Best knife blocks according to redditors

Let me introduce you to the Kapoosh. It's brilliant. http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-650-Holder-Woodgrain-Finish/dp/B000Q4I9LM?SubscriptionId=05H7QHFD0R7KY27X0R82&tag=kitchen-knife-review-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000Q4I9LM

Victorinox Fibrox, you can get a decent three piece set cheaply, includes 8 inch Chef's, 8 inch carving, and 5 inch utility knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cutlery-3-Piece-Fibrox-Handles/dp/B0016O8PGA/

Then you probably need a steel: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MD9IL2/

And then you probably need a benchstone to keep it sharp:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MDB4C8/

And for an in drawer knife block: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL9CZ4/

Also, get yourself a good wooden cutting board. Plastic, metal, and composites dull blades quickly.

Disclosure: I own everything here, and I'm completely happy with them.

At this point, I'd only really recommend Shun and Global, in that order. I started with Wustoff, and they did me alright, but I just don't like how their steel holds up, and really, I find the traditional European handle/bolster/spine to be really uncomfortable. Both Global and Shun make wonderful products, but I find the handles on Globes to be too skinny. Plus, as a super-mega-bonus, Shun allows you to return your knives back to them for the entire lifetime of the knife for sharpening, for free (you pay shipping to them, that's it.) It's painless and relatively fast.

They also have a much shallower angle on the edge, which I LOVE, though some people (usually those who are set on Wustoff/Henkles) only like a deeper edge. But goddamn they cut like butter. The only problem with the shallower edge is that you definitely don't want to A) use an electric sharpener on them (the edge is asymmetrical and the commercial ones out there don't have the proper angle) which is alright as they sharpen for you for free at the factory, and B) definitely DO NOT use a magnet hanger with these things. You'll bend the edge. If you go to Bed Bath and Beyond, you'll see it. They hang them all on those damn magnets and it ruins the blade. Get a nice block, or just get a Kapoosh (I have one and it works).

Look, if you want to completely flip his lid, this is all that any home chef really needs (IMO):

Shun 7" Santoku, hollow ground. This is my goto knife in the kitchen and it can do just about everything. I use it on 80% of what I do. When I upgraded from the standard Safeway $11 chef's knife to the Wustoff is was an amazing, night-and-day transition. The heavens opened up and I saw the light (and more importantly, what a sharp knife could do for you). When I bought this 7", it was exactly the same transition, only higher up. The balance, sharpness and quality of this knife over the Wustoff was what I had been looking for and it was every bit worth the money. Someone here mentioned that everyone needs a 10". This is overkill. It's like cutting onions with a samurai sword. While it looks cool, all the extra effort you need to exert for those extra 3 inches just fatigues the wrist and arm, which is not something you want when prepping a lot. 7" FTW.

Every chef needs a 7". Whether it's a european chef's knife or a santoku is up to the chef, though you'll notice that santoku's keep getting more and more popular every year. I think there's a reason for this.

So, too, does every chef need a good paring knife. They go hand in hand and you cannot do without one or the other. My 7" handles 80% of the work load, my paring knife handles 15%.

Shun also makes a wonderful 4" paring knife That's not very expensive. This thing will get in and get out, work in all the small spaces it needs to and do it with deft and ease. It's light, doesn't have much mass, and again, Shun's steel is wonderful (in my eyes).

The last 5% is for a good cleaver. Don't be fooled by big money in this category-- the cheap ones are the best. You don't need super knives here, they're for doing the hearty, down and dirty, bone-breaking work, and the nice steels wont hold up to this work. This is the greatest cleaver ever in the history of mankind. I have the No. 3. It is quite possibly the best $11 I've spent in the kitchen. I'd gone through about 5 cleavers before I found this one, all of them failed to hold up. This knife holds it's edge forever (seriously-- in the 5 years I've had it, I've only sharpened it once), it's got the heft you want in a cleaver and it's ridiculously comfortable to hold. I would suggest this with everything I have.

