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Which magnets are suitable for knife racks?

Making magnetic knife racks is one of the most popular customer projects. That is why we put together some useful tips here. Special attention should be paid to the correct distance between magnet and knife as well as to the shear force.
Table of Contents

Suitable magnets

That depends, of course, on your specific implementation. Generally, we recommend S-15-08-N or even S-20-10-N disc magnets when the magnet and knife are not in direct contact.
In most cases, people drill holes in the back of the wood and glue the magnets into them. UHU MAX REPAIR, for example, is suited for this purpose. The magnets are invisible from the front, but the adhesive force decreases with distance. Why the magnets lose their adhesive force in this case is explained in more detail on the FAQ page about the factors influencing the adhesive force
If you hang a knife on a wall-mounted board, you are only able to put approx. 5 times less weight on the magnet than we indicated. Please note our FAQ page about displacement force.

Distance between magnet and knife

The following numbers illustrate how important the distance between magnet and knife and the displacement force are during planning:
S-15-08-N:
Adhesive force directly in direction of tension: 6,2 kg
Adhesive force with 2 mm wood in direction of tension: 2,0 kg
Adhesive force with 2 mm wood in direction of shear force: 0,4 kg
Adhesive force with 5 mm wood in direction of tension: 0,5 kg
Adhesive force with 5 mm wood in direction of shear force: 0,1 kg

S-20-10-N:
Adhesive force directly in direction of tension: 11,0 kg
Adhesive force with 2 mm wood in direction of tension: 4,0 kg
Adhesive force with 2 mm wood in direction of shear force: 0,8 kg
Adhesive force with 5 mm wood in direction of tension: 1,5 kg
Adhesive force with 5 mm wood in direction of shear force: 0,3 kg

Adhesive force curve of
Adhesive force curve of S-15-08-N
It all comes down to the distance. We recommend a maximum distance of 3 mm between magnet and knife. With many of the larger magnets, a curve the of adhesive force development over distance is listed in the web shop (see example on the left).
Normally, one magnet per knife is sufficient. With heavy knives (more than 100 g) you should use 2 magnets per knife, just to be on the safe side. It's best for you to do your own fine-tuning. How well the knives should hold on the board is subjective. Start with 3 mm wood between magnet and knife and then, if necessary, reduce the distance to 2 mm or even 1 mm, before you finally glue on the magnets.

Knife rack with pedestal

It is easiest when magnet and knife are in direct contact. You can see such a knife board in the picture; the project comes from our customer Kay P. from Germany. Slanting the knife board allows for the attachment of knives in different sizes. He used the following material for the knife board:
  • Wood 45 x 25 cm for the knife board
  • Wood 45 x 10 cm for the base
  • 86 rod magnets S-05-08-N
The magnetic board and the base were sawed from a solid beechwood panel with a 2,8 cm thickness. Then he drilled 86 holes - exact diameter and depth are important so the magnets can be inserted flush into the wood. Thereafter, the wood is sanded down and holes are drilled into the base for the later attachment of the magnetic board. In the end, the 86 magnets are glued into the pre-drilled holes, the base is screwed to the board, and the knife board is varnished.

Knife rack with wall mounting

Our customer Fabian Köslin built a wall-mounted knife board. He used the following material:
  • 1 beechwood panel 500 x 250 x 27 mm
  • 1 beechwood panel 350 x 150 x 18 mm
  • 2 beechwood strips 1 m 13 x 13 mm
  • 50 disc magnets S-15-08-N

On the 500 x 250 mm panel, a magnet is embedded every 5 cm, which comes to 5 rows of 10 holes, equaling 50 magnets. To drill the holes, he used a drilling press (Ø 15 mm). Then, the magnets are glued in with wood glue and the wood is treated with linseed oil. The wooden strips for the wall mounting are screwed and glued to the main board. The smaller wooden panel 350 x 150 mm has to perfectly fit into the frame.
Detailed documentation on how to build this knife board can be found in this PDF document (in German).


Further inspiration for your project

If you are searching for inspiration for your project, take a look at the customer projects "Knife rack" and "Designer knife block".