We Tested 18 Knife Rolls—Six Kept Blades Safe (and Looked Great Doing It)

A knife roll is usually considered the purview of professional chefs (*cough* who want to show off their custom-made Gyuto at work *cough* ) or culinary students toting knives to class. But for the rest of us, it serves a more humble—and practical—purpose: to bring sharp knives with us where dull knives await, be it holidays at our in-laws’ house, cooking with friends, or to a vacation rental. Rather than tossing your beloved blades in a tote bag or suitcase (sounds dangerous!), we recommend nestling them gently into a knife roll, where they’ll stay safe and secure for the journey.

To find the best knife rolls for bringing your blades wherever you might need them, we’ve tested 18 popular options. Our lineup included various knife bag styles, including backpacks, Japanese-style wraps, and traditional roll-ups. Our favorites were a cinch to fill and carry, plus they were durable against cuts and had room for extra cooking essentials.

The Tests

• Knife Fit Test: We fit as many knives (and, if there was still space, other tools) as we could inside each knife roll, noting if it was easy to slot them in and if the knife roll closed easily once full.
• Carrying Test: After fitting our (unguarded) knives inside, we carried each roll and noted how comfortable the handle or strap was (if it had one). We also gently jostled the bag, then opened it to see if any knives shifted or sliced into the interior fabric during transport.
• Durability Test (Winners Only): We unzipped, unbuckled, and pulled open the various closures of the knife rolls 20 times to replicate real-world use. We also poured four ounces of water over each of the top-performing bags to check if spills seeped into their inner compartments.

What We Learned

Quality Craftsmanship and Materials Were Important 

No knife roll is immune to damage from sharp blades. Protecting your knives with edge guards (like these) before stashing them will go a long way in keeping the interior of your bag pristine. Still, a guard can slip off during transit, you can have a large or irregularly shaped blade that doesn’t fit in a cover, or maybe you just like testing fate. We used uncovered knives in our tests to suss out the interior durability of each roll and found that, just like a quality item of clothing, a well-made knife bag tends to be more resilient than one that’s poorly designed. 

Models with thin plastic-based linings, like the Mercer knife case, suffered cuts from our knives shifting around inside—not a good sign in terms of longevity. Others, like the Sunday X Best, had synthetic leather straps and loose stitching. We showed the latter to Hannah Stamp, a project engineer and textile specialist at Hasbro Inc. She said the uneven stitching speaks to poor thread tension, and the synthetic leather belies a cheaper product. While we’re not saying you have to spend hundreds on a knife roll, it’s worth investing in one made of sturdy canvas, real leather, or a tough polyester so it can stand up to sharp knives as well as kitchen spills.

Carrying Comfort Was Key 

A knife roll should make carrying your knives easier, not painful. The Winco Acero Knife Bag had an unpadded nylon band that dug sharply into our shoulders, and the narrow shoulder straps of the Tilit backpack chafed our necks when we wore it. Comparatively, the Chef Sac backpack was a breeze to don, and the Messermeister and Rustic Town knife rolls both had padded handles as well as comfortable, wide straps for slinging over a shoulder. We also liked compact bags like the Hardmill, Asaya, and Tojiro rolls, all of which were small enough to stow in a regular backpack.

The Number of Knife Slots Was a Personal Choice

We tested a range of knife roll sizes, from the four-slot Hardmill roll to the capacious Chef Sac backpack (which had 20 knife slots, plus plenty of pockets for other tools). We generally found rolls jam-packed with knife spots tricky to load, since wider blades tend to overlap into their neighboring slots and endanger fingers unless guarded. We appreciated when these larger knife bags—like the Chef Sac Elite roll—had a special spot for extra-large blades to protect our Chinese cleaver from getting dinged (or scratching up other knives). Smaller capacity bags, on the other hand, limited both the number and types of knives you could store. Most bags we tested could hold blades up to 15 to 18 inches, but the 5-slot Tojiro roll was really only good for standard six- to 10-inch blades. Its deep, narrow pockets couldn’t fit our cleaver and swallowed up our three-inch paring knife.

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you’d like a compact roll for toting only a few go-to blades, or an expansive knife bag that can hold your whole collection plus tools like tweezers, tongs, and tablespoons. We’ve got recommendations across the size range.