So there you have it. I firmly hold, and you will find others to agree, that all you need in the kitchen is a really good 7", a good paring knife and a quality, cheap cleaver. That's it. All those $600 sets with every kind of knife you could imagine are nonsense. I got a nice $150 boning knife as a wedding present and I've used it all of twice in two and a half years. Same with my carving knife. You just don't need them. They're totally nice when the need arises, but about 95% of the work in the kitchen can be accomplished by those three tools.

Take it as you will, and I wish you many fine meals prepared by him!

I love cooking, and cook 4-5 nights a week. I couldn't really organize my kitchen the way I wanted it for a long time, because I lived with roommates for the past 11 years. They didn't take good care of things, and were really bad at washing dishes. When they all finally moved out last August, I went to work.

• First off, I got rid of every cup, glass, plate, knife, piece of silverware, pot, and pan that didn't belong to a set. Since it's just me, the 5 plates I had was more than enough. I did wind up buying a $5 set of glasses from Walmart, just so they match.
  
  
• I actually gave all of my silverware to my roommates when they moved out, so I did wind up buying a set of heavy gauge silverware. I also gave them all the miss-matched pots and pans. That still left me with 3 pots and 2 non stick pans. I went ahead and added a cast iron pan to the mix, and that's about all I use, now, except for eggs.
  
  
• I got rid of my knife block, and replaced it with one of these that goes in a drawer. Most of the knives were missing or broken. I kept the crappy bread knife, and got rid of the rest. I bought a nice chef knife, paring knife, and filet knife. That organizer also holds my steak knifes.
  
  
• I got rid of everything on the counters, except my microwave and cutting board. I have my cutting board by the sink, so I use that to set dry dishes on, instead of a rack. Just put them away when I am done washing. Toaster, Pizza Pizzazz, toaster oven, coffee machine, utensil holder, spice rack, and electric can opener - all gone. I just picked a few basic utensils (spatula, spoon, slotted spoon, whisk, and brush) to keep in the drawer with the silverware. I bought a small, and held can opener. The spices got moved to a cabinet. If I ever need to toast bread, I can do that in the broiler or oven. Same with pizza.
  
  
• On the subject of spices - I eliminated salt and pepper shakers. Not I just buy the disposable ones that come with a mill (grinder) attached to the top. When they are empty - no washing or refilling - just throw them away. That also eliminates the need to have a bigger container of each from which to fill them. Freshly ground pepper and sea salt tastes better, too.
  
  
• I got rid of all my plastic containers, except the one size that fits good in my lunchbox. They are the semi-disposable ones by Rubbermaid, so when I get low, I just buy more, and add them to the stack. Before, the cabinet was packed full of miss matched ones.
  
  
• I eliminated my junk drawer. I have a toolbox for inside the house, and anything that didn't belong in that, got moved (and organized) into the garage. About half of the stuff in there got thrown out. That drawer actually became my knife drawer.
  
  Then I just went through all the drawers and cabinets, and got rid of anything that I didn't use frequently. There was a lot of stuff like that. It's been almost a year since the last of them moved out, and I still have a lot of other decluttering to do. I cook about 4-5 nights a week, though, so the kitchen was my first priority.
  
  One thing that really helped me, but might not jive with the mindset of decluttering, is paper plates, cups, and silverware. Part of the cabinet space that I gained from getting rid of miss-matched plastic storage containers went to disposables. I really only use the plastic silverware for work lunches, but the paper plates and plastic cups really help me stay organized and lazy.
  
  Oh, one last thing - I cook all my lunches for the week on Sunday or Monday night, so the only meals I cook during the week are for my dinner. Less cleanup.

An Amazon registry (I would skip the Kohls cutlery offerings) will limit you somewhat, but there are certainly decent options available. I think your selection of two chef knives, a bread knife, and a paring knife is a good choice. For the most part I'm going to suggest fairly costly knives because, frankly, this isn't /r/culinary.

Chef knives first. Everything I have to say about 8"/210mm knives I would apply to 10"/240mm knives unless I make note.

