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knives/knife blocks

post #1 of 32
1/6/10 at 2:03pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah or nay? Clutter or helpful?

Any recommendations on a good but not super expensive brand of knives?

I know Wusthof is tops but no can do.

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post #2 of 32
1/6/10 at 2:19pm
I had a block once upon a time but we got rid of it. Now we have a magnetic strip on the wall- less cluttery and the kids can't reach it. My mom keeps telling me it's bad feng shui to have blades out like that but the energy in my kitchen seems ok to me!

My knives are Chicago Cutlery and I've been really happy with them. I think I paid around $100 for the set but that was 10 years ago. I think you want to look for something where the metal is one continuous piece, from blade into handle (there is a proper terminology for this but I can't remember ). Also it might be better to buy something that has open stock so you don't get unneccessary pieces. My set came with a boning knife, for example, which I have never used.
post #3 of 32
1/6/10 at 2:47pm
i just decluttered my knife block and put the knives in a narrow kitchen drawer (like only 5" wide) next to the stove. i have one of those magnetic strips but haven't put it up yet.
post #4 of 32
1/6/10 at 3:05pm
We have a knife block and actually prefer it.

I was under the impression that storing knives loose, like in a drawer, where their blades can touch and nick each other is not good for them.

We bought a knife set by Farberware about 7yrs ago and have been very happy w/ it. The handle and blade on each knife are 1 piece. We store the knives in the block upside down so that the blades don't rub the block and dull. I also use the sharpening steel almost every time I use a straight blade just so I get nice cuts.

We use pretty much all the pieces in the set. I've thought of getting a magnetic strip, but I don't think I like the look of exposed blades.
post #5 of 32
1/6/10 at 3:30pm
I like my knife block. I don't like the ideas of knives in a drawer or the look of all the blades out on the wall.

Mine came with our set of knives a few years ago. I see them at thrift stores frequently, though, if you wanted to try it and see if you like it with minimal investment.
post #6 of 32
1/6/10 at 3:32pm
Check out Victorinox, they make Swiss Army knives and also make kitchen knives. We have some and I like them. Here is the set DH bought.

We also have our knives on a magnetic strip but on the side of the fridge. I don't particularly like that though, I would rather have a block. Maybe it is the feng shui thing like SageR's mom said!
post #7 of 32
1/6/10 at 3:33pm
we have a magnetic strip too. helps keep your knives sharp. Knife blocks tend to dull blades bc you are basically dragging it across wood like a cutting board every time you put them away.

I have Wusthof bc i am a culinary student and got them with my knife kit.
post #8 of 32
1/6/10 at 3:49pm
We use a magnet strip on the side of a cabinet for the 4 knives we use all the time. They are not easily seen where they are. We used to have a knife block with a whole set of knives but it could be reached by kids on the counter.

Over the years I realized I only ever used a couple of good knives, even cleaning them if they were dirty rather then grabbing one of the less expensive ones that were clean. Wusthof just makes great knives. So last summer I dumped all the rest in my decluttering. I have 3 Wusthof knives and one random brand I inherited and not available in the US. You can find Wusthof for a more reasonable price at places like Marshalls and TJMaxx. Keep an eye on them as sometimes you can even find them on sale off their prices.
post #9 of 32
1/6/10 at 3:58pm
This is what I have
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...1&SKU=13749337

It has rods instead of slots. I can fit in a lot more especially since my sets don't match.
post #10 of 32
1/6/10 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FillingMyQuiver View Post
We store the knives in the block upside down so that the blades don't rub the block and dull.
You mean with the edge of the knives pointing up? So flipped over from how they are in the picture? Does that actually keep them from touching the block? Blocks I've had, the knives fit fairly snugly. Maybe yours is designed for keeping the edges from dulling, which would be cool.

Since we don't eat steak at home, ever, we have a magnetic strip and like 4 chefs knives, and a couple paring knives. Some Chicago cutlery and some other ones we got from Target that have stayed sharper (we have a honing stick, but no sharpening stone) than the Chicago C. knives.