Knife Slots Shouldn’t Be Too Stretchy (or Too Tight) 

Number isn’t the only important thing to consider regarding knife slots; the way our knives actually fit into them was one of the deciding factors in choosing our winners. In most cases, competing knife rolls lost points for slots that were too loose. The Winco Acero bag and the Mercer hard case both had super stretchy elastic pockets, and our knives audibly jostled against each other. A few even came loose inside the inner compartment. In the latter bag, this led to shredding as our cleaver had free rein to slice repeatedly into the thin vinyl fabric. The only roll that had slots that were too tight was the Chef Sac Elite; it was difficult to get the knife handles into the stiff canvas holders, and the resulting struggle put our fingers at risk of slips and cuts.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Knife Roll

One of our top priorities for choosing the best knife roll was sturdiness. It should be made with durable fabrics that can stand up to sharp edges and wear and tear over time. It should also be easy to open and close when filled with knives and, crucially, hold those blades securely in place when carried. Lastly, a good knife roll bag ought to be comfortable to carry, with padded handles or a wide, adjustable shoulder strap, or be small enough to fit inside another bag.

Our Favorite Knife Rolls

The Best Knife Roll

Messermeister Preservation 8-Pocket Knife Luggage Black

$60 at Amazon View on Walmart

What we liked: Sure, this isn’t a blue waxed canvas knife roll with bridle leather straps, but it’s sturdy, practical, and easy to tote. We really liked the zippered interior part, which ensured knives stayed in their slots, and it was easy to fit knife handles into the moderately stretch pockets, something that couldn’t be said of stiffer canvas offerings. 

What we didn’t like: We didn’t love the velcro used to secure the roll when it was folded up. However, there’s a zippered sleeve that keeps knives inside, which gave us more peace of mind. 

Key Specs

• Style: Roll with shoulder strap and carrying handle
• Materials: Nylon, padded foam core 
• Open dimensions: 17 x 32 inches
• Closed dimensions: 20 x 6 inches
• Weight (empty): 1.6 pounds
• What it has: Eight knife pockets, four business card pockets, one large pocket, three pen pockets, and a zippered mesh interior
• Care: Spot clean with a damp towel, dry

The Best Knife Roll Backpack

Chef Sac Premium Chef Knife Backpack

$80

$75 at Amazon View on Chefsac.com

What we liked: The capacity of this backpack blew us away. It had 19 regular knife spots plus a designated cleaver pocket and honing rod slot. On top of that, it included a padded internal compartment, a large zippered mesh pocket, three pen holders, two external zippered pockets, and a padded laptop holder in the back. This is for cooks who want to take a slew of gear with them wherever they go. Despite containing all of our knives and half of our utensils, the backpack felt comfortable to wear thanks to its thick padded straps. It was also made with a tough polyester that repelled all the water in our durability test and showed no signs of cuts from keen knife edges. 

What we didn’t like: We’ve tested a few Chef Sac knife rolls and found their availability to be inconsistent. As a core item of its product line, the backpack is a tad more dependable, but we’d recommend checking the Chef Sac website if it’s sold out on Amazon and vice versa. As for the backpack itself, there isn’t a ton of extra room in the inner compartment; you wouldn’t be able to carry around a bulky tool like a whisk or tuck more than a thin, folded apron amid the flaps. It had velcro straps for holding knives down that were mostly effective, but weren’t quite low enough to “catch” a short paring knife (though the knife didn’t shift around, regardless). 

Key Specs

• Style: Backpack
• Materials: 600D water-repellant polyester 
• Open dimensions: 36 x 23 inches
• Closed dimensions: 17 x 13 inches
• Weight (empty): 2.8 pounds
• What it has: Two outer zippered pockets plus a padded rear laptop sleeve, one large zippered mesh pocket, three pen slots, one cleaver pocket with velcro handle holder, one honing steel slot, 19 knife slots with velcro handle holders, two elastic loops, and a padded internal compartment
• Care: Hand wash with warm water and a gentle laundry detergent. Gently scrub with hands or a firm scrub brush. Air dry.

The Best Splurge-Worthy Canvas Knife Roll

Dalstrong Nomad Knife Roll

$179

$144 at Amazon View on Dalstrong.com

What we liked: This thing is tough, with stiff canvas and thick leather straps that were surprisingly easy to open and cinch tight. It’s also packed with extra pockets for other doodads and even features an especially large exterior pocket, which could be good for your phone and wallet if you want to keep everything in one place. The handle and strap were large and comfortable.

What we didn’t like: The knife roll features a bulky extra zippered pocket on the exterior, which stuck out quite a bit. The pointed zipper on it was quite sharp, and we stabbed our palm with it at one point. It’s also a pricier pick, at around $150 at the time of testing.