If you want a hefty Western chef knife, I find Messermeister to be best in show. They take an edge better than other stainless German knives I've owned and they keep it longer. I find the grind and profile to be slightly more modern and workable in the Elite models opposed to the highly popular Wusthof Classic and sundry Henckels lines. The fit and finish on them is on par with Wusthof, which is to say impeccable. Messermeister makes three different handles for its Elite lines and offers the blades in a thinner Stealth version, which I like. Since Messermeister's Amazon offerings are a bit wonky I would highly suggest you look around the site for the style you like. You might even find some other kitchen gadgets you like. If you are interested in a French profile, look at K-Sabatier. A carbon K-Sab is a lot of fun. And though the stainless knives they produce aren't really as magical as their carbons, they're still fine knives.

• Messermeister Oliva Elite Stealth: Olive wood handled. My favorite. Extra classy.
  
• Messermeister San Moritz Elite Stealth: Poly handle option. I don't like it as much as the wood handles, but it's much cheaper as offered here.
  
• Messermeister Meridian Elite: Classic black pakka wood handle. It's classic and black.
  
• K-Sabatier carbon: This knife is king of the hill. Yes, it's a hill out in the middle of nowhere, but it's still a nice knife. This style is timeless, but it's also out of stock.
  
• K-Sabatier stainless: I believe this knife uses the same steel as Wusthof and Henckels with a similar heat treatment. The biggest difference is the profile.
  
  There are many good Japanese companies and makers to consider. These knives will all be lighter and somewhat thinner than almost any Western knife. If you want something functional and somewhat reasonably priced, Suisin, Mac, and Tojiro have some good options. In the next price bracket up, a Kikuichi, a Yoshihiro, a Takayuki, or a Misono fits the bill, though Misono knives have become incredibly inflated in price. If you have a rich Uncle Ed, slip a Takeda into your list. I would definitely consider other knives at these general price ranges, but they're not available on Amazon.
  
  A few budget suggestions:
  
  
• Tojiro DP gyuto: A great knife line. Tojiro's VG-10 heat treatment is on par with if not better than Shun's. If you're used to a heavy 10" knife, a Tojiro DP 270mm wouldn't be out of the question.
  
• 7.25" Mac Chef "chef" knife: This is definitely a gyuto, regardless what it's labeled. I've used it on a restaurant line during service and it is quite durable. It's reasonably priced, which makes it a popular choice in the food industry.
  
• 10" Mac Chef chef knife: Though they're from the same line, this knife has a wholly more substantial feel on the board than the above. It's still light. It's not priced as well as its shorter cousin. This is the knife that opened my eyes to what Japanese knives could be. The knife is available in the 12" length which, like the Tojiro, coming from a full weight Western knife would still be light.
  
• Suisin HC gyuto: A carbon steel knife selection. These knives have good production values and take a great edge. These knives have decent asymmetrical grinds, which is a definite plus for me. Suisin also makes a comparable Inox stainless line that is quite nice.
  
  To find out who really loves you:
  
  
• Takayuki Grand Chef gyuto: To be fair, I have not used this knife. Those who have like it, though they usually consider it a bit overpriced. It's made from AEB-L, which in kitchen knives is my favorite stainless. I would prefer the Suisin HC.
  
• Misono UX10 gyuto: This knife has been around for a few years and it's pretty popular at high end restaurants. It's nice, but it's a bit overpriced for what you get; the steel and grind on it are unremarkable. The fit and finish on it is probably the best you can buy, though.
  
• Yoshihiro gyuto: This knife is again a bit pricey for what you get, but it does at least include a saya. It offers you a crack at a wa handle, which is a slightly different experience. The steel is somewhat softer than I would like.
  
  Rich Uncle Ed special:
  
  
• Takeda 210mm Aogami Super gyuto: It's thin. It's light. It's made by a wizened old master craftsman. It's got a weird grind that does a whole lot of work while cutting something. It's made out of one of the finest carbon steels being produced today. It's... really expensive. Takeda lovers swear by them, but they're much too tall on the board for me.
  
  Unfortunately I didn't spot many knives on Amazon that I have confidence in and feature a Japanese handle. That's a shame because they're a treat.
  
