When you are preparing for a move, the kitchen is one of the most difficult areas to pack, which it owes to the types of items ranging from appliances to silverware. So, to give you a clear idea on how to pack knives for your move, this guide enlists all the details of the process.
In order to ensure that all your knives reach your new place without any damage or injury to yourself or the movers, you'll need to follow certain tips as explained below:
Organizing them
Before wrapping the knives, you need to organize as per categories in the following way:
- Gather all your butter knives together, which aren't nearly as sharp as the others, and set them in a separate pile.
- Next, group all the steak knives, bread knives, and larger knives that you use for cutting meat or chopping vegetables.
- Lastly, set aside the chef's knives and carving knives that are too big and sharp to be included with other types of knives.
- If you have any antique knives that can't be included in any other category, then you can keep them separately for packing.
Packing material required
You'll need the following materials to pack your knives for the move:
- Packing paper
- Bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- Permanent Marker
- Small Moving Boxes
Packing knives in a block
If you have a cutlery block where you store your set of steak knives and other larger knives, you can pack them still in the cutlery block to save space for your convenience. The steps for packing knives in a block are as follows:
- Secure the knives by taping them down with some packing tape at different angles. This way, the knives won't fall out of the block during the move.
- Roll the block in multiple sheets of packing paper and then cover it in one or two layers of bubble wrap for additional protection.
- Move the wrapped block to the bottom of a moving box that already contains other kitchen items like silverware and cutlery.
Packing each knife separately
In order to pack all your knives separately, you will need to be careful when handling them. Follow the steps given below for a safe knife packing:
- Place two or three layers of packing paper on your counter and spread out your knives on the paper, leaving an inch or two in between each one.
- Starting with one of the ends, take the packing paper and roll it over the first knife, wrapping it completely in the paper.
- Repeat the process with each knife in the row, making sure that all the knives are wrapped individually within the packing paper and no two knives are touching each other.
- When you're finished wrapping, you should have something that resembles a roll of knives in the packing paper, with each knife individually wrapped up. This should make it easy for you to secure the roll tightly by wrapping it in either packing wrap or packing tape.
- Once you've taped the roll of knives in the packing paper, you may also add a layer of bubble wrap to the outer portion of the wrapped knives. This will provide some extra cushioning and protection to the knives, once they're placed in the box.
- To pack the larger and sharper knives, you can place an extra layer or two of packing paper. However, if you're worried about the knives penetrating the paper, you can wrap them in cloth towels or old tee-shirts for an additional protection to the knives and to ensure that they don't damage anything else on the move.
- When the knives are fully wrapped and secured, you may place them in the moving box. Remember to spread a layer of crumpled paper along with a layer of bubble wrap at the bottom of the box before you keep the wrapped knives inside it.
- Lastly, label the box so that your movers are aware that the box contains sharp objects and should be handled with caution.