I was recently given a bunch of knives, most nicer than what
I'd been using (Thanks,
dmk and
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?
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Yes, you're overthinking this.
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.
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Yes. And you contain insufficient mead.
best,
Joel
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(Am I overanalyzing? Oh @%#^!, what if I'm overanalyzing?!)
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I always feel like knives in a drawer are likely to go dull faster and might cut someone who sticks their hand in carelessly.
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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--?
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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! :) )
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