  Unlike my essay on chef knives, I have only one bread knife suggestion, the Mac Superior 270mm bread knife. It's the best Amazon has to offer and one of the best bread knives you can buy. Tojiro makes a clone that sells for less elsewhere if no one gives you one.
  
  Paring knives are a little different. Edge retention and grind are much less important than geometry. I have this Henckels Pro 3" and I like it; the height of the blade is very comfortable. It has no flex, though, so don't expect to use it optimally for boning tasks. I am almost as happy with any Victorinox paring knife. I would suggest you try as many as possible in brick and mortar outlets to figure out what you like.
  
  And finally, storage. A wall mounted magnetic strip is popular. Those made of wood have less chance of scratching or damaging a knife, so they're somewhat preferable, but as long as you pop the knife off tip first you won't damage it. I've used this strip from Winco for the past year at work with no ill effect. A knife block actually is a good storage option if you can find one to fit your collection. The biggest risk is catching the tip when the knife is inserted into the block, but that's not much of a concern if the user is careful. I use a Victorinox block that was a gift at home for most of my house knives. This block is great, I've been told. A drawer insert is another good low space option. I like my Knife Dock for the stuff I want to keep safe. It lets me slip in as many knives as I have space for the handles. This insert from Wusthof is also popular.

A knife block is the usual answer. That said, most knife blocks are lame. I did a bit of searching and this:

amazon.com/Magnetic-Kitchen-Organizer-Capacity-Strongly/dp/B075FDK8TC

sort of design came up - a magnetic block that doesn't have to be attached to the wall. I have never used that particular unit so cannot attest to whether it in particular is a good item, but maybe something of this general style might come close to what you seek?

I have this thing - Kapoosh

It is basically a block with a billion little plastic rods in it. Your knives slip between the plastic rod things and stay in place. Works like a charm. I have 8 knives ranging from Chef's knife to paring knife in it currently.

They don't cost THAT much money, we're talking $20-30.

There's even ones like this $20 knife block that slots into a drawer.

If you really want to get a block set then try the Victorinox 7 piece set. But honestly building your own is better.

• Get a universal block like this or this. Avoid wooden blocks, they may look nice but sooner or later unseen crud is going to build up. The Polymer blocks can be taken apart and the insides cleaned out.
  
  
• Victorinox 8 in Chef's Knife best bang for your buck ~$35
  
  
• Mercer Bread 10 in Bread Knife ~$17
  
  
• Victorinox Paring Knife ~ $9. Wusthof is supposed to be better but I'm not spending $40 for a paring knife.
  
  
• Kitchen shears depends on what you are going to do. Light duty shears get a Victorinox Classic ~$14. You'll be able to do all kitchen tasks and occasionally break down a chicken. If you plan to break down chickens more than occasionally then get a Shun Kitchen Shears ~$70. If you plan to break down chickens often then get dedicated heavy duty chicken shears (can't help you with that) and a Victorinox for the light stuff.
  
  
• Get a sharpener. If you're willing to learn how to sharpen get a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a cut resistant glove, if not get a Chef's Choice 4643. The Chef's Choice is a poor 2nd choice I urge you to get a Spyderco, but DO NOT forget the cut resistant glove. Most people after they get good at sharpening become less paranoid about cutting themselves and that's when they cut themselves.
  
  
• Get a honing steel any will do but I like the Wustof 9 in it's magnetic so it'll pick up any metal dust even though I always wipe my knife on a damp towel. Honing and sharpening do two different things. You should hone often, sharpen rarely.
  
  Here is something from r/ATKgear if you want another opinion.
  
  

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Q4I9LM

I got one of these as a house warming gift. Cleans easy and looks nice. I've got a ton of random knives, so this works well for that too.

> drawer

Why not a magnetic strip or a knife block? I have a sweet knife block that I'm pretty into.

Long story short.. knives are sharp, especially right after getting them professionally sharpened 🙃

Basically I was cutting bok choy and clearly was not leading with my knuckles as I should have been. My grandma told me she's sending me this

I use a magnetic knife block screwed to the wall. Typically with knife/tool sets you really only use one or two of them frequently and the rest sit around uselessly, so the money would be better spent elsewhere. The more you spend on a knife, typically the better the steel, grinds, heat treatment, handle quality, and general fit and finish.

