All of us who love to cook share the same problem: how (or where) to store our knives. Knife blocks are convenient, but they take up a lot of counter space, and they don’t necessarily hold all your knives. I like magnetic knife bars, but they need a really safe spot for knives to hang. So if you’re like me and have at least a few knives that wind up in drawers, you’ll be interested in two options for protecting both blades and fingers.

Edge-Guards are heavy-duty plastic knife sheaths that couldn’t be less expensive or more effective. They come in a range of sizes and cost from $1.75 to $3. They protect your knives wherever they are, which makes them ideal if you want to carry your knives around (to picnics or parties—or to the job, as professional chefs do.)

The second option for keeping knives safely in a drawer is a wooden knife tray. While these trays are more expensive than Edge-Guards, they’re also better looking and will help organize your clutter. One tray I particularly like is called The Wave (pictured here). Crafted of New England ash, it gently cradles five large and six small knives, and it won’t dull the blades. At 9 inches wide by 16-1/2-inches long, it fits nicely into a kitchen drawer. The Wave ($34.95) and Edge-Guards in ten sizes are available from Professional Cutlery Direct (800/859-6994).www.cutlery.com