the magnetic rack, unless the cat's likely to decide it's a complicated new toy. We had our knives on magnetic racks for years in Dundee, and the only side effect was that you could pick up small screws with the blades. (-:

(Am I overanalyzing? Oh @%#^!, what if I'm overanalyzing?!)
 
posted by [identity profile] old-hedwig.livejournal.com at 07:33pm on 2007-08-29
I've used a block for many years and never noticed any ill effects despite the occasional mouse invasion. I don't think its the kind of surface they stop and poo on. I actually extended my knife storage capacity by tacking a rectangular piece of leather onto each side of the block to act as a sheath for 2 large knives I couldn't fit in otherwise.

I always feel like knives in a drawer are likely to go dull faster and might cut someone who sticks their hand in carelessly.
 
posted by (anonymous) at 09:14pm on 2007-08-29
I should have this problem...

Off the top of my head I think I'd go for the magnet (we could see what Mark Bittman has to say); certain mentioned problems could maybe be avoided by mounting it inside a cabinet door or similar--?
cellio: (Default)
posted by [personal profile] cellio at 02:34am on 2007-08-30
I've never had trouble with blocks. The slots are enough bigger than the blades to not cause wear and tear, but small enough that nothing's getting in there unless it rides the knife on the way in. I trust that the odds of a centipede or the like being on the knife when you go to put it away, and you not noticing, are very small.
 
posted by [identity profile] writerjanice.livejournal.com at 09:14am on 2007-08-30
Probably overthinking it a bit, but that's ok, I do it all the time...

I would go with the block, either on the counter or fastened to the wall. I always put the knives in the block edge up so that there is less wear on the edge on insertion & removal. And as Alton says, get in the habit of using the steel everytime they come out...

I've never liked the magnetic strip approach, I don't want to have to jerk the knife free or think about how to place it back on the strip.

If you keep them in a drawer, then you need to invest in knife guards to keep the sharp edges sharp and not cutting you when you pick them up.

Janice (who is actually checking out some new knives... Shiny! :) )
 
posted by (anonymous) at 05:49pm on 2007-08-31
Went and consulted Bittman (How to Cook Everything, worth a look); found advice on knife selection, but not on storage.

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