The three Best Knife Rolls of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

A knife roll is often the purview of cooks (*cough* who want to showcase their custom-made Gyuto at work *cough* ) or culinary faculty college students toting knives to class. Nonetheless I exploit my knife roll in a far more plebian—and wise—technique: to hold my sharp knives with me the place uninteresting knives await, whether or not or not it’s at my in-laws or an Airbnb. No one wishes to cook dinner dinner dinner with a uninteresting blade…perception me, I’ve tried. Enter the knife roll: the safe, secure (and fewer dangerous than merely tossing them in your suitcase) technique of packing up your knives.

I examined 11 of them to look out ones which generally is a cinch to fill, wrap, and tote, and gained’t have you ever ever worrying about knives slipping out or poking through the fabric.

The Assessments

• Knife Match Verify: I match as many knives as I’d inside each knife roll, noting if it was simple to suit them in and if the knife roll packed up merely as quickly as full.
• Carrying Verify: I used each knife roll to carry numerous knives, noting how cozy the cope with or strap(s) have been, and if the knives shifted all through transport.
• Sturdiness Verify (Winners-Solely): I unzipped and unbuckled quite a few components of the knife rolls 20 events to check for durability.

What We Realized

Prime quality Craftsmanship and Provides Have been Important

Much like a top quality merchandise of garments or backpack, a well-made knife roll will closing you longer. Since you’re shoving sharp knives into these things (or, efficient, maybe you’re overlaying them with knife guards like I have to be doing), the inside supplies larger be sturdy. Some knife rolls, similar to the Shun, suffered cuts from my knives—not an excellent sign by means of longevity. Others, similar to the Sunday X Best, had synthetic leather-based straps and unfastened stitching. We confirmed this model to Hannah Stamp, a problem engineer and textile specialist at Hasbro Inc., who acknowledged the uneven stitching speaks to poor thread rigidity, whereas the unreal leather-based is flimsier and belies a cheaper product. Whereas I’m not saying you need a $500 leather-based roll, similar to the Tom Beckbe (though it will almost certainly closing a lifetime, or longer), it is good to have a sturdy canvas or highly effective polyester one which’ll stand as a lot as sharp knives and closing a really very long time.

Carrying Comfort Was Key

I really most well-liked the considered the Tilit backpack, which incorporates a entrance pocket for storing your knives (with tons of room for various kitchen requirements, like a secure Y-peeler, cookbook, and even your laptop computer laptop). Nonetheless, the backpack was technique too big, and the straps dug uncomfortably into my neck as soon as I carried it spherical. Instead, I most popular easy-to-use, cozy straps and handles, like on the Messermeister and ChefSac, or rolls which have been small enough to toss into an on a regular basis backpack, similar to the Hardmill knife roll.

The Number of Knife Slots Was a Personal Various

I examined numerous knife rolls, the largest of which could match 18 knives, and the smallest of which match 4. Finally, I found knife rolls with plenty of knife slots have been tough to jam-pack since greater blades take up additional area (notably must you use an even bigger blade, like a Chinese language language cleaver). Finally, eight knife slots are ideally suited, though must you’re solely using one or two knives, the petite Hardmill knife roll, which has 4 slots, is an effective various. Together with slots, some knife roll producers can also discover the dimensions of knives you presumably can place in them, and the best of that fluctuate is often spherical 15 to 18 inches

There Wasn’t A Lot of Variation In Look

This can be a petty criticism, nevertheless the knife rolls I examined all form of regarded the equivalent; plenty of brown leather-based and darkish greens, greys, and blues. Will probably be good to have one factor, I don’t know, just a bit additional quirky. I’d love additional pleasurable patterns and vibrant selections.

The Requirements: What to Seek for in a Knife Roll

I most well-liked sturdy knife rolls—they must be highly effective adequate to face up in opposition to sharp blades and placed on and tear over time. They should even be simple to open, shut, and fill with knives; if the material is just too stiff, it’s onerous to slide knives into the slots. That acknowledged, the slots (and roll whole) ought to keep up the knives in place; they need to not shift or start to fall out in transit. Lastly, an excellent knife roll have to be simple to carry, whether or not or not with a cope with or shoulder strap.

Our Favorite Knife Rolls

What we most well-liked: Sure, this isn’t a blue waxed canvas knife roll with bridle leather-based straps, nevertheless it’s sturdy, wise, and easy to tote. I really most well-liked the zippered inside half, which ensured knives stayed of their slots, and it was simple to swimsuit knife handles into the stretchy pockets, one factor that couldn’t be acknowledged of stiffer canvas selections.

What we didn’t like: I didn’t love the velcro used to secure the roll when it was folded up. Nonetheless, there is a zippered sleeve that retains knives inside, which gave me additional peace of ideas.

Key Specs

• Trend: Roll with shoulder strap and carrying cope with
• Provides: Nylon, padded foam core
• Open dimensions: 17 x 32 inches
• Closed dimensions: 20 x 6 inches
• Weight (empty): 1 pound, 9.3 ounces
• What it has: 8 knife pockets, 4 enterprise card pockets, 1 large pocket, 3 pencil/pen pockets, and a zippered mesh inside
• Care: Spot clear with a moist towel, dry

What we most well-liked: This issue is tough, with stiff canvas and thick leather-based straps which have been surprisingly simple to open and cinch tight. It’s moreover crammed with extra pockets for various doodads and even choices an notably large exterior pocket, which can very effectively be good in your cellphone and pockets in case you want to keep each half in a single place. The cope with and strap have been large and comfy.

