The complete guide
Storing sharp knives safely when you have kids or pets
A knife block on the counter is the default, and for a lot of homes it is fine. But if you have young children or curious pets, a rack of sharp blades at worktop height is exactly the hazard you spend the rest of the kitchen trying to design out. The storage, not the knives, is the problem worth solving.
A foldable, drawer-stored block is one of the neater answers. It stands up on the counter while you cook, then folds flat so the whole set slides into a drawer, out of sight and out of reach, when you are done. You keep the convenience of a block without leaving blades on display all day.
The magnetic, open-slot design used here helps twice over. Magnets hold each knife firmly so nothing slides out as the block is moved or folded, and open slots — unlike the closed slits of a traditional block — can actually be cleaned, so they do not quietly collect crumbs and moisture around the blades.
None of this costs you on the knives themselves: a complete seven-piece range in high-carbon stainless steel, hand-sanded to a keen edge, with each blade labelled so you grab the right one. It is a set designed by someone thinking about the whole kitchen, not just the cutting.