Store Your Best Knives In Newspaper Before It's Too Late
Whether you're a novice cook or a seasoned gourmand, having a good set of knives for all your slicing, dicing, and chiffonading is critical. An extensive collection is unnecessary; however, having a few blades that are comfortable in your hand and sharp can expedite prep work and make cooking safer.
Compared to other kitchen tools, knives are needed to prepare most meals, placing them high in the kitchen utensil hierarchy. A quality knife is meant to last a lifetime, and can cost up to several hundred dollars for a single blade. Yet, sometimes, out of necessity and lack of available space, they end up being thrown in a drawer.
If this scenario sounds familiar to you, start wrapping your knives in newspaper before it's too late. This inexpensive storage solution allows you to custom-fit each blade with a sheath, protecting the edge from chips and dings, and shielding your fingers from accidental cuts as you fish through the drawers.
This knife case hack is especially useful for cooks who prefer using carbon-steel blades, which are sharper and stronger than stainless steel, but prone to corrosion. The newsprint's oils prevent the edges from rusting, and the paper absorbs moisture, so if you carelessly put the knife away damp or live in a high-humidity region, you won't have to worry about ruining the blade.
How to make a newspaper knife sheath
To make a knife sheath, grab some newspaper from the recycling bin. You'll need one sheet per knife, twice as wide and two inches longer than the blade. For an eight-inch chef's knife, cut the newspaper into a four-inch by 10-inch rectangle. Don't measure the handle since it will be exposed.
With the newspaper's shortest side nearest you, fold roughly two inches of the right corner diagonally away from you to make the opening of the sheath. Align the blade's heel with the folded newspaper, and set the cutting edge slightly off the paper. This makes the opening a little wider than the blade, so it slides in and out of the sheath effortlessly.
Bring the left corner closest to you over the blade, aligning it with the first fold. It helps to remove the knife briefly to make a sharp crease. Now, fold the right side of the newspaper over the tapered blade like you are carefully wrapping a present, working towards the tip. This will take four or five folds, padding the case as you get closer to the sharp end.
Once you've created a point that mimics the knife's shape, fold the excess paper over the blade's tip and tuck the tab into one of the folds to secure it. If necessary, adhere it in place with tape. Although it's paper, a newspaper knife sheath is durable if the knives are dry before storing.
How to securely wrap the entire knife
If you don't have the patience to make a knife case, wrapping the entire knife in newspaper is an alternative. This is not an ideal storage solution if you use your knives daily, as you must unwrap the package each time. However, it can be helpful for seldom-used specialty blades or if you need to travel with your knives.
Unlike the newspaper sheath, which is shaped like the blade, the goal here is to make a rectangular package encasing the entire knife. Stack three sheets of newspaper with the longest side closest to you. Place the blade diagonally on the paper, with the blade and tip pointing away. Don't place the knife in the paper's center but closer to the bottom left corner, leaving roughly two inches from the knife's tip and butt to the paper's edge.
Fold the bottom left corner over the knife, creating a straight edge parallel to the knife's spine. Fold the excess paper above the tip towards the middle of the knife, aligning the folded edges. Repeat that fold with the excess paper below the knife's butt, creating two corners of the rectangle.
Continue to encase the knife in layers of newspaper by rolling the knife away from you until a small tab is left. Secure the final piece over the knife with tape. When done, you should be left with a perfect rectangular package.