What we didn’t like: The knife roll incorporates a cumbersome extra zippered pocket on the surface, which caught out pretty a bit. The pointed zipper on it was pretty sharp, and I actually stabbed my palm with it. It’s moreover a pricier select, at spherical $150 at time of testing.

Key Specs

• Trend: Roll with shoulder strap and carrying cope with
• Provides: Waxed canvas, leather-based
• Open dimensions: 28.5 x 28.25 inches
• Closed dimensions: 16.25 x 7.25 inches
• Weight (empty): 2 kilos, 9.9 ounces
• What it has: 10 knife pockets, 1 quick entry zip closure rear pocket, one enterprise card pocket, 1 inside zip closure pocket, and three inside utility pockets
• Care: Wipe with a moist sponge and water, dry

What we most well-liked: If you’re searching for a knife roll to hold plenty of vital knives, this one’s purchased you coated. I most well-liked how slim it was (it match merely into my tote purse), and my knives tucked readily into the slots and stayed there. It’s moreover product of rugged waxed canvas with cotton canvas backing, a sturdy combo. It moreover is accessible in numerous colors, one factor that wasn’t true for lots of various knife rolls.

What we didn’t like: There aren’t any handles, so that’s additional of a knife roll that you just simply’d pack up in a backpack or tote bag. It’s moreover pretty expensive for a petite offering (it was $100 as soon as I examined it).

Key Specs

• Trend: Roll, no strap or cope with
• Provides: Waxed canvas, cotton canvas backing, full-grain bridle leather-based strap
• Open dimensions: 13.5 x 17 inches
• Closed dimensions: 17 x 4.75 inches
• Weight (empty): 10.6 ounces
• What it has: 4 knife pockets, 1 inside zippered pocket
• Care: Spot clear, dry

The Rivals

• ChefSac Waxed Canvas & Leather-based-based Chef Knife Roll Bag: If you’re searching for sturdiness, plenty of knife slots, and a cope with and shoulder strap, this knife roll has all of it. It moreover consists of zippered pockets and small slots for various kitchen necessities (like a Sharpie—iykyk). Whereas this was my prime select, it sadly seems to be discontinued.
• Tom Beckbe Chef’s Knife Roll: I’ve to preface this by saying this generally is a lovely, sturdy knife roll that anyone may be lucky to have; because of it’s product of leather-based, it will in all probability closing a lifetime (almost certainly longer). That acknowledged, it was $500 as soon as I examined it, which isn’t exactly chump change. And whereas it will soften with time, correct off the bat it’s pretty large; carrying it, I felt like an architect strolling spherical with a type of large tubes they keep their blueprints in.
• Accounts Chef Backpack: I really wanted to like this backpack, as a result of it’s an vital thought, notably for folks who work throughout the restaurant enterprise and commute to work. However it was merely technique too big, and the straps have been stiff and uncomfortable and chafed my neck.
• Hudson Sturdy Gadgets 8 Pocket Knife Roll: This knife roll had its deserves: it’s product of sturdy canvas and had plenty of knife slots, nevertheless the skimpy string used to secure it didn’t actually really feel sturdy adequate. It was moreover onerous to fold when crammed with knives and ended up big and hulking. As a result of it doesn’t have a cope with or straps, you’d should uncover an answer to match it proper right into a backpack, which can be powerful.
• Wusthof Roll Knife Storage: This was offering that regarded eerily very like the Messermeister knife roll—save for one issue: the inside lining. Whereas the Messermeister’s provides proved to be sturdy in opposition to unintended knife blade scrapes, this knife roll’s material sliced and frayed.
• Boldric Cotton Canvas DD Hook Tie Chef Knife Bag: I most well-liked the sturdy nevertheless pliable supplies of this roll and the best way shiny it regarded when rolled up. Nonetheless, the strap, which requires threading through two metallic loops, wasn’t as secure as a result of the additional belt-like ones on completely different fashions, and knives shifted spherical a bit all through carrying.
• Sunday X Best Premium Chef Knife Bag: Whereas this bag was product of sturdy canvas, the stitching was unfastened in some spots and the straps have been product of flimsy feeling faux leather-based. Knives shifted just a bit bit all through carrying.
• Shun Knife Roll: Identical to the Mercer, this knife roll sustained small cuts inside as soon as I slid knives into the slots.

FAQs

What’s a knife roll?

A knife roll is a bag utilized by cooks and cooks (and residential cooks who’re enthusiastic about knives!) to tote their cutlery.

What variety of knives can you fit in a knife roll?

It relies upon upon the knife roll! We examined knife rolls that match between 4 and 13 knives, though it relies upon upon the size of your knives—for example, the blade of a Chinese language language cleaver will take up additional area than a regular 8-inch chef’s knife.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Grace Kelly is Vital Eats’ affiliate editor and has been reviewing gear and components proper right here for nearly two years.
• She’s labored as a bartender and as a prep cook dinner dinner, and incessantly toted her knives alongside together with her.
• For this consider, she examined 11 knife rolls by filling them with knives, toting them spherical, and analyzing their improvement and sturdiness. She moreover had Hannah Stamp, a problem supervisor and textile specialist at Hasbro, examine plenty of of the knife rolls.