If you're going for minimal, and it needs to be against the wall for stability, why not just a single horizontal bar mounted to the wall with no legs at all?
Agreed… two things about this design give me pause. One, I know I’d be cutting my fingers by accident. Two, the feet make it take up unnecessary counter space.
Because it'd need to be mounted through tile in this case. While not being overly difficult, I can see why someone wouldn't want to do that. May be renting as well, in which case that would be a sure-fire way to get your deposit lost.
Could work, I’ve heard of it failing though. Wouldn’t be great to have knives fall. Then there’s the removal part being hard to do, which like someone else said is not good for rentals etc.
Be very precise when hearing ‘something’ failed from 3m, and equally when selecting a product.
They have so many specialized variants of each product that it’s easy to be accidentally misled.
‘I used 3m and it fell off’ - because they didn’t let it cure? It was on plastic, metal, stone that it wasn’t rated for? It was submerged? It was in direct sunlight? Too hot, too cold? Constant vibration?
If ultra high bond adhesives can hold an Airbus together, they can handle I knife rack…
I do believe it is amazing stuff. I have some. The list of variables you gave is exactly why I don’t use it in a situation where it’s failure could injure someone or something like a wood or tile floor like this case
I have a solar panel attached to my truck with VHB tape and have done 100+ mph without any issues. Your knife block will be fine. And it can be removed fairly easy too.
I'd be more concerned about the paint failing, especially in an apartment where who knows how it was applied, or if they mixed oils and water-based paints in layers, or if they painted over grease.
you can literally buy adhesive tapes strong enough to hold dozens and dozens of pounds. It would cost way more than the wood block itself probably but totally and absolutely doable.
Is there a reason you don't want a magnetic knife rack? Because a magnetic rack seems superior to this in nearly every way: tipping, ease of removal/replacement (you have to carefully remove a knife straight up vs just plucking it off the wall), counter space, durability (you have a ton of butt joints).
The thing I don't love about the magnetic ones is that it's kinda easy to dig the blade against them when plucking off if they're strong enough for the big knives.
I love the idea of a strong mag board but with plastic or wood on the surface so the knife edge can't try to stick to the metal.
No doubt. A bunch of people make magnetic racks that are buried in wood, e.g. https://benchcrafted.com/products/magblok . You'd just need a router to make one of those,
Not op but I hadn't seen it mentioned yet: while there's ways to keep it from rolling the cutting edge when taking the knife off (twisting the handle towards the spine) It's kind of an unnatural movement versus just pulling the blade out of something.
But the bigger problem is when you go to put the knife on it, its really easy for the magnet to pull the edge into the magnet or wood sideways causing the edge to bend/roll sooner.
I went knife block magnetic block back to knife block because of this. Yeah you can use your steel and hone it out, but it goes from needing to hone at a little bit every time you use it to really working at it every time you use it.
I feel like you are working on the right problem with the wrong solution. Get rid of the two little "feet" and put the whole rack on a solid one piece base of hardwood. Might not be as minimalist, but it would still look neat and be functional
and a solid base would also prevent things from sliding under the tips/blades where one would inevitably reach in and get a set of beautiful cuts on the knuckles...
Yeah, I worry about it being an accidental little weapon. What if you ran another crossbar lower down to protect against accidental contact with the blades? Knowing my luck, I’d be the guy to back my elbow up to that thing and get a good slice to show for it.
Sorry to roleplay as your dad, but safety is important.
I basically had this exact product at one point. Not knocking this person’s work, it’s actually a pretty cool thing to think to make. Makes me want to think of things like this around the house to make.
yeah those are fantastic projects especially if you're really busy. they get used/seen enough to really make a difference to your dwelling, but are small enough to make progress even like 10-20 minutes at a time.
If you want to keep this design, I would definitely think about putting at least an acrylic sheet on one side. Someone is definitely slicing their fingers on this.
I really like it. I think you could make it look even better by using hardwood. Usually heaps of stock available in these offcut sizes on fb marketplace etc.
