I've been looking for a small knife block for a long
time. My 25-slot block is next to the cutting board
but it's several steps from the toaster oven, where
I often need to grab a slicer or a utility knife.
And the sink is there, too, where I usually go for
a paring knife. So all I needed was a few slots.
Nothing big.

So I'm in Ikea today because I want to replace a certain
bowl that I know they sell, and I'm not finding the bowl,
but right there in front of me is a pallet-box stacked
with these shrink-wrapped knife blocks, just the right
size.

But there's a holdup.

The block only comes with four crummy-looking
micro-serrated knives. I don't want those.

But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.

The entire thing costs $2.99.

I do a double-take.

Three bucks.

I was willing to pay $8 or $10 for the block alone.

And it's 30% of that.

Here, it's probably available at your nearest Ikea, if
you're going that way any time in the next decade:

http://tinyurl.com/jk6bn

All I need to do now is find a safe way to dispose
of the knives. They look dangerous.

And now I have a couple of slots in my main block that
look lonely...I wonder if the Wusthof Classic santoku
is on deep discount anywhere...

--Blair

P.S. Found the bowl, too.

Gotta love IKEA!! You can always give the knives to Goodwill.

They also have one of those huge cutting boards with a lip that fits
over your counter for like $20. Sure to be $80 at Williams-Sonoma or
somewhere like that.

Kris, the IKEA tokig (super fan in Swedish)




Blair P. Houghton wrote:
> I've been looking for a small knife block for a long
> time. My 25-slot block is next to the cutting board
> but it's several steps from the toaster oven, where
> I often need to grab a slicer or a utility knife.
> And the sink is there, too, where I usually go for
> a paring knife. So all I needed was a few slots.
> Nothing big.
>
> So I'm in Ikea today because I want to replace a certain
> bowl that I know they sell, and I'm not finding the bowl,
> but right there in front of me is a pallet-box stacked
> with these shrink-wrapped knife blocks, just the right
> size.
>
> But there's a holdup.
>
> The block only comes with four crummy-looking
> micro-serrated knives. I don't want those.
>
> But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.
>
> The entire thing costs $2.99.
>
> I do a double-take.
>
> Three bucks.
>
> I was willing to pay $8 or $10 for the block alone.
>
> And it's 30% of that.
>
> Here, it's probably available at your nearest Ikea, if
> you're going that way any time in the next decade:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/jk6bn
>
> All I need to do now is find a safe way to dispose
> of the knives. They look dangerous.
>
> And now I have a couple of slots in my main block that
> look lonely...I wonder if the Wusthof Classic santoku
> is on deep discount anywhere...
>
> --Blair
>
> P.S. Found the bowl, too.

"Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
m...

>
> But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.
>
> The entire thing costs $2.99.

I wonder which old growth forest in China was felled to make this product.

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
> "Blair P. Houghton" > wrote:
>> But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.
>>
>> The entire thing costs $2.99.
>
> I wonder which old growth forest in China was felled to make this product.

No, it's old growth forest from South Carolina, shipped to China for
fabrication, and then shipped back. The magic of globalization! ;-)

--
( #wff_ng_7# at #verizon# period #net# )

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:13:55 GMT, Blair P. Houghton > wrote:

>
>I've been looking for a small knife block for a long
>time. My 25-slot block is next to the cutting board
>but it's several steps from the toaster oven, where
>I often need to grab a slicer or a utility knife.

Awwww. You have a knife block that holds 25 (I couldn't come up with
that number unless I counted two sets of dinner knives) and want some
of them closer to your toaster oven. I'm crying in my beer for you.
<sniffle>

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 23:11:58 -0700, sf
> wrote:

>Awwww. You have a knife block that holds 25 (I couldn't come up with
>that number unless I counted two sets of dinner knives) and want some
>of them closer to your toaster oven. I'm crying in my beer for you.
><sniffle>

You can find a knife block that big at Sur La Table. I got mine
there.

