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Nerdy Science in the Kitchen

Review: M.O.C. Board Magnetic Knife Strip

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Knife storage is a critical point when you consider ways to keep your knife sharp.

Why? If you store your knives in a drawer (like I used to), then you are subjecting your precious knives to a harsh environment where they can become damaged. Knives in a drawer are bumped into by other utensils, other knives, and anything else that is in the drawer. You could use some slotted organizers like this one, but I don’t have the space.

Poor storage of knives is one of the top reasons that knives get damaged.

See the M.O.C. Woodworks White Oak 12 Inch Wood Magnetic Knife Holder at Amazon.

Some knives come in a setthey often come with a knife block for storage. They are definitely better than keeping your knives in a drawer.

Personally, I prefer not to use a knife block since I can’t clean inside the knife slots. I’m just a little too particular in the kitchen to have an area that I cannot thoroughly clean.

The Best Way to Store Knives

moc-in-a-kitchen

The best way to store your knives is on a magnetic strip. If you have been in the kitchen of any restaurant, then you have probably seen the way professional chefs store their knives: A magnetic knife strip

The M.O.C. Magnetic Knife Strip

The M.O.C. Magnetic Knife Strip was developed and created by Aaron Weinstock, the founder of M.O.C. Woodworks. He is a bit of an inventor and is constantly coming up with new ideas.

Aaron wanted to solve the problem of knife storage but also wanted to have an elegant solution.

I like this wooden design better than metal since the wood will not damage knives. I know that my old metal magnetic knife strip from Target would occasional put micro scratches on my knives. At the time, it was not a big deal since I didn’t have any impressive knives.

Now, I’m lucky enough to have a Shun Ken Onion Chef’s knife and I certainly do not want to have that knife scratched up. I will not have to worry about scratching the Shun now that I have this magnetic knife strip installed.

moc-as-a-keyholder

The M.O.C. Magnetic Knife Strip looks like a simple piece of wood but just a little bit heavier. One side is totally plainthis is the side that holds the knives.

The other side has the M.O.C. logo. The design was intentional so that owners can proudly store and show off their knives without displaying a commercial logo. I love the simple design.

Front Side:

Back Side:

Where are the magnets?

The magnets are inside the wood. Simple enough, right?

Well, not really! I looked at the piece of wood and I could not see any seams or compartments. I could not detect any joints or glued areas. The wood looked total finished and it should since it is made from furniture grade wood.

I was completely baffled about how the magnets were inside the wood.

I called up Aaron to ask how he did it. The strips are made by taking a high quality piece of wood and cutting a groove in the wood. Rare earth magnets are placed in the groove and secured.

Then, Aaron performs the magical portion of the work by adding a perfectly matched veneer over the magnets. The finish is hand rubbed and looks fantastic.

See the M.O.C. Woodworks 18 Inch Cherry Wood Magnetic Knife Holder at Amazon.

Aaron shared a funny story regarding the research and development of the magnetic knife strip. He was experimenting with the strength and number of magnets to be used in the strip.

In one of the early versions of the M.O.C. knife strip, he placed too many strong magnets in the wood. The result was that it was too hard to remove the knives! Needless to say, Aaron has perfected the number of magnets that are needed for each magnetic strips.

I test the board myself and I can confidently say that there are no dead spots on the board. Any place I attempted to place a knife held the knife securely and safely.

Specifications

All M.O.C Woodworks products are made in USA. The M.O.C. Board is 12 inches long, 2 inches wide and 0.8 inches deep.

As is the case with any natural wood product, the color and grain of your M.O.C. Board will be unique, as such it will have slight variations both in color and grain.

Other Features

The M.O.C Board will hold any ferromagnetic object, in other words, objects containing metal that attracts to magnets. The holding power of the M.O.C Board depends upon the size, weight and shape of the object attracted to the board.

The M.O.C Board is an ideal storage solution for the kitchen, office, bathroom, garage, or entry.

The M.O.C Board comes in six different kinds of wood:

  • Cherry M.O.C. Board 12 Inch
  • Walnut M.O.C. Board 12 Inch
  • Maple M.O.C. Board 12 Inch
  • Zebrawood M.O.C. Board 12 Inch
  • Lacewood M.O.C. Board 12 Inch
  • Wenge M.O.C. Board 12 Inch

About M.O.C. Woodworks

M.O.C. Woodworks is a subsidiary of NePalo Cabinetmakers out of the Bay Area, near San Francisco, CA, USA. Aaron is the heart and soul of M.O.C and NePaloa premier woodworker in the US.

Aaron paid his dues in the corporate world before developing the idea for premium level magnetic knife holders – He is an engineer, MBA holder, and even spent time in the software field. Aaron followed his passion to woodworking and is a utilizing his skills to build beautiful furniture. He’s even started making acoustic guitars.

From NePalo Cabinetmakers:

My diverse background, incurable drive for perfection, and drive to provide the best client experience possible allow me to combine my project managerial skills with my problem solving skills and craftsmanship into a unique package that translates into happy and satisfied clients.

*M.O.C. Woodworks provided me with a sample to review their product.

Kitchen Professor author
About the Author: Bryce Heitman

Bryce is not a real professor, but he's real nerdy in the kitchen. He's been barbecuing, chopping, and generally blazing food for many decades. He thinks there's definitely a better spatula or utensil out there that hasn't been invented yet.

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