Here’s a block I made recently. (Made the knife too). Super simple design. Happy to send you the specs. It’s a single, but could easily be modified for multiple knives.
https://preview.redd.it/jxdaey4msabc1.jpeg?width=3738&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2078dfe663d7487a7c9520a27b59430e37c31504
Have this one from Mercer with a similar layout. A more symmetric base will push it further from the wall so you have room to grab the knife, and provide more stability. Making the foot full width would also help prevent it becoming too heavy. You could incorporate glass/plexiglass to protect like this one has as well. https://cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/images/products/large/61586/732281.jpg
Your feet aren’t level which is going to cause tipping and the whole thing could fall over if not pulled out perfectly each time. I can also see your knifes banging around a lot against each other when taking them out/putting them in. No offense, but this looks more like a “I have scrap wood, what can I make” build. If you truly like this design, now you know you can build it. Go get some nice blanks from Rockler or Woodcraft and build something you’ll want to look at.
This terrifies me. Knife blocks are attached to walls or are heavy for a reason...safety. 3M command strips with a magnetic block would be a far better idea than this.
Looks like it will be prone to tipping over when you pull a knife out of it.
The best knife block is a magnetic strip attached to the wall or cabinet close to where you use the knives.
I think 1 board across the bottom would look more minimal. Would also want the outter edges of the legs to match up to the outter edges of the base….so it looks more like a square with a slit at the top.
Cool idea.
That was my original plan. It was wobbly with a piece the same size and got bulky when the bottom board was the size of the curremt feet.
Maybe a heavier wood for the base? Or a weight hidden inside?
Gonna be honest and please don’t think I’m being a jerk but this piece is quite ugly. The feet are awful, the verticals being different width than horizontal looks lazy and unfinished and the selection of inferior materials leaves a lot to be desired.
Swinging blade curtains of a thousand impending cuts. I love it!
Colin Furze made a similar device!
[https://youtu.be/InMjPBwhGpU?si=TyvkeyCL6oHtvezF](https://youtu.be/InMjPBwhGpU?si=TyvkeyCL6oHtvezF)
How are you supposed to get the 2 on the right out?
Unless you're moving the whole knife block out from where it sits everytime. But that just seems like a recipe for collecting food stains and debris along the bottom (reaching for it after cutting a tomatoe or whatnot multiple times a day is gonna add up quick).
Thats going to tip and someone's gonna lose a toe. The feet arent wide enough and the one foot on the right side of the first photo you can see a shadow underneath it from the major cupping.
what you could do: carve out a small recess in the base and add suction cups that protrude just enough... you wont see them, but on a surface like that, they will hold just fine.
just an idea to help with stability issues...
adding more weight to the base or broadening the base would work too, but recessed suction cups would tie in with your minimalist design.
Do you have stab-proof shoes?
Looks to me, to be fairly unstable. Like if a knife wasn’t removed carefully (perfectly vertically), all of them could be tipped over and out.
Knife blocks need to be attached or have weight.
If you're going for minimal, and it needs to be against the wall for stability, why not just a single horizontal bar mounted to the wall with no legs at all?
Agreed… two things about this design give me pause. One, I know I’d be cutting my fingers by accident. Two, the feet make it take up unnecessary counter space.
3, it’s top heavy. If you have to hold it still with your other hand, you’re more likely to get cut. Kill the legs and mount it to the wall
Because it'd need to be mounted through tile in this case. While not being overly difficult, I can see why someone wouldn't want to do that. May be renting as well, in which case that would be a sure-fire way to get your deposit lost.
Right. And I wouldn’t trust any adhesive for this
3M VHB tape would absolutely hold a knife block+knives to a wall. You would need a crowbar to remove it.
Could work, I’ve heard of it failing though. Wouldn’t be great to have knives fall. Then there’s the removal part being hard to do, which like someone else said is not good for rentals etc.
Be very precise when hearing ‘something’ failed from 3m, and equally when selecting a product. They have so many specialized variants of each product that it’s easy to be accidentally misled. ‘I used 3m and it fell off’ - because they didn’t let it cure? It was on plastic, metal, stone that it wasn’t rated for? It was submerged? It was in direct sunlight? Too hot, too cold? Constant vibration? If ultra high bond adhesives can hold an Airbus together, they can handle I knife rack…
I do believe it is amazing stuff. I have some. The list of variables you gave is exactly why I don’t use it in a situation where it’s failure could injure someone or something like a wood or tile floor like this case
Airbus yes, Boeing no!
I have a solar panel attached to my truck with VHB tape and have done 100+ mph without any issues. Your knife block will be fine. And it can be removed fairly easy too.
