“I am always looking at ordinary things and wondering if they could be made a little better, a little simpler, and a lot nicer to live with.” — Asha
At Dovetails & Stitches, we approach knife blocks as functional kitchen tools, designed around safe blade storage, solid hardwood construction, and daily use in real kitchens where they’re reached for every meal.
Key Takeaways
A good knife block should fit the knives you actually use, not force them into a generic layout.
Solid hardwood gives us control over weight, slot spacing, construction, and the overall form of the block.
Countertop blocks, magnetic knife racks, and in-drawer storage each solve a different kitchen problem.
Knife count, blade length, blade width, and unusual pieces like cleavers or honing steels all matter when choosing a layout.
Custom knife storage can be built around the collection you already own.
Looking for the blocks themselves? Browse our solid wood knife blocks and magnetic knife racks, made one at a time in our Birmingham, Alabama studio.
Table of content
Why a Good Knife Block Matters
A knife block has a simple job: keep the knives you actually use close at hand, protect the edges, and stay out of the way while you cook.
The trouble is that a lot of them try to hold everything. Twenty slots. Steak knives. Scissors. A honing steel. Half of it never gets touched.
We tend to think about knife storage the other way around. Start with the knives you reach for, then build the block around them.
That can mean a compact five-knife block like The Chain, a heavier sculptural block like Roundabout, or a wall-mounted magnetic rack when keeping the counter clear matters more.
This guide looks at the different ways to store kitchen knives, the hardwoods we use, and the construction details that matter once the block starts getting used every day.
Types of Knife Storage
What are the different types of knife blocks and how do they work?
There are several main types of knife blocks, each designed for different kitchens and collections:
Countertop knife block — The traditional choice. A good one keeps the knives you use most within reach without taking over the counter.
Sculptural knife block — A countertop block where form matters as much as storage. Roundabout is our version of this idea.
Magnetic knife rack — Wall-mounted storage that keeps knives visible and frees up counter space. Our racks use concealed rare-earth magnets beneath the hardwood face.
In-drawer knife storage — Useful when you want the countertop completely clear. These are usually built around the drawer and the knife set rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all product.
Custom knife storage — The right answer when the knives do not fit a standard layout. Knife count, blade width, spacing, wood, and overall size can all change around the collection you already own.
The right choice usually comes down to two things: the knives you actually use and how much counter or wall space you want to give them.
If you like everything close at hand, a countertop block makes sense. If you want the counter clear, a magnetic rack moves the knives to the wall. And if your set is a little unusual, which most good knife collections eventually are, a custom layout is often the better answer.
We tend to start with the knives first, then work backward from there.
"It’s not about having a block filled with every blade — it’s about efficiency, flow, and using the tools you actually reach for."
Choosing a Knife Block for the Knives You Actually Use
The standard Chain holds five knives because that covers the core set for a lot of kitchens. A chef’s knife, bread knife, paring knife, slicer, and one more you reach for all the time.
If your set looks different, the block should too.
Blade length matters. So does blade width. A cleaver needs more room than a paring knife, and an oversized chef’s knife may need a deeper opening than a standard slot gives it.
That is why we would rather start with the knives you already own than make you fit them into somebody else’s idea of a standard set.
If one of our regular layouts works, great. If not, we can change the knife count, spacing, and overall width around your collection.
The point is not to fill every slot.
It is to give the knives you actually use a place that makes sense.
Three Ways We Build Knife Storage
A sculptural walnut knife block with a coopered mid-century curve. Five knives, built like furniture.
Solid walnut and solid brass, balanced end to end. Five knives on a shape that stays quiet.
Why the Wood and Construction Matter
We build our knife blocks from walnut, white oak, quartersawn white oak, cherry, maple, and rosewood. Each behaves a little differently at the bench and brings something different to the finished piece.
The wood has to do more than look good. It has to stay stable in a kitchen, hold up to daily use, and make sense for the design. Walnut, cherry, maple, and oak all behave differently, which is why we do not treat wood choice as a color swatch.
Construction matters just as much. Slot width, depth, spacing, and the way the block carries its weight all affect how it feels in use. A good knife block should hold the knives securely without making them awkward to remove, and it should stay put when you reach for one.
If you want to go deeper into the details, read our What Makes a Good Knife Block? guide.
When In-Drawer Knife Storage Makes More Sense
Not every kitchen needs a knife block on the counter.
If keeping the work surface clear matters more, an in-drawer insert can be a better answer. The important part is fit. Drawer dimensions, blade lengths, knife count, and slot spacing all matter, which is why we think this kind of storage makes more sense as a custom build than as a one-size-fits-all insert.
