Knife roll

[kd8kpt]

Hello all, I searched the forum and didn't find an answer so I'm hopping you all can give me some suggestions.  So I have been doing leather work on and off three years, and in that time my wife has never asked or allowed me to make her anything. That is till yesterday she asked for a fancy knife roll to use when she goes and has a cooking days with her friends.  She wants one where the blades are covered.  This is kind of a "failure is not an option" situation.  As I got to laying things out to make a pattern I realized a potential issue.  Our knives are the 50-60s style case xx knives with thick wooden handles, and we have six of them.  Each scale is 3/16 thick.  My concern is that this will cause problems with the panel that holds the balds or may cause large bulges on the back side.  My thought was to put a panel behind the blades to reduce the sharp angles.  Do you guys think this will make the hole thing too heavy, or am I just a mountain out of a mole hill?

https://ibb.co/Ns4fPcK 

https://ibb.co/ZMjbDxr 

https://ibb.co/37Y3TBm

 

Thank you for any help.

 

 

 

 

[LanceR]

I have a former military knife and accessory roll from a field kitchen set.  I'll dig it out today and post some pictures (I hope).  It has pockets for everything from peelers to a sharpening steel and has leather blade covers that go into the knife pockets.

 

Lance

 

 

[Squid61]

You could sew in welts around the blade areas to protect the stitching and make up some of the thickness difference blade to handles.

[mike02130]

 

Personally I don't care for a knife/tool roll because of it's bulk and the room you need to open it up.  I make blade sheaths that just slip over the blade, leaving the handle exposed.  Carry them in a leather bag that you can toss other things in, too.

[mrwatch]

Try this. https://www.google.com/search?q=chef+knife+rolls&rlz=1C1AOHY_enUS755US756&sxsrf=AOaemvJI0dDXRUYGFoJ6LyTUiv-EkcnLBA:1630333071608&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjivuT899jyAhXPZs0KHdCDDWcQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1440&bih=785

 

I have some rolls for my heavy mallet type wood carving tools by laying them on blue jean material for size the sewed. 

the link shows lots of ideas. 

 

https://krukgarage.com/leather-craft-blog/leather-knife-roll-how-to-choose-the-best/

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by mrwatch
more info.

[Tugadude]

For inspiration...

There are a number of helpful videos on youtube.  Just search "leather knife roll" or similar and you'll get lots of ideas.  Personally, I would never build the type where the handles alone are held in place while the blades are exposed.  Just putting a flap over the blades doesn't "cut it" for me.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Tugadude

[Klara]

Why do most of the knife rolls in mrwatch's search have the handle in a pocket and the blade free? Sponsored by Hansaplast?

What I would be tempted to do, but I don't know whether I could pull it off (I'm not even sure whether it would make sense) is to have three sheaths in the upper half, handle pointing down, and three sheaths in the lower half, handle pointing up. The aim being to even out the bulk of the handles.

 

[Tugadude]

27 minutes ago, Klara said:

Why do most of the knife rolls in mrwatch's search have the handle in a pocket and the blade free? Sponsored by Hansaplast?

What I would be tempted to do, but I don't know whether I could pull it off (I'm not even sure whether it would make sense) is to have three sheaths in the upper half, handle pointing down, and three sheaths in the lower half, handle pointing up. The aim being to even out the bulk of the handles.

 

Not a bad idea at all.  Just "flip-flop" the construction so half is one direction and the other half is the other direction.  I think that would be better than every other one going in opposite directions.  But even that might be workable.

Here's one that goes "every other".  But I just can't abide by the exposed blades.  I would do it the exact opposite where the blades are in individual sheaths with welts.

[Klara]

4 hours ago, Tugadude said:

...But I just can't abide by the exposed blades.  I would do it the exact opposite where the blades are in individual sheaths with welts.

 

I agree, that seems the logical way to do it to me, hence my above reference to Hansaplast (they make plasters etc.)

[mrwatch]

16 hours ago, Klara said:

Why do most of the knife rolls in mrwatch's search have the handle in a pocket and the blade free? Sponsored by Hansaplast?

What I would be tempted to do, but I don't know whether I could pull it off (I'm not even sure whether it would make sense) is to have three sheaths in the upper half, handle pointing down, and three sheaths in the lower half, handle pointing up. The aim being to even out the bulk of the handles.

 

For chef knives, The handles are always down in a roll as the each blade is a different length and width. The main thing is to quickly pick your working tool in a restaurant and many chef's take their working tools home or to another location. Al way's hand wash chef knives never a dish washer and some cost $250 to over $1,000 USD. each so a roll keeps the blades from rubbing together or chipping or dulling them. Really! 

[Klara]

Firstly, I was not criticising you, but giving you credit for the search. I'm criticising the search results, or rather the people who make knife rolls that I consider dangerous to use. 

Secondly, my sister's knives were in a hardcase, not a roll (she's a trained chef, and yes, my mother was shocked by the price of the knives). I admit that visible blades might make it easier to choose a knife, but I wouldn't want to grab a sharp knife by its blade, with more blades next to it. I'd also figure that having the blades in individual sheaths would protect them even better. And you could shape each sheath like the knife that goes into it, so one would still see which knife is where. Now I almost want to make a knife roll... Except I have strictly no need for one. A belt sheath for my Opinel would be more useful.

[Tugadude]

When we offer opinions here, I trust that everybody is doing so from a standpoint of safety as well as practicality.  The perfect knife roll may not exist because knives vary a great deal.  So the thing is to just create something that works with what you have. 

Maybe in the process of working out the details you stumble upon a great idea.  Something which brings safety and accessibility to the table in a unique way.  But safety should always be #1.

I'm active on a bicycle forum where just the other day someone was discussing building up a bike frame and they desired to have recommendations on "cheap brakes".  The second I read that I shuddered.  Why scrimp on something crucial to your own safety?  So you can afford cool components that don't impact safety?  Really?

[chuck123wapati]

You are way overthinking this. Build a knife roll with individual pockets and be done with it. Maybe make it so you can hang it up, eyes on the top at each end. The handles are no bigger than any other knives so not any more of a problem. I have a few tool rolls, my chisels for example have round handles and pose no problem. Shape the sheaths so they resemble the blades for easy identification.

[Tugadude]

Chuck said...

"Shape the sheaths so they resemble the blades for easy identification"

Exactly.  And after just a short time of use, the order will be memorized and not an issue going forward.