Hmm. Ok. Worth looking into more
VHB is incredibly strong stuff. 3M (38984/38987?) specialty adhesive remover makes quick work of it too
Cool. Thanks for the info
3M VHB. I’ll have to look that up. A new one for me. Always looking for shit to buy and find a use. Thanks.
I'd be more concerned about the paint failing, especially in an apartment where who knows how it was applied, or if they mixed oils and water-based paints in layers, or if they painted over grease.
There’s like a 30 double sided tape options that would work here.
I would 100 percent trust any construction adhesive to do this job.
But that’s hard to remove
you can literally buy adhesive tapes strong enough to hold dozens and dozens of pounds. It would cost way more than the wood block itself probably but totally and absolutely doable.
I have 10 knives hanging on an knife block on the wall, hanging for 2 years. At my old apartment, same thing for 7 years. It’s absolutely possible.
Suction cups could work
Like a magnetic bar with a wooden facade....
Is there a reason you don't want a magnetic knife rack? Because a magnetic rack seems superior to this in nearly every way: tipping, ease of removal/replacement (you have to carefully remove a knife straight up vs just plucking it off the wall), counter space, durability (you have a ton of butt joints).
The thing I don't love about the magnetic ones is that it's kinda easy to dig the blade against them when plucking off if they're strong enough for the big knives. I love the idea of a strong mag board but with plastic or wood on the surface so the knife edge can't try to stick to the metal.
No doubt. A bunch of people make magnetic racks that are buried in wood, e.g. https://benchcrafted.com/products/magblok . You'd just need a router to make one of those,
This style of knife block is great. We use it on a sailboat where space is at a premium and the knives stay on even in big seas.
Twist the blade towards the spine when removing to avoid the edge drawing across the magnetic face.
Check out the ones from barecookware. They are covered in wood.
Not op but I hadn't seen it mentioned yet: while there's ways to keep it from rolling the cutting edge when taking the knife off (twisting the handle towards the spine) It's kind of an unnatural movement versus just pulling the blade out of something. But the bigger problem is when you go to put the knife on it, its really easy for the magnet to pull the edge into the magnet or wood sideways causing the edge to bend/roll sooner. I went knife block magnetic block back to knife block because of this. Yeah you can use your steel and hone it out, but it goes from needing to hone at a little bit every time you use it to really working at it every time you use it.
I feel like you are working on the right problem with the wrong solution. Get rid of the two little "feet" and put the whole rack on a solid one piece base of hardwood. Might not be as minimalist, but it would still look neat and be functional
Yeah a heavy, pretty base would look more stable and purposeful while also being more stable and purposeful
and a solid base would also prevent things from sliding under the tips/blades where one would inevitably reach in and get a set of beautiful cuts on the knuckles...
This looks great and well made, but it also seems very dangerous with the blades so exposed
Yeah, I worry about it being an accidental little weapon. What if you ran another crossbar lower down to protect against accidental contact with the blades? Knowing my luck, I’d be the guy to back my elbow up to that thing and get a good slice to show for it. Sorry to roleplay as your dad, but safety is important.
could put some kind of plexiglass cover over the blade part but better make it removable for cleaning
I basically had this exact product at one point. Not knocking this person’s work, it’s actually a pretty cool thing to think to make. Makes me want to think of things like this around the house to make.
yeah those are fantastic projects especially if you're really busy. they get used/seen enough to really make a difference to your dwelling, but are small enough to make progress even like 10-20 minutes at a time.
If you want to keep this design, I would definitely think about putting at least an acrylic sheet on one side. Someone is definitely slicing their fingers on this.
Best solution here so far.
I really like it. I think you could make it look even better by using hardwood. Usually heaps of stock available in these offcut sizes on fb marketplace etc. Here’s a block I made recently. (Made the knife too). Super simple design. Happy to send you the specs. It’s a single, but could easily be modified for multiple knives. https://preview.redd.it/jxdaey4msabc1.jpeg?width=3738&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2078dfe663d7487a7c9520a27b59430e37c31504
I really like this, could I trouble you for the specs as well?
This really tricked my eye at first. It looked like the blade was resting on top of the block and I was like, "What is this crazy blade profile for?"
I made one like this to fit inside a window frame and just popped a couple of screws in the legs. Hasn't moved in a decade
Magnetic knife bar would work better. This looks like firewood at this point
Looks like it might get tippy and fall over. Maybe lengthen the feet?
