Holder for knives and tools

A holder assembly for knives or tools, comprising:

• a housing comprising
• a vessel comprising an elastic material and having a chamber extending between an open end and a closed end, and
• a suction cup extending from an underside of the vessel below the closed end of the vessel;
• a bristle retaining tray disposed and retained in the chamber proximate the closed end of the vessel;
• a plurality of linear bristles disposed in the chamber, the plurality of linear bristles arranged within the chamber so that the plurality of linear bristles fill the chamber and so that the vessel exerts a compression force on the plurality of linear bristles, each bristle having a first end coupled to the bristle retaining tray, a second rounded end at or near the open end of the vessel, and a generally rectangular cross-section transverse to a length of the bristle;
• a base plate having a slot configured to removably receive the suction cup of the housing to at least partially couple the housing to the base plate;
• a retention block configured to fit in the slot and to engage one or both of an underside of the vessel and the suction cup;
• and
• a locking member coupled to the base plate and operable to retain the retention block in the slot of the base plate,
• wherein the plurality of linear bristles are configured to receive and retain one or more knives or tools via a friction force irrespective of the orientation of the one or more knives or tools when inserted between the bristles in the vessel and irrespective of an orientation of the housing.