Christine

sf > wrote:
>On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:13:55 GMT, Blair P. Houghton > wrote:
>>I've been looking for a small knife block for a long
>>time. My 25-slot block is next to the cutting board
>>but it's several steps from the toaster oven, where
>>I often need to grab a slicer or a utility knife.
>
>Awwww. You have a knife block that holds 25 (I couldn't come up with
>that number unless I counted two sets of dinner knives) and want some
>of them closer to your toaster oven.

Well, you see, I cook.

>I'm crying in my beer for you.
><sniffle>

That'll put a head on it.

--Blair

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> "Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
> m...
>
> >
> > But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.
> >
> > The entire thing costs $2.99.
>
> I wonder which old growth forest in China was felled to make this product.

Ever *been* to IKEA? If anything sold there that is made out of solid
wood, it is that cheap soft wood that's definately not old growth wood.

In article .com>,
says...
>
> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> > "Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
> > m...
> >
> > >
> > > But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.
> > >
> > > The entire thing costs $2.99.
> >
> > I wonder which old growth forest in China was felled to make this product.
>
> Ever *been* to IKEA? If anything sold there that is made out of solid
> wood, it is that cheap soft wood that's definately not old growth wood.
>
>

I have heard from several people that while Ikea sells attractive things
at good prices, they are cheap in the bad sense of the word - generally
flimsy and will not hold up to much use.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Peter A wrote:

> > Ever *been* to IKEA? If anything sold there that is made out of solid
> > wood, it is that cheap soft wood that's definately not old growth wood.
> >
> >
>
> I have heard from several people that while Ikea sells attractive things
> at good prices, they are cheap in the bad sense of the word - generally
> flimsy and will not hold up to much use.

depends on what you buy

Peter A > wrote:
>In article .com>,
says...
>> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>> > "Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
>> > m...
>> >
>> > >
>> > > But then, the magic that is Ikea steps in.
>> > >
>> > > The entire thing costs $2.99.
>> >
>> > I wonder which old growth forest in China was felled to make this product.
>>
>> Ever *been* to IKEA? If anything sold there that is made out of solid
>> wood, it is that cheap soft wood that's definately not old growth wood.
>
>I have heard from several people that while Ikea sells attractive things
>at good prices, they are cheap in the bad sense of the word - generally
>flimsy and will not hold up to much use.

Many of their furniture items are pressboard, and almost
all use those twist-to-lock connectors, which are stronger
than screws in most cases, but if they fail slightly they
make the whole thing rickety and it tears itself apart
with the ricketing.

But I don't buy those. Except the tall, skinny media storage
racks, which don't get moved or touched hardly at all and
should last for as long as the house does.

Most of what I get at Ikea is small stuff, all of which will
be sturdy or will not be got there.

This knife block is real wood, and looks like an
interesting pine. Yellow with broad brown grain.
Almost certainly new-growth, but kind of attractive.

It's absolutely worth more than $3, and would be worth
a lot more if just one of the bigger slots were just a
millimeter or two bigger so I could park my 8" chef's
knife there from time to time. But it's already made
itself very useful. No more just laying the paring
knife on the counter after washing it, or laying it
on the counter dirty waiting for a couple more knives
to join it so I can make the ten-foot trip from sink
to block worthwhile.

--Blair
"Little efficiencies add up."

"Peter A" > wrote:
> I have heard from several people that while Ikea sells attractive things
> at good prices, they are cheap in the bad sense of the word - generally
> flimsy and will not hold up to much use.

I suppose it depends what you buy, and also how abusive you are to things.
I've got some furniture approaching 20 years old now (bought when their
Potomac Mills Virginia store first opened) that is still holding up very
well, along with things that I've purchased there more recently.

I agree there's some stuff sold there that's pretty flimsy, but there's far
more that is quite serviceable. Maybe some people have difficulty figuring
out what's solid and going to last. I don't have too much trouble doing
that.

On the other hand, I've met more than a few people in life who are quite
careless and often outright abusive to everything they handle. Even the best
designed, highest quality items will not stand up to their usage. I've got
one nephew in that category, and I don't ever want to see him in my house
again.

--
( #wff_ng_7# at #verizon# period #net# )