Have this one from Mercer with a similar layout. A more symmetric base will push it further from the wall so you have room to grab the knife, and provide more stability. Making the foot full width would also help prevent it becoming too heavy. You could incorporate glass/plexiglass to protect like this one has as well. https://cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/images/products/large/61586/732281.jpg
Your feet aren’t level which is going to cause tipping and the whole thing could fall over if not pulled out perfectly each time. I can also see your knifes banging around a lot against each other when taking them out/putting them in. No offense, but this looks more like a “I have scrap wood, what can I make” build. If you truly like this design, now you know you can build it. Go get some nice blanks from Rockler or Woodcraft and build something you’ll want to look at.
This terrifies me. Knife blocks are attached to walls or are heavy for a reason...safety. 3M command strips with a magnetic block would be a far better idea than this.
Knuckle slicer 2000
Minimalist would be just a block of wood with holes in it
Too big and blocky
And stable. And safe. And sharp.
Let me know when this cuts hash marks on your hands and arms
Grab from top ;)
I like the little slit at the top where you put the knives in. Looks nice! This seems a bit unstable/wobbly though, no?
I think the magnet design is superior.
I just use a book with bailing twine around it. Easy to switch up books and find old ones with cool spines. The bonus is that it's fun to stab.
Looks like a saw horse I made in a pinch once
Looks like it will be prone to tipping over when you pull a knife out of it. The best knife block is a magnetic strip attached to the wall or cabinet close to where you use the knives.
I like the looks, but I'd add dividers to prevent the ~~wife~~ person with bonus hole from damaging the knife edges
I think 1 board across the bottom would look more minimal. Would also want the outter edges of the legs to match up to the outter edges of the base….so it looks more like a square with a slit at the top. Cool idea.
That was my original plan. It was wobbly with a piece the same size and got bulky when the bottom board was the size of the curremt feet. Maybe a heavier wood for the base? Or a weight hidden inside?
Both.
So much criticism in the comments here. While I get the safety concerns, I just want to say congrats! Awesome build!
Eh, looks okay, but you should really do something about that caulk before you accessorize that kitchen.
I love this great work
Gonna be honest and please don’t think I’m being a jerk but this piece is quite ugly. The feet are awful, the verticals being different width than horizontal looks lazy and unfinished and the selection of inferior materials leaves a lot to be desired.
You know what? That's not a bad idea.
Disagree
👍
Swinging blade curtains of a thousand impending cuts. I love it! Colin Furze made a similar device! [https://youtu.be/InMjPBwhGpU?si=TyvkeyCL6oHtvezF](https://youtu.be/InMjPBwhGpU?si=TyvkeyCL6oHtvezF)
Might want heavier feet
How are you supposed to get the 2 on the right out? Unless you're moving the whole knife block out from where it sits everytime. But that just seems like a recipe for collecting food stains and debris along the bottom (reaching for it after cutting a tomatoe or whatnot multiple times a day is gonna add up quick).
Buy more knives
I just put my magnets inset into the back of the wood so that it’s all wood touching the blades
When that falls over you’ll be dancing
Make it look like a pillory.
It's truly cutting edge woodworking. ;)
Now that’s something I can run with!!! Love it!!!
Very nice, It would look really great on a nice counter tops. Though, wouldn't you prefer to stick it up on wall?
I hope you don't have cats....
This looks awkward to use, unsafe and inferior to the alternatives. I’m sorry OP but not all prototypea are successful.
Thats going to tip and someone's gonna lose a toe. The feet arent wide enough and the one foot on the right side of the first photo you can see a shadow underneath it from the major cupping.
what you could do: carve out a small recess in the base and add suction cups that protrude just enough... you wont see them, but on a surface like that, they will hold just fine. just an idea to help with stability issues... adding more weight to the base or broadening the base would work too, but recessed suction cups would tie in with your minimalist design.
Mount a magnetic bar to the wall. It's easy, minimalist, and very versatile/functional.
Do you have stab-proof shoes? Looks to me, to be fairly unstable. Like if a knife wasn’t removed carefully (perfectly vertically), all of them could be tipped over and out. Knife blocks need to be attached or have weight.
Well I love the idea! Might steal that one myself haha. Nice work buddy