Edit: you can get freestanding mag knife blocks too:

https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Holder-Natural-Cutlery-Display/dp/B00ECCG524

I bought an expensive Wusthof knife block set and they are pretty nice. However after getting a relatively inexpensive Victorinox Fibrox chefs knife I fell in love. They are really high quality knifes for a fraction of the price for name brands. Also the handles are perfect, non slip, thick, perfect curves

I mostly use a large chefs knife or santuko, a smaller utility knife and a bread knife.

Heres a great starter set:

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Piece-Knife-Fibrox-Handles/dp/B004IEBTZ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419115643&sr=8-2&keywords=victorinox+fibrox

Buy a block and add knifes as you get some more money.

http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Home-Bamboo-Knife-Storage/dp/B00DHH0LRA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419115939&sr=8-1&keywords=knife+block

https://www.amazon.com/Boker-30402-Magnetic-Knife-Makassar/dp/B00286VJ3Q


I have used one of these for years and love it.

I got this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-650-Holder-Woodgrain-Finish/dp/B000Q4I9LM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334300494&sr=8-1

It works awesome!

Pro tip: you can still buy on amazon.com! It's 35 USD after standard shipping to Canada (Waterloo). There's also a few options on amazon.ca that are around the same price with prime (mercer and good coking)

You can buy a knife block separately, or a magnetic wall-mounted knife holder, or if you do store them in a drawer, get a set of these guys

Somebody on Cookit had mentioned using a Kapoosh.

http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-650-Holder-Woodgrain-Finish/dp/B000Q4I9LM/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1289066668&sr=8-3-fkmr0

It looks pretty sweet if you ask me and gives you a more flexible knife block.

First of all, never buy a matching set of knives. Instead, buy a generic knife storage block, and fill it out as you need it. I have this one from Amazon and like it a lot.

For chef's knives, I'm really happy with the Kiwi knives I got from the Wok Shop. They're certainly no Henkels or Wusthof, but they're absolutely fantastic for the price. They see daily use in my kitchen, right alongside my $100 Global santoku. Get a real whetstone (like this) and learn how to use it, and you can get a really nice edge on them too.

I don't have any available wall for a mag strip so ended up getting this block.

It doesn't take up very much room and looks great.

You can buy (or DIY) a magnetic knife block. We used to put our strip above the sink, but that's not an option in our current apartment, so we got this. There's an even fancier one I'm eyeballing for the future.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00286VJ3Q?psc=1

I have one of these and I'm honestly not that big a fan. It doesn't hold as many knives as you'd hope, you can't easily remove rods to give your knives a little more breathing room, and the wooden 'box' actually cracked recently. When I find room I'll probably move back to something magnetic instead.

Magnetic knife block:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00286VJ3Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

> I need to see about getting covers for my main chef knife. Always worried about slicing my hand open in that cabinet.

Get something like this. Your knives will last longer and you won't risk injury. It also makes the drawer look much nicer!

No, Amazon. They sell it at Lowe's and home depot too but for twice the price.

I would be wary of those recommendations. I have a 10.5" Wusthof and it is heavy. Most knife magnets out there weren't designed to hold knives bigger than a 8" chef's knife. Be sure to read product reviews carefully - that big knife could be very dangerous if it falls. And most people reviewing stuff online don't own knives that large or heavy.

While I agree that knife blocks aren't as elegant as a magnet or drawer-based solution, my kitchen layout doesn't accommodate those approaches anyway. I've used blocks for many years and have never noticed any damage to the knives. Just be careful putting them in the slots. I recently replaced my old Wusthof block with this one. It's nothing fancy to look at, but it holds a full-sized cleaver, a steel, my 10.5" Wusthof, an 8" chef's knife, shears, my smaller knives, and still has room for another 8" chef's knife and a 7" Santoku I plan to buy. Quite roomy, and cheap. I'm very happy with it.

