# Cutlery Case Design



## madcowcutlery (Mar 6, 2010)

We have been gathering feedback from customers and cooking students about cutlery cases for a company developing some new cases, and wanted to hear what members of ChefTalk had to say. 

So, of those that use or have used a knife case to carry and store your knives, utensils and other gear, what have been your likes and dislikes?  Is there a favorite brand, or type--such as hard case, soft case, roll, or briefcase style?  If you were designing a case, what would be some key features?  What do you think is the best way to secure the knives in the case--using a pouch, velcro straps, or magnetic bar, such as in some of the briefcase styles?  Is there something that really frustrates you about cases?  

I personally have a roll, a zip up hard sided case, and duffel bag that I use for carrying knives.  The duffel bag is primarily to store new knives in retail packaging to take to outdoor events where we will give out samples.

Thanks.

D. Clay


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

My preferences?

-Hard, durable material (that doesn't allow knives to poke through when, say, you're on a bus...)

-Knives secured by magnets, so's that suckers don't move.  No straps or pockets please.

-Whole thing can be shoved in the d/washer and can come out squeaky clean.  No crumbs, no grunge, no funky smells.

-LOCKABLE.  'Nuff said.

-Highly personalizable.  So's that no one can scratch out your name and claim it as theirs, so's that you can recognize the thing from across the room.

-Large/bulky/awkward enough so's that you can't shove the thing under your apron, mumble some excuse about going to the locker room or your car....

Victorinox usta have a briefcase with plastic inserts that were molded to french-fit knives and stuff, and these inserts were d/washable.  Never seen one this side of the pond.

Do-able?


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## madcowcutlery (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks for the input.  I have been hearing a bunch of remarks from culinary students about other students walking off with their knives. 

D. Clay


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## Guest (May 28, 2010)

my biggest thing is knives not fitting the pockets well. if you have to struggle to pull out/ replace a knife, you could cut yourself. too loose and they fall out and your toe could get chopped off. you could also have something to secure the knife at the blade, like velcro. really think out the location of knives and make sure longer knives will fit. (at least 12" for me) small knives/ gadgets should get smaller pockets as well. don't forget the cleaver! don't forget to account for bulky sheath's like saya's and victorinox's blade guards.

utensils, measuring cups, etc. also need a place, so a large external pouch would be best. (i carry a quart measure and it doesn't fit any knife case/ bag/ roll) it would be nice to be able to unzip it quickly and throw whatever you don't need in there. you know how limited space is in a kitchen and to take over the whole counter is not ideal during service. you could just carry whatever it is to your bag, unzip the front pouch, toss it in, zip, and go.

make sure the handles, material, and zippers are up to the task of a full loaded bulging bag... and make sure the shoulder strap is comfortable and well padded for lugging around a fully loaded bag. lockable zippers for security.

i love the styling and fit and finish of Global bags. i like the fact that the stiching is actually straight like a professional did it, not like some 10 year old in a sweatshop did it.

business card holder should be on the outside and hold many cards so your info is clearly legible in case it is lost, but also for easy access if someone wanted a card.

___________________________________________________________

I am currently using the Global G667 PRO and it is far from the perfect solution, but it is the best I have right now.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=4535

As you can see there is a pouch on the front, but it could be bigger. Again i wish it held a quart measure. I am using a Craftsman tool bag for that and my potato ricer. Would be nice if i didn't have to.

The pockets for the knives actually hold the blade, but I feel that limits you too much on knives and sheaths. Saya's and the Victorinox blade guard do not fit. Instead i have to use edge guards that can scratch the blade and slip off. (I cut myself because of that actually)

On the inside, there is a pocket suitable for papers and documents, maybe a folder but it needs more area on the inside to be able to zip up. similarly fitting my uniform is a bit difficult. No way my shoes would fit. if you made the bag fatter, then you can add more storage to it.

The center section is misaligned with the bag when loaded up, so zipping it up is difficult.

i had to cut out a pocket to fit my cleaver, so i am down to 9 large knives and a steel. in place of the 3 gadgets, i have 3 paring knives. i feel i have enough storage for knives, although more would not be a bad thing. my oyster and clam knife and peeler reside in a little pouch on the inside. my whisk is in the rolled up pouch. the pen holders hold pens.


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## madcowcutlery (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks for the detailed information about the ideal case design.  Like I mentioned earlier, I have an actual duffel bag that I use when I need to carry large amounts of knives for promotions, but they are protected in their retail packaging or we wrap each knife individually with our shipping paper.  We have looked at larger case designs and knife backpacks with expandable utensil storage.  I have had many requests from caterers, students, as well as back-country cooks for large size bags with compartments to securely store their tools, but I have yet to find something that was perfect.  We are currently working with a company that might be able to provide a variety of different cases, including a large or jumbo case.  

D. Clay


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## marcus5556 (May 6, 2010)

i personally have two cases one for work and one for school for school i have a victorinox breifcase style i don't like it at all its bulky hard to get closed and my knives cut the inserts that hold them in ruining those and dulling my knives.

for work i have a considerably smaller more streamlined kit with knives i care more about. it only needs to hold three knives a steel and a peeler. for this i have a henkels 8 slot roll it has worked well for everything i've needed it. but if i'm cooking in a competition i would prefer a larger case so i can combine my two kits to have everything i need but i like the setup of it all my handles fit easily in the elastic pouches and the flap keeps things from moving around too much i also have blade covers/sayas for all my knives so a little bit of movement is not something i am worried about.

that being said i would like a new one and am always looking so let me know when you decide on a design i may order one


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