You don't want your sharper knives to be a kitchen safety hazard, so safe knife storage is a must, especially if you have children. It's annoying at the least and injurious at the worst to reach into a drawer and cut yourself on an incorrectly stored knife.
Back in the day, many kitchens only had three types of sharp knives – one for carving, one for paring and one for slicing bread. Today, we have many specialized knives, for chopping, carving and filleting. You can purchase a small sheath for each knife to keep them safely stored, or place them in containers that you keep in a secure place. That's an ideal solution, but most people don't have the space for this, and it makes the knives much less handy to get to. But there are alternatives you can try.
You used to get a knife block only when you purchased an entire set of knives, but today you can buy an empty block, and they can be found in different sizes and shapes. Many of these simple blocks have room for all types of carving knives, steak knives and even kitchen scissors. The units are available in glass, plastic, stainless steel or wood, and some of them fit under your cabinets. Some blocks have a place to sharpen your knives built right in, which is quite handy. Knife blocks are handy in that they keep all your sharp knives together, and they also free up a lot of space in your kitchen drawers.
Clear all the sharp knives from your silverware drawer, and use safe knife storage to prevent injuries to you or your family. Knife blocks, counter and drawer inserts and knife bars will all keep your cutlery safe, especially from children's curious hands. If you have Japanese knives, their blades are generally thinner than other knives, and they can be quite fragile. They will lose their sharp edge if you keep them thrown in a silverware drawer with other knives.
A knife bar, usually magnetic, will hold your knives safely where you want them, and they look quite tidy and organized, all in a row. Make sure you mount a bar properly, and well out of the reach of inquisitive little hands. Don't purchase a magnetic bar unless the magnets are strong enough to support all your sharp knives.
You can also stow your knives safely in drawer units. Some of these are expandable trays that feature knife racks within them, and you can also buy a knife drawer insert for sharp knives only. The expandable version will have places for the rest of your silverware, too, which is handy. The other units have slots for knives only, and they will store your knives safely, while also keeping them sharp by avoiding constant jostling with other silverware.
Slotted knife trays hold five to ten knives, up to about eight inches in length. In addition, you can purchase a steak knife holder to safely store four or more steak knives. Select whatever accessory will work best in your kitchen, so that safe knife storage is taken care of.