You can buy or make one with a flexible rod design to accommodate any knife size: http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-Knife-Block-Light-Woodgrain/dp/B000Q4I9LM

I lost one of these dice knife blocks. I was dating her seriously for maybe 5 months, she didn't have a knife block, and I didn't have use for this one at the time. I was very firm that I was letting her borrow it as I was planning on moving in with new roommates where I would use it a few months later. Never saw it again.

Or a magnetic block if wallmounting is not an option

When a knife is pulled towards the magnet, the magnet is also pulled towards the knife. I don't think that command strips will be able to hold the rack when it is being repeatedly tugged away from the wall.

You could look at magnetic holders of this type.

And why is drilling not an option? Going through a seam is super easy (that's what I did), and with a proper drill bit it's not that hard to drill through tile either.

Had to edit my link but here it is. They have two versions in the "color section" one is leaning and one is dual sided.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MMVKJ5J/

The magnets are super strong. Pretty great product for the price.

It's being held backwards. The long slots are for big knives, while the short slots are for steak knives.

In-drawer knife holder of the same style.

You can do both with a block made for a drawer. The one I use is like this, and it’s a great compromise. The knives aren’t loose in the drawer, and it’s easier to clean than a countertop block by using a can of compressed air.

Have you seen this kind of knife block: https://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-Knife-Block-Light-Woodgrain/dp/B000Q4I9LM There's also this kind that has a longer and a shorter compartment: https://www.containerstore.com/s/kitchen/countertop/kapoosh-hardwood-knife-block/12d?productId=10030947

It doesn't have slots, but flexible rods that fit a lot of knives of different sizes and shapes. The downside is that it can get messy, but it might be a good choice if you don't have a lot of space because it can hold a lot of knives.

edit: I just found this site that shows more interesting ways to store knives: https://www.core77.com/posts/26446/designing-for-knife-storage-part-2-beyond-knife-blocks-and-wall-racks-26446 I like the under-cabinet knife block. That may be a good solution for your space problem.

I use one of these and it is very nice, I would second this recommendation.

This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL9CZ4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gotcha. Yea if you don't dry your stuff off...no bueno.

I saw this and thought it looked nice...with a built in sharpner

https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Canny-Universal-Bamboo-Sharpener/dp/B07FNSTKB5/ref=sr_1_61?keywords=block+knife&qid=1563222835&s=home-garden&sr=1-61

Actually I've got one of these

It's very convenient and I don't think it would have any effect on the blade. It also looks kinda funny.

Having researched this recently, I don't think there is a truly perfect way to store knifes – even the methods that seem good have their pros and cons.

Drawer inserts are okay, but they can dull the knife because you tend to slide the blade against the bottom when inserting or removing knives.

Keeping your knives in blade guards in a drawer keeps the knives safe and sharp, but they're not very easy to get to and it's not very space-efficient.

Traditional wooden knife blocks are a bad option. They can dull your knives and moisture can get trapped inside. Some people like these new knife blocks that have tons of plastic bits in them, but I tried a Bodum one and it was tough to put the knives back in.

In my old apartment, I kept my knives on a magnetic strip and it worked great, but did leave a tiny bit of cosmetic damage on the sides of the knives. Not a big deal for me as they stayed sharp and were easy to get to. But then I moved to a new apartment where there was no wall space for a magnetic strip.

Now, I use this knife block, which looks a bit odd but works great. Easy to get the knives in and out, they stay nice and sharp, and it doesn't take up too much space on the counter.

Bottom line, you just have to figure out which of these pros and cons you care about and then treat your knife well when it's not in storage, i.e.: wash it promptly after using, dry it promptly after washing, and hone or sharpen it regularly.

Just being picky, but rubbing the blade on a vertical knife holder always seemed to be a bad idea. Something like this is what I have.

But it obviously isn't a big deal otherwise no one wold make them that way.

probably this and i dunno... just thought it looked cool, and i think at some point i was looking at knives for it.

Are you sure your friend can mount a magnetic strip? I for once wish I could but my kitchen setup prevents me from doing so. In case it helps I actually have this knife block and am quite happy with it.

Was it for aesthetic reasons? They don't all look industrial. I have one that just looks like a strip of wood. There's also magnetic blocks, perhaps one of those would be a good compromise.

