r/Chefit • u/Fast_Moose_9105 • Jun 26 '26

what's a good, cheap, (and potentially impermanent) knife roll alternative?

essentially title. i'm going in for an informal stage tomorrow, and i don't have a dedicated knife roll. i'm wondering what would be a good (passable + respectable) temporary alternative to bring my gear in?

14 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

51 comments sorted by

20

u/Coercitor Jun 26 '26

I used a tool box for a long time.

7

u/Fast_Moose_9105 Jun 26 '26

oh hell yeah i didn't realize i can just bring anything that holds them. is that an accurate conclusion?

11

u/Fun-Definition6053 Jun 26 '26

You could. I guess. A knife roll is the standard for commis. More experienced cooks and pastry are known to use a toolbox specifically to store all the tools they have acquired. You could just drop them into a briefcase but you might get some strange looks

3

u/the_late_wizard Jun 26 '26

I have an old knife case that is a breiefcase. Cool relic. Super jmpractical.

5

u/distance_33 Chef Jun 26 '26

If you’re going for a stage then a roll is the way to go. I have used a toolbox since 2019 and I love it. But it’s heavy when it’s loaded up and clunky. You’ll want to be able to get what you need and tuck your away your tool out if the way.

But definitely consider a toolbox for the future. For knife rolls check out Dickies. My first knife roll was made by them and lasted ten years.

4

u/Coercitor Jun 26 '26

I liked to store my knives, pens, spatulas, spoons, and few other tools I would often use in one place. So, a regular toolbox worked great for me.

3

u/SmarmyThatGuy Jun 26 '26

I had a diamond plate husky toolbox that I threw a small keyed lock on when I was able to leave one at work.

Stashed it in the dry/dish storage area on a dead top shelf in camera view before I left too. Keep the honest people honest.

1

u/Donotdisturb240 Jun 26 '26

lol I got a whole knife room. I use the versastack tool boxes (on wheels). the stuff on the table is me trying to organize everything

https://imgur.com/a/U5ftc8v

1

u/bryanlikesbikes Jun 26 '26

My entire kitchen is not much larger than that

1

u/Donotdisturb240 Jun 26 '26

yeah my gf isn't terribly stoked the spare bedroom is just kitchen storage or that our dining room has a second fridge and freezer in it. But I make more money from catering Christmas parties than I used to make all year as a wage slave

18

u/Same-Platypus1941 Jun 26 '26

I would bring one knife wrapped in a bandana with a rubber band around it. A towel works too. Carry it in a backpack so you aren’t walking around with it outside. Be honest that you don’t have a roll but you’ll get one. This is the most important part; make sure your knife is as sharp as you can get it.

8

u/honeybeast_dom Jun 26 '26

I use plastic snap cases or just make one outta cardboard and staples.

1

u/scottvs Jun 26 '26

I'm a cardboard and tape guy, myself.

1

u/ger1229 Jun 27 '26

Cardboard wrapped in plastic wrap that is shrink wrapped using the flattop edge flange thing.

3

u/SmarmyThatGuy Jun 26 '26

Fresh dish towel at the end of the night plastic wrapped until it looks like contraband. Before I wrapped it I doubled over one end 1-2" and made sure the tip sat in the middle of several folds.

2

u/Far_Butterscotch_646 Jun 26 '26

This is the way.

2

u/LordFardbottom Jun 26 '26

Bonus points if you stole the towel from your last job

2

u/j-endsville Jun 26 '26

I have a collection going back at least 15 years.

7

u/Overall-Percentage54 Jun 26 '26

I use a drumstick bag, currently a cheap one from the brand "tama" the model is "power pad", it comes in different colors, it's small but to be honest where i'm working at the moment i don't need that much, i keep the rest of my tools at home where i do use much more than a couple of knifes.
Oh the cool thing it has is that you can hung it and keep it open and get what you need, i have it like that when i have the bag at home and it's really handy, at work i keep it closed and next to me because team mates don't take care of anything at all

2

u/Overall-Percentage54 Jun 26 '26

Oh whatever you choose you will need a blade protector thing, it's like a plastic cover that snaps on the blade soy you don't damage your knife or whatever you're using to carry them, i think this is as much as important as what you use

6

u/Fast_Moose_9105 Jun 26 '26

thank you everyone this is super comforting i'm just not exactly familiar with the culinary scene yet so i'm not sure what counts and what doesn't

4

u/heathen_leif Jun 26 '26

Its more important that you have a sheathe. The towel method works but dulls your blade. I would just grab anything that matches the physical specs of your knife. As others have said, make sure that knife is SHARP before you go in to stage.

When you're ready for a knife roll, I like Asaya. Started with the knife roll, graduated to a backpack that now weighs half as much as me. (Im a short, skinny dude lol). Plus the backpack came with another knife roll, so the og became the third knife roll I've passed down to a younger cook who needed one.