Don't get serrated knives, you can't sharpen them and despite what they all claim, you will *want* to sharpen them eventually.
post #11 of 32
1/6/10 at 4:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SageR View Post
I had a block once upon a time but we got rid of it. Now we have a magnetic strip on the wall- less cluttery and the kids can't reach it. My mom keeps telling me it's bad feng shui to have blades out like that but the energy in my kitchen seems ok to me!
ditto.

here's ours. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmdesigns/3376263926/
post #12 of 32
1/6/10 at 4:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sapphire_chan View Post
You mean with the edge of the knives pointing up? So flipped over from how they are in the picture? Does that actually keep them from touching the block? Blocks I've had, the knives fit fairly snugly. Maybe yours is designed for keeping the edges from dulling, which would be cool.

Since we don't eat steak at home, ever, we have a magnetic strip and like 4 chefs knives, and a couple paring knives. Some Chicago cutlery and some other ones we got from Target that have stayed sharper (we have a honing stick, but no sharpening stone) than the Chicago C. knives.

Don't get serrated knives, you can't sharpen them and despite what they all claim, you will *want* to sharpen them eventually.
Yes, we flipped the knives over from how they are shown in the picture. We found the tendency is to put downward pressure on the knife when removing it from the block, so now, the top of the knife (non-blade edge) rubs the bottom of the slot. The blade does not touch the block if we're mindful; our knives don't fit snugly in their slots, they can be jostled slightly if you bump the block.
post #13 of 32
1/6/10 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindberg99 View Post
Check out Victorinox, they make Swiss Army knives and also make kitchen knives. We have some and I like them. Here is the set DH bought.
I replaced my expensive German set with Victorinox and am very happy. This brand gets good professional reviews.

I replaced our countertop block with an in-drawer tray. It is wood with some sort of peg guards at the points where the blades rest. It is just a few inches wide and holds my chef's knife, utility knife, bread knife and steak knives. I can't remember where I bought it, it was from the same site as the knives but the name escapes me now.
post #14 of 32
1/6/10 at 8:25pm
I have a set of Henckel professional knives that I loveloveloveLOVE. I store them in a block and have them professionally sharpened at least once a year; the block doesn't seem to affect their sharpness, as far as I can tell. I also use the steel to straighten the blade I'm using each time. If I had a drawer I could use for only knife storage and could use something that would store them without touching each other, I *might* do that. OTOH, I do like the way I can quickly grab what I need from the block.
post #15 of 32
1/6/10 at 8:27pm
Oh, and actually, while I said "a set," it's not really a set. If you buy open-stock, you can choose the knives you will actually USE, which isn't always what comes in a set. What I have is perfect for me, but might not be perfect for YOU.
post #16 of 32
1/7/10 at 2:57am
I have a block and I prefer it. It sits to the back and side of the counter that I usually prep food on.
post #17 of 32
1/7/10 at 3:14am
We have Cutco knives and they have their own drawer. I don't like the idea of having the knives out on the counter. Gives me the creeps.
post #18 of 32
1/7/10 at 3:25am
Knife blocks gross me out. There's no way to clean them or even tell if they need cleaning. I don't like built-in cutting boards for the same reason.

My inlaws have a magnetic strip on the wall, which works great, my parents have a special drawer with dividers to keep each knife separate without hiding the blades, and I keep ours in the silverware drawer.
post #19 of 32
1/7/10 at 10:11am
We have this great knife drawer organizer. Supposedly it's better than a block because they just rest in it so it doesn't dull the blade. I had to get rid of our knife block when my 2 year old (who's now 3) enjoyed climbing on the counters to play with knives. Yikes! So now I keep them in a child proofed drawer.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produ...ge%7Ccutsshsto
post #20 of 32
1/7/10 at 12:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TwinMom View Post
I have a set of Henckel professional knives that I loveloveloveLOVE. I store them in a block and have them professionally sharpened at least once a year; the block doesn't seem to affect their sharpness, as far as I can tell. I also use the steel to straighten the blade I'm using each time. If I had a drawer I could use for only knife storage and could use something that would store them without touching each other, I *might* do that. OTOH, I do like the way I can quickly grab what I need from the block.
OT but where do you get them sharpened? Do you send them away or locally?

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