Edit: Note that I have not tried either of the products I linked above and I just noticed that several reviews of the block say that the magnets are too weak to hold the knives safely. I still think it's a good concept if it's acceptable to your SO, but it's probably worth looking into other brands.

They all look OK. "Best" depends on how many knives the giftee has. The first one has the smallest footprint, which can make it better on small countertops.

I like this style:

https://www.amazon.ca/Kyocera-Bamboo-Slot-Knife-Block/dp/B000UVT3G6/

with open slots (but this particular one is tiny, only 3 knives, and only 7").

Update: I did some research, and if you really really dig into comments and questions on amazon reviews, you can get the specs on the width of the slots. I also counted and saw that I have 21 slots on my current block, so I looked for something with at least that many.

It looks like the Henckels 20 "Super Block" has 7/8 (.875)" steak knife slots.

This block, which I just ordered, as well as the Wusthof blocks have 1" wide slots. I may be making a big assumption here, but I would think that the slot sizes are the same across different models for the same brand. I went with the non-Wusthof one because I would prefer not to have a logo on the front.

My current block seems to be a bit under 6/8" wide, probably 11/16" originally, but its a bit tough to measure as its old and a bit worn (at least in part from me trying to saw the slots wider).


Lets hope the descriptions are accurate, I feel like I just spent way too much time researching this and its also absurd how stressed out this is making me :).

Here is a block that I stubbled upon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V3Y3RJ8

There is also an Extra Large version for more depth.

Found this high quality wooden magnetic strip too:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6Z73NF/

I'm not a fan of magnetized holders because they magnetize the blade, and that in turn causes swarf to stick to the apex while sharpening. But if you don't mind that it is a fine choice.

I prefer something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Included-Pointing-Sharpener-Noble-Organizer/dp/B01DG45HOU

LPT get one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-Knife-Block-Light-Woodgrain/dp/B000Q4I9LM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480783879&sr=8-3&keywords=Kapoosh+Universal+Knife+Block

The knives are held in place by friction on the sides of the blade and you can put in whatever knives you wish.

Try something like this
or this

I haven't confirmed this, but I've heard some bad things about the kapoosh style holders because of your knife basically cutting into the plastic sticks, but maybe if you use bamboo skewers it'll be better.


Also you can check out drawer style holders like this or this

I don't disagree with the majority of your views, but in a small kitchen knives in a drawer are a must - it also doesn't mean you're mistreating them: http://www.amazon.com/Totally-Bamboo-20-2091-In-Drawer-Knife/dp/B002RL9CZ4

One 8" and one 10" Vicrotionix chefs knife with a knife organizer like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Drawer-without-Organizer-Shenzhen-Knives/dp/B00GJ44VW4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1497566901&sr=8-3&keywords=knife+organizer

I am totally against this type of block. Even if the little rods are removable, they are just unhygienic. I tried two versions, because it seemed like such a great idea. Don't like traditional woodblocks either.

I hunted and hunted and finally found The Kuhn Knife Block.

• clear, so you can see the knives (unlike the rod bundle in the comment above, or traditional knife block)
  
  
• can accommodate various sizes – mine has my steel (sharpener), and scissors, along with a large selection of knives
  
  
• can be completely taken apart and washed–no nooks or crannies for germs

I’ve had the kapoosh knife block for almost 10 yrs and it’s awesome

A good knife is always a good idea. That being said, there are knives out there that are cheaper than the one you're looking at. I have the Victorinox Fibrox 8" and I love it. From the first cut I made with it, I knew I had a good knife. It's a solid knife for a home cook. If you still want the santoku style blade, Victorinox also makes one with a Granton blade for about 1/4 the price.

One other point: if you do get a good knife, make sure you have a good place to store it. You don't want to just put it in with the rest of your cooking utensils; it will get all beat up and blunted very quickly. The best option is a heavy wood block with slots to put the knives in. But you can also get something like this. I have one that has slotted foam at the end to stick the knives in. Other maintenance items like a honing steel and a whet stone are good to consider as well.