Investing in a quality set of knives is a big step in the growth of a serious home cook. When you use your new knives for the first time, you’ll be amazed at how sharp they are and how much they improve your day-to-day cooking experience.

Unfortunately, they aren’t going to stay that way forever. As you use your knives, they are going to gradually wear down as the cutting edge is exposed to various foods, surfaces, etc. While it is inevitable that your knives are going to wear, storing them properly can slow their decline. Let’s look a little closer at this important topic.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Storing Kitchen Knives

The basic idea here is to treat your knives in a way that is going to preserve their initial condition for as long as possible. If you expose your knives to conditions that are harmful to their materials or will potentially damage the cutting edge, you ‘ll be expediting the need for them to be replaced. Fortunately, it’s not too hard to stay away from mistakes as long as you educate yourself upfront.

Don’t Break These Rules

To provide your knives with proper care, start by following these rules:

• Never put knives away wet. It will take only a moment to dry your knife with a towel after washing it off, and that simple action will go a long way. If you leave your knives wet, you will be inviting rust – and rust is not your friend in the kitchen.
• Loose in a drawer is a big mistake. There are two problems with simply tossing your knives loosely into a kitchen drawer. The first is safety. Reaching into that drawer will be dangerous with several blades roaming around, and cuts to your fingers are practically inevitable. In addition to safety issues, leaving your knives to rattle around in a drawer is sure to lead to blade damage.
• Sitting in the sink. Leaving your knives to sit in the sink when you’re done with them combines the two mistakes listed above. The sink is a wet environment, and it’s also a place where blade damage could happen, as could cuts to your hands. Get into the habit of putting your knives away properly as soon as possible and your kitchen life will be improved.

Do Follow These Guidelines

So, if the points listed above highlight what not to do with your knives, what should you be doing? It’s really quite simple, and it starts by putting them away clean and dry.

Obviously, if putting your knives away wet is a mistake, storing them dry must be the way to go. It is, and also make sure they are properly cleaned before you put them back (as in hand-washed in warm, soapy water with a non abrasive, uncolored sponge).

The Best Knife Storage Options for Your Needs

From on the counter to under the cabinet, you’ll find several knife storage options available.

The Knife Block

Knife blocks often come standard or as an upgrade with most kitchen knife sets, and they can come in a variety of styles. While these make a great out-of-the-box solution for knife storage, the included knife blocks may not always fit your needs (or style).

Here at F.N. Sharp, we offer the magnetic knife block pictured above both a la carte and with our Damascus steel kitchen knife sets. Made of Acacia wood, the F.N. Sharp Knife Block gives you plenty of space to both showcase and store your entire kitchen knife set and other favorite cooking utensils – and even your steak knives, too (like these F.N. Sharp ones)!

Under-Cabinet Knife Storage

Credit: @sweetcreationsbygigi

This creative solution leaves your knives out of sight, as they will be hidden under one of your kitchen cabinets. When needed, you drop down their storage slot and access the appropriate knives. This may be a good option when you need to keep your cutlery out of the reach of children.

In-Drawer Knife Storage

Earlier we mentioned that just tossing your knives in a drawer is a bad idea, and for good reasons. However, you can safely store your knives in a drawer if you have a knife block specifically designed for that purpose.

Wall Knife Storage

There are plenty of these kinds of storage options on the market, including some magnetic and some with slots for knife blades. The benefit here is both aesthetic and functional. You’ll get the knives off your counter and add to the visual appeal of your kitchen.

Knife Storage Rolls and Cases

If you are particularly serious about your knives, have a large collection, or take your knives on-the-go, then a formal storage case or knife roll, like this F.N. Sharp one pictured above) might be the right solution. It's a simple as inserting them into their assigned seats and rolling or zipping them up to stay safe and protected.

All-Inclusive Kitchen Knife Sets

Buying an all-inclusive knife set is often the best way to kick your kitchen into high gear. These kinds of sets typically include a storage solution, such as an on-counter block, along with all of the standard types of knives you need, such as a chef’s knife, paring knife, Santoku knife, and more.

Get All of the Essentials Here: The F.N. Sharp 6-Knife Set & Magnetic Knife Block

Take Care of Your Knives and They’ll Take Care of You

Cooking well at home is all about having the right equipment and caring for that equipment. With knives, the job is pretty simple as long as you don’t break any of the key rules of kitchen knife safety.

In addition to storing your knives properly, you’ll also need to keep them sharp. This can mean using an at-home sharpener or turning to a professional service, which is honestly the better option as sharpening can be a time-consuming process that takes quite a bit of knowledge and practice. 

And if you’re in search of an all-in-one solution to sharp, high-quality knives and the best knife storage, then it’s time to get F.N. Sharp!

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