The Dovetails standard
What leaves our shop carries our name.
We build in small numbers, answer our own email, and put our hands on every piece before it leaves. These are the standards we hold ourselves to, no matter what we are making.
- Built hereDesigned and made in our workshop. Not outsourced, white-labeled, or bought finished.
- Materials named plainlyWe tell you what a piece is made from, where it matters, and why we chose it.
- Designed for real roomsIt has to work once someone lives with it, not just look good in a photograph.
- Clear expectationsWe tell you what is in stock, what is made to order, and when it should leave the shop.
- We make it rightIf something arrives damaged or is not as it should be, we take care of it.
For this piece
- Solid walnut, one board
- Five magnets, one per knife
- Rare-earth N52, concealed
- Level or up to 5" of rake
- Two screws, caps included
- Made one at a time
THE RAKE
The wall gets a vote.
Most wall-mounted knife racks are designed around a straight line. Mount the rail level, hide the hardware, and the job is done.
There is nothing wrong with that. We just wanted this one to give you another choice.
The Look of Love hangs from two independent mounting points. Put them at the same height and the rack is level. Move one higher and the walnut begins to rake across the wall. You can take that difference as far as five inches.
The knives don't care. Gravity keeps every blade hanging plumb while the wood moves behind them.
That changes the piece more than we expected. Level, the curve sits quietly beneath the knives. Give it some rake and the same curve becomes a line moving through them. Even the two visible mounting caps begin to read differently, less like a matched pair and more like the two ends of a composition.
There isn't a right angle. There is only the one that looks right on your wall.
There is nothing wrong with that. We just wanted this one to give you another choice.
The Look of Love hangs from two independent mounting points. Put them at the same height and the rack is level. Move one higher and the walnut begins to rake across the wall. You can take that difference as far as five inches.
The knives don't care. Gravity keeps every blade hanging plumb while the wood moves behind them.
That changes the piece more than we expected. Level, the curve sits quietly beneath the knives. Give it some rake and the same curve becomes a line moving through them. Even the two visible mounting caps begin to read differently, less like a matched pair and more like the two ends of a composition.
There isn't a right angle. There is only the one that looks right on your wall.
FIVE MAGNETS
Every knife gets its own place.
A continuous magnetic strip is the obvious way to build a magnetic knife rack. It is simple, strong, and lets you put a knife almost anywhere along its length.
We don't build ours that way.
Behind the walnut are five N52 rare-earth magnets. Five knives. Five magnets. Each magnet is individually positioned so every blade has its own place rather than sharing one continuous magnetic field with the knife beside it.
We drill each pocket from the back, stopping 1/8 inch short of the face. From the front, there is nothing to see but walnut. And when you put a knife away, the blade meets wood, not exposed metal.
It is the same idea we use in Gimme Shelter, where seven individually positioned magnets do the same job. The number changes. The thinking doesn't.
Good storage doesn't sharpen a knife. It simply gives the edge a place where it isn't knocking into something else.
We don't build ours that way.
Behind the walnut are five N52 rare-earth magnets. Five knives. Five magnets. Each magnet is individually positioned so every blade has its own place rather than sharing one continuous magnetic field with the knife beside it.
We drill each pocket from the back, stopping 1/8 inch short of the face. From the front, there is nothing to see but walnut. And when you put a knife away, the blade meets wood, not exposed metal.
It is the same idea we use in Gimme Shelter, where seven individually positioned magnets do the same job. The number changes. The thinking doesn't.
Good storage doesn't sharpen a knife. It simply gives the edge a place where it isn't knocking into something else.
Five concealed N52 magnets. One position for each knife.
Shop note
Richard was building a custom mid-century modern writing desk when this one started.
He was completely in his element. Walnut on the bench, MCM lines taking shape, and apparently not doing a very good job of hiding how happy he was about any of it.
Asha noticed.
She had been thinking about a new knife rack, and watching Richard work on that desk gave her the direction. Something in walnut. Something with the curves and warmth of the period. Something that belonged on the wall rather than simply being attached to it.
A few sketches later, The Look of Love started taking shape.
Sometimes inspiration comes from a piece of wood. Sometimes it comes from a song.
And sometimes it is just watching someone you love having a very good day in the shop.
He was completely in his element. Walnut on the bench, MCM lines taking shape, and apparently not doing a very good job of hiding how happy he was about any of it.
Asha noticed.
She had been thinking about a new knife rack, and watching Richard work on that desk gave her the direction. Something in walnut. Something with the curves and warmth of the period. Something that belonged on the wall rather than simply being attached to it.
A few sketches later, The Look of Love started taking shape.
Sometimes inspiration comes from a piece of wood. Sometimes it comes from a song.
And sometimes it is just watching someone you love having a very good day in the shop.
The wood
Walnut, and only walnut.
The curve needs a wood with enough figure to carry it and enough restraint not to shout. Walnut does both. We may add others. We are in no hurry.
Walnut
Walnut doesn't ask for attention. It already has it. Deep chocolate brown with a quiet authority that settles a busy room rather than competing with it. It's the wood we reach for when a piece should feel like it has always belonged there.
Specifications
Every measurement has a reason.
| Length | 18" |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 3/4" |
| Thickness | 3/4" |
| Weight | 1 lb |
| Capacity | 5 knives |
| Magnets | Five, individually positioned |
| Magnet grade | Rare-earth N52 |
| Mounting | Two screws with finishing caps |
| Rake | Level, or up to 5" |
| Material | Solid walnut |
| Finish | Lacquer |
| Built | One at a time |
In the box
- ·The Look of Love magnetic knife rack
- ·Two screws and finishing caps
- ·Installation card and care notes
Frequently asked questions
Before it goes on your wall.
How much rake can it take?
Up to about five inches of difference between the two mounting points. Past that the knives start to crowd the low end of the curve. Anywhere between level and five inches works, and Asha hangs hers at about two and a half.
Will the knives hang crooked if I rake it?
No. The knives hang straight down no matter how the rack is mounted. Gravity doesn't care about the angle of the wood. Only the composition changes.
What knives will it hold?
Anything with a steel blade. Most chef's knives, santokus, bread knives, and paring knives sit well on it. Ceramic blades won't hold, and neither will a few high-end knives with very low iron content.
How do I mount a wall mounted knife rack?
Two screws, one near each end, and finishing caps to cover them. Hit a stud where you can. If you can't, use the anchors we include. The rack and a full set of knives are not heavy, but this is holding blades on a wall, so it's worth doing properly.
Does a magnetic knife holder damage knives?
No. The blade rests against walnut rather than metal, and the magnets sit inside the wood rather than on the surface. Storage like this protects an edge from the knocks it takes in a drawer. It won't sharpen a knife, and nothing that stores one will.
Mid-Century Magnetic Knife Rack – The Look of Love
$175.00