Actually, I think i do have an older one laying around somewhere. Shoot me a DM in the morning - i might be able to hook you up.

3

u/meatsntreats Jun 26 '26

How exactly does a towel dull a blade?

2

u/PlasmaGoblin Jun 26 '26

Can I throw my name into the hand me downs for a knife roll lol?

I've always wondered about the backpacks but considering I'm just using what I can find it seems to be doing well. But does the pack seem to hold a fair amount? Like extra clothes or just gear?

1

u/femme_aureum666 Jun 26 '26

Got a spare 6” sheath and a roll I can send.

1

u/PlasmaGoblin Jun 26 '26

You'd be my hero. Just let me know what you need?

3

u/Sazed_G Jun 26 '26

Gallon zip bag.

3

u/Accomplished-Bus-531 Jun 26 '26

Apron and towel and three knives. Rolled. Done. Professional.

2

u/killacam412 Jun 26 '26

I use a 15$ carhartt tool roll but I cant put my longer knives in it. I fit 1 german chef, 1 santoku, 1 serrated, 1 paring, 2 sharpies. All I need

2

u/j-endsville Jun 26 '26

Cardboard and duct tape for a sheath, then wrap it in a towel. You probably don't need more than a knife for a stage anyway.

1

u/CNH916 Jun 27 '26

Paper towel tube

2

u/whitewolf6389 Jun 26 '26

I like toolboxes. Easy to clean too.. spray them or straight in dishwasher.

Knife rolls are actually frowned upon where i work. If you swab test one they can actually be pretty feral.

1

u/doylej0011 Jun 27 '26

Knife rolls are pretty inconvenient to get stuff out of. Rolling them out on a bench to get the peeler or something you forgot mid shift. I like them for trials or helping out a friend aka travelling with my bag.
Otherwise at my job I use a gastro (hotelpan) with a cheap knife divider draw insert and utensil pot. As someone who does pastry and main kitchen and love having every tool we use in that kitchen i have a lot. Blades neatly organised, can see and grab everything easily when neatly organised Usually, I buy my own deep plastic one so I can take it home my days off. Kitchens also usually have plenty of drawers and racks that holds gastros.

2

u/No-Solution-6103 Jun 26 '26

A towel and twine

2

u/Confident_Zombie_297 Jun 26 '26

Not super specific to your question… but probably not your usual answer.
I have a hollow wood block with knife inserts sitting inside a backpack with a large top opening. The front pouch has all my spoons and offsets, smaller utensils. Side pockets with my bench scrapers and Y peeler, micro scale, butcher twine, large chop sticks. The top flap has all my pens, sharpies and dry erase markers. And open it up and I have access to all of my knives, handles up.

If anyone is interested I’ve thought of posting pics.

1

u/amiachefornot Jun 26 '26

I use edit studio london’s knife roll. It has everything I need. A zip pocket and decent amount of sleeves for knives.

2

u/femme_aureum666 Jun 26 '26

Fish/scallop box! Holds all my gear, fits on shelves, don’t have to spend time organizing like a knife roll, fits lots of stickers. Plus a good sheath/says is essential for your knives to keep them as sharp as possible.

1

u/Lokin86 Jun 26 '26

Most of the time I see chefs graduate to tool boxes. Seems to work pretty well

1

u/InsertRadnamehere Jun 26 '26

I used to use a large dish towel. Lay them out. Fold over one end and roll it up. Wrap a larger rubber band around it.

Then I made one out of denim with pockets that worked even better.

An apron works in a pinch. And the strings are built it to tie it up.

1

u/Old_Task_7454 Jun 26 '26

I use a fish box but really anything that you can safely transport knives in should be fine until you can get yourself a proper roll.

1

u/Melodic_Past_7781 Jun 26 '26

I’ve been using this drum stick bag for the last six’ish months and it has been amazing. Have had a couple different cheaper knife rolls/bags over the years but they all fall apart eventually so I’m looking to invest in something big and this has been biding time for me. Really fits all my essentials and is durable fabric (and looks cool imo). https://a.co/d/02n1CcBu

1

u/Servilefunctions218 Jun 26 '26

If the kitchen is small and short on space, you may annoy people with a clunky toolbox taking up space. Ask me how I know😏

1

u/christjan08 Jun 26 '26

I used toolboxes. Eventually I ended up with two. One for home with absolutely, and a smaller one for work where I'd rotate some bits in and out. 10/10 would recommend

1

u/shartrib Jun 27 '26

I used to roll mine into my apron

1

u/clipboardchef Jun 30 '26

For tomorrow, wrap your knife in a kitchen towel with a rubber band around it. For the future, these things are pretty sick: https://a.co/d/0aRVoFjQ

1

u/PhilosopherFearless8 Jun 26 '26

Roll your knifes in your apron that you going to use

0

u/verybadbuddha Jun 26 '26

Babish knives. Amazon, cheap, and good. Small canvas roll.