Key Specs

• Style: Roll with shoulder strap and carrying handle
• Materials: Waxed canvas, leather
• Open dimensions: 28.5 x 28.25 inches 
• Closed dimensions: 16.25 x 7.25 inches
• Weight (empty): 2.6 pounds
• What it has: 10 knife pockets, one quick-access zip closure rear pocket, one business card pocket, one interior zip closure pocket, and three interior utility pockets
• Care: Wipe with a damp sponge and water, dry

The Best Leather Knife Roll

Rustic Town Genuine Leather Chef Knife Roll

$100

$80 at Amazon

What we liked: This is a handsome, hardy leather knife roll. The smooth exterior repelled every drop of water we poured on it and, more impressively, there were no signs of slicing or wear from our blades rubbing against its soft, suede interior. Its knife slots were elastic but not too stretchy; our knives stayed firmly in their spots during the carrying test (though our cleaver on the far end did tilt ever so slightly inward). Its exterior did acquire some discolorations if we accidentally scratched it or bumped it against sharp counter edges, but we wouldn’t consider this a total con—rather, they felt like marks of character that were inevitable with a natural material like real leather. Speaking of: It’s surprisingly affordable given its quality.

What we didn’t like: This was a large knife roll; as such, it was heavy and bulky to carry. It had some spots of fraying on the soft leather trimmings of its strap, though the surrounding seams had minimal flaws. Its buckled closure straps were strangely long. We only ever got to the third hole (of nine), but we suppose you could tuck larger tools or folded aprons inside to take advantage of the potential leeway. 

Key Specs

• Style: Roll with shoulder strap and carrying handle
• Materials: 100% full-grain buffalo leather
• Open dimensions: 28.5 x 19.5 inches
• Closed dimensions: 19.5 x 6 inches
• Weight (empty): 4.75 pounds
• What it has: Internal zippered pocket, 11 knife pockets with a leather flap cover, and a small leather pouch
• Care: Wipe with a soft, lightly dampened cloth. Condition regularly with a suitable leather conditioner.

The Best Compact Knife Roll

Hardmill Knife Roll

View on Hardmill.com

What we liked: If you’re looking for a knife roll to hold a few essential knives, this one’s got you covered. We liked how slim it was (it fit easily into a small tote), and our knives tucked readily into the slots and stayed there. It’s also made of rugged waxed canvas with cotton canvas backing, a durable combo. It also comes in a variety of colors, something that wasn’t true for many other knife rolls. 

What we didn’t like: There are no handles, so this is more of a knife roll that you’d pack up in a backpack or tote bag. It’s also quite pricey for a petite offering ($100 at the time of writing). 

Key Specs

• Style: Roll, no strap or handle
• Materials: Waxed canvas, cotton canvas backing, full-grain bridle leather strap
• Open dimensions: 13.5 x 17 inches
• Closed dimensions: 17 x 4.75 inches 
• Weight (empty): 0.7 pound
• What it has: Four knife pockets, one interior zippered pocket
• Care: Spot clean, dry

The Best Budget Knife Roll

Asaya Chef Knife Roll Bag

$33 at Amazon

What we liked: The Asaya packs a lot of efficiency into a small bag. It was easy to load and included a long slot along its spine for a honing steel. While it doesn’t have a special cleaver spot, it does have a large mesh pocket that fits one just fine—though we’d feel more confident about its longevity (and the bag’s durability overall) if used only with guarded knives. It also has four pen pockets that could double as utensil spots for smaller tools like tweezers or plating spoons, plus four regular knife slots for your go-to blades.

What we didn’t like: This mini bag has a few more pockets than the Hardmill roll, but it’s still best for someone who only needs to carry the essentials. Its knife slots are tightly spaced, so caution is required when packing and unpacking. It’s not as cut-resistant as our other winners and sustained a small nick from the tip of our nakiri. Again, we’d highly recommend covering your blades in any knife roll, and this one in particular. 

Key Specs

• Style: Folded pouch with carrying handles
• Materials: Nylon
• Open dimensions: 20.5 x 18 inches
• Closed dimensions: 18 x 6 inches
• Weight (empty): 0.6 pound
• What it has: Two mesh pockets (one zippered, one velcro), four pen or small utensil pockets, five knife slots, one honing steel slot
• Care: Spot clean, dry

