Unique Knife Blocks Put Blades on Display

New knife block interpretations are eschewing the traditional block construction for designs that store and organize while also letting the knives remain on display. Utilizing magnets and cutouts, these knife racks leave the knives visible and allow home cooks to easily grab just the knife they are looking for instead of memorizing which knife fits in which slot.

Messermeister’s Acacia Magnet Knife Block displays knives fanned out against a quarter-circle shape of hardwood. The inside of the solid wood block consists of industrial strength neodymium magnets to securely hold 10 knives total, with five knives on each side. It can also hold scissors and sharpening steels. The Acacia Block has a solid, narrow shape that is 10 inches high, 10 inches long, and only 3 inches wide, adding simplicity to counter spaces without taking up too much room. Shaped at a 90 degree angle, the block allows the knives and beautiful acacia wood grain to both be equally on display. Home cooks can easily identify different knives and grab the correct one for the specific task. The Messermeister Acacia Magnet Knife Block has a suggested retail price of $150 and is also available in bamboo or walnut.

The Magnabloc Soft Touch Knife Block from Bisbell also puts knives out in the open for ease of use and identification. The Magnabloc takes on an upright rectangle shape with rounded edges and a base that flares out. The knife block is fully magnetic on both sides and constructed from oak with a neoprene surface. The soft touch surface produces low-friction, so knives can slide on and off while blades remain sharper for a longer period of time. It holds eight knives that can be placed in any position and measures 10.5 inches high, 6.5 inches long, and 3.5 inches wide. The Magnabloc Soft Touch Knife Block has a suggested retail price of $119.99.

The Standing Knife Rack from Epicurean® displays knives while holding them in place, thanks to slotted viewing windows and internal recessed magnets. This slate colored rack is also designed to hold knives of any size, in any order and is made from Epicurean’s knife-friendly wood fiber, which won’t nick or dull blades. All of Epicurean’s Knife Storage Solutions are NSF approved and made in the USA. Each knife holder is crafted with the same materials used in traditional Epicurean cutting surfaces, which gives each piece a natural, organic feel. The Standing Knife Rack is 3 inches wide and has a 9.75-inch height. It is available in a 12-inch or 8-inch length, for suggested retail prices of $99.99 and $79.99 respectively.

The Zyliss 7-Piece Knife Block Set includes six colorful knives and the perfect stand to store and display them all. The black satin finish block is set at an angle and works like traditional knife blocks with slot storage, except that the length of the entire knife is visible through a slot window to easily identify each knife. The nonstick stainless steel knives have ergonomically designed resin knife handles with rubber grips to provide precision cutting and control. Included in the set is a pairing knife, serrated pairing knife, utility knife, chef’s knife, carving knife, and a bread knife. The block is 12.2 inches high, 10.8 inches long, and 4.2 inches wide. Both the knives and knife block are dishwasher-safe. The Zyliss 7-Piece Knife Block Set has a suggested retail price of $79.99.

For the customer who really wants a unique knife block, The EX Voodoo® Knife Holder, designed by Raffaele Iannello and distributed by RICSB, might do the job. The knife block takes on the shape of a voodoo doll that has been stabbed with knives that go right through it. The tongue and cheek design was first introduced in ABS plastic and is now available as a solid metal version. This whimsical, artistic kitchen accessory holds the included five stainless steel kitchen knives in a rather unorthodox fashion. The knives are held firmly in place with magnetic suspension. Hidden rollers protect the blades when pulling them in and out of the block. The knives slide into crystal clear and form-fitting knife sheathes and the base has a weighted bottom for added stability. The plastic version is available in red, black, white, blue and apple green for a suggested retail price of $159, and a plastic chrome version is $199. The new solid metal version is made from high-grade aluminum that won’t rust, has 18/10 stainless steel knives made in Germany, and overall superior craftsmanship, including knife sheaths that are removable. The Solid Metal EX Voodoo Knife Holder has a suggested retail price of $1,000.

This story was originally published in the August 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.