I love this. You could really use any container full of skewers as a knife holder. Too cool.

Seems like the skewers would splinter and get messy over time. I have one which is very similar, but the plastic interior can go int he dishwasher for cleaning! It's not super expensive, and I've had it for a few years and am very happy with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-Knife-Holder-Woodgrain-Finish/dp/B000Q4I9LM

I made my knife holder with bamboo skewers in a clear glass rectangular vase and it has worked wonderfully for years.

Pretty sweet knife block! I did a similar project, but instead of starting from scratch, I modified an existing block sold by Harbor Freight. Check it out here: http://www.tinkeringmonkey.com/index.php/converting-the-13-harbor-freight-knife-block-into-a-custom-90-knife-block/

I have one by kapoosh (http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-Universal-Knife-Block-Stainless/dp/B000O38NRK) and I enjoy it. We got lots of great but mismatched knives for our wedding and it takes them all. You can take out the plastic rods and stick them in the dishwasher, which is also good.

Great idea!

delicous chickens?

mmm, delicious chickens. :)

Ooh! I'm going to steal this idea, using a glass block vase. I've been needing a new knife storage solution and I think this it. Super cool, and cheap, too.

If I didn't have curious kids, I would have done this, too! But I do, so I made my own knife insert for a drawer with a locking mechanisim to stop, and eventually slow down curious kids:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/pazzaglia/kitchen_photos/AFTER/DSC00334.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/pazzaglia/kitchen_photos/AFTER/DSC00336.jpg

I originally mounted the little sticks to the IKEA non-slip drawer mat to hold them still until I could screw them in, and discovered that the hot-glue melded with the silicone of the mat and made an incredibly strong hold! So just measure, cut and glue... no need to screw!

I prefer not to use a knife block - they take up too much counter space, look clunky, and seem like dirt traps. I can only imagine trying to clean this one...

I have the kapoosh, and love it. I don't think of my knives as mismatched. I think of myself as a fussy cook who bought knives piecemeal to find the right knives for me and for the purpose. For example, we both have our own chef's knife. His is bigger and heavier than mine, but we are each comfortable with ours. We also bought a sashimi knife, and I have a nice bread knife- no set came with that odd ball collection!

The bamboo looks great, though. If you clean your knives and dry them before putting them away, and if you insert them carefully, it'll probably be fine.

Wow, that would be dusty. But useful. I think I need one!

id_mike, your project is fabulous!

I love my Kapoosh. Stainless steel and very sleek looking, it was only $30 too.

Those of you wondering about splintering: it's not looking like it's going to be a problem.

I like that harbor freight one, and great job on the rebuild, id_mike. I really prefer the look of the bamboo though, I don't generally like things made out of plastic.

For those of you wondering about the delicious chickens: it's a stencil I made a long time ago, and just recently put on my work bench. Here's a photo of the full image:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jobyone/3958520287/

It's inspired by one particular local organic free range chicken farmer I know.

Thanks everyone for liking what I made! I've got another kitchen DIY project in the works, I might try to wrap it up this weekend.

Thanks, spaceystacey!

Hmmm... looks like a dead bug magnet to me.

I've had a very similar knife block for three years (I first saw the idea in Domino); I use a rectangular glass vase. I have had no problems with splintering, cleaning, or dead bugs.