The Competition

• Chef Sac Waxed Canvas & Leather Chef Knife Roll Bag: This bag had it all: durability, lots of knife slots, a comfortable handle, and an adjustable shoulder strap. It also had zippered pockets and small slots for other kitchen necessities (like a Sharpie—iykyk). While this was one of our top picks, it’s sold out on Amazon and Chef Sac’s website more often than not.
• Chef Sac Elite Chef Knife Roll: This knife roll had an impressively sturdy canvas build, but it was onerous to move knives in and out of its taut pockets. We tested this knife roll as a hopeful alternative to the above canvas Chef Sac we liked, but it, too, became unavailable before we finished testing; it’s not listed on Chef Sac’s online store, either.
• Mercer Culinary Hard Knife Case: We liked this bag’s stiff exterior shell and briefcase-like look (it gave executive chef vibes), but its elastic slots were too stretchy and allowed knives to fall out and clatter around in the spacious middle compartment. The interior vinyl also got shredded in spots from the resulting chaos.
• Mercer Culinary 7-Pocket Knife Roll: Like the other Mercer case, this roll’s interior fabric sliced open easily when confronted with an unguarded knife.
• Winco Acero Knife Bag: This knife roll had an interesting semi-rigid, squared-off frame and lots of pockets, but several of its slots put blades in an overlapping position with the fold lines. The slots were also too stretchy and loose, and the top flap stuck out annoyingly when the bag was full.
• Tilit Chef Backpack: We really wanted to like this backpack. It was just way too big, though, and the stiff, uncomfortable straps chafed our necks. 
• Hudson Durable Goods 8-Pocket Knife Roll: This knife roll had its merits: it's made of durable canvas and has lots of knife slots, but the skimpy string used to secure it didn’t feel sturdy enough. It was also hard to fold when full of knives and ended up big and bulky. Since it doesn’t have a handle or straps, you’d have to find a way to fit it into a backpack, which might be difficult.
• Sunday X Best Premium Chef Knife Bag: While this bag was made of durable canvas, the stitching was loose in some spots, and the straps were made of flimsy-feeling faux leather. Knives also shifted a little bit from their slots during the carrying test.
• Tom Beckbe Chef's Knife Roll: This was a gorgeous, durable leather knife roll that anyone would be lucky to have. That said, it was a tad bulky and $500 (!) when we tested it, and has since been discontinued.
• Shun Knife Roll: This knife roll sustained cuts on its interior fabric.
• Wusthof Roll Knife Storage: This was a decent offering (now unavailable) that looked eerily similar to the Messermeister knife roll—save for one thing: the inner lining. While the Messermeister’s materials proved to be sturdy against accidental knife blade scrapes, this knife roll’s fabric sliced and frayed.
• Boldric Cotton Canvas DD Hook Tie Chef Knife Bag: We liked the sturdy but pliable material of this roll and how sleek it looked when rolled up. However, the strap wasn’t very secure, and the knives shifted around a bit while carrying. It’s currently unavailable at the time of writing.

FAQs

What is a knife roll?

A knife roll is a bag used by chefs (and home cooks who are passionate about knives!) to carry their blades safely with them to work, culinary school, or anywhere else they might need them. Not all knife rolls, well, roll up. Some come in the form of backpacks, hard cases, and zippered bags.

How many knives can you fit in a knife roll?

It depends on the knife roll! We tested knife rolls that fit between four and 20 knives, though it depends on the size of your knives. For example, the blade of a Chinese cleaver will take up more space than a traditional 8-inch chef’s knife. Many—but not all—knife rolls also have compartments for extra tools, like a set of measuring spoons or a pair of culinary tweezers. 

How do I put knives in a knife roll?

Most knife rolls have elastic pockets designed to hold the handle of the knife, though some (usually canvas or leather) rolls have deep pockets for putting the knife in blade-down. Either way, we recommend using knife guards to protect the knives’ edges, your fingers, and the knife roll from damage.

Can you bring a knife in a checked bag?

Yes! You can bring your kitchen knives in a checked bag, just be sure to guard them so they don’t slice you, the baggage handlers, or your belongings. If you’re bringing several knives with you, we’d recommend placing them in a knife roll inside your checked bag to keep them contained. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats and has been reviewing gear and ingredients here since 2022. She has worked as a bartender and a prep cook, and frequently toted her knives with her.
• Ashlee Redger is a writer for Serious Eats. She’s reviewed several categories of knife gear, including carbon steel chef’s knives, boning knives, and honing rods.
• For this review, Grace tested 11 knife rolls by filling them with knives, toting them around, and examining their construction and durability. She also had Hannah Stamp, a project manager and textile specialist at Hasbro, examine a few of the knife rolls.
• In July 2025, Ashlee tested an additional seven knife rolls and added the standouts (from Chef Sac, Asaya, and Rustic Town) to our recommendations.