If that is what your kitchen needs, tell us about the drawer and the knives. We can tell you whether it is something we can build.
Knife Storage We Make
The Chain is our open solid-hardwood countertop block, built from one board with five knife spaces in the standard layout.
Roundabout takes a more sculptural approach, with a coopered walnut form and five slots shaped into the curve.
Gimme Shelter moves knife storage to the wall, using concealed rare-earth magnets behind a solid-hardwood face.
The Look of Love is a curved mid-century magnetic rack in walnut, built for five knives.
Brass Pocket pairs solid walnut with solid brass in a wall-mounted magnetic rack designed to hold five knives.
Child of Nature takes a different route altogether: a freestanding magnetic knife holder in figured walnut.
Knife Block Care
Dry your knives before putting them away. Wipe the block with a damp cloth when it needs cleaning, then dry it right away.
Do not soak a wooden knife block or put it in the dishwasher.
Finish care depends on the block. The Chain uses cured pure tung oil. Roundabout uses an oil-and-wax finish. Follow the care instructions that come with the piece rather than assuming every wooden block needs the same treatment.
The Right Block Is the One That Fits Your Knives
A knife block does not need twenty slots or a long list of features. It needs to hold the knives you use, protect them, stay put on the counter, and make sense in the room.
If one of our standard designs fits, start with our solid wood knife blocks and magnetic knife racks. If your knives need something different, the made-to-order form on that page is there for exactly that reason.
Written by Asha, Co-Founder & Maker at Dovetails & Stitches, a minimalist designer specializing in materials-driven kitchen and everyday home accessories.
Learn more about Asha’s background and work on our Meet the Makers page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Knife Blocks
What is the best type of knife block?
There is no single best type. It depends on the knives you own and how you use your kitchen.
A countertop block keeps the knives you reach for close at hand. A magnetic rack frees up counter space and keeps the knives visible. In-drawer storage works well when you want the counter completely clear.
The right answer is the one that fits your knives, your space, and the way you cook.
Can I order a custom size or wood species?
Yes.
If one of our standard layouts does not fit your knives, we can change the knife count, spacing, width, or wood around the collection you already own.
Custom availability depends on the design and the wood you are looking for. Ask about custom knife blocks here.
Why choose a hardwood block over plastic or bamboo?
We use solid hardwood because it gives us more control over the construction, slot spacing, weight, and overall shape of the block.
It can also be refinished and repaired if it gets worn over time, which matters to us because we build these to be kept.
Bamboo and plastic can both make perfectly functional knife storage. We simply prefer working with walnut, cherry, maple, white oak, quartersawn white oak, and rosewood because the material is part of the design, not just something holding the knives.
How do I care for my knife block?
Wipe clean, avoid harsh cleaners, and oil/wax periodically. Don’t store wet knives or submerge the block. Never put your knife block in the dishwasher.
Do you offer block sets or storage for large collections?
Yes, custom block sets, block inserts, and even combination bar + block solutions are available for big knife sets or professional chefs.
What’s the difference between your artisan blocks and big-box store versions?
Our blocks are made one at a time, by real hands, with solid wood and joinery that lasts for decades, not just a season. Mass-produced blocks often use composites, fillers, and shortcuts that don’t age well. We want your block to be an heirloom, not landfill.
How long does a custom knife block take?
Lead time depends on how busy the studio is, the time of year, and the complexity of the build.
As a general rule, 2 to 6 weeks is a good place to start for a custom knife block. Simpler changes may be quicker. More involved layouts, unusual woods, or larger builds can take longer.
We’ll confirm the expected timing with you before you commit.
Do you make knife blocks for larger or unusual knife collections?
Yes.
Wide cleavers, honing steels, oversized chef’s knives, unusual blade shapes, or simply more knives than a standard block holds are exactly the kinds of things we can account for in a custom layout.
Knife count, slot width, spacing, and overall size can all change around the collection you already own.
What makes a handmade knife block different from a mass-produced one?
For us, it starts with the knives and the wood.
We build our blocks one at a time from solid hardwood, then adjust the layout, spacing, and construction around the design rather than forcing every knife set into the same universal pattern.
That also means the grain, color, and figure will vary from one block to the next.
Related readings
Looking for Something Different?
If one of our standard knife blocks fits, start with the collection.
If it does not, tell us what you have. Knife count, blade sizes, wood, spacing, a cleaver, a honing steel, something unusual. We can change the layout around the knives already in your kitchen.