Knife Block

The storage device used to hold knives that may consist of a wooden or plastic block configured to hold a specific set of utensils or a block that simply holds a random group of kitchen knives used for food preparation. Knife blocks, or knife holders as they are also known, are typically made of a hardwood, such as maple, cherry or oak and contain numerous small slots to "sheath" and protect the knife from damage to the blades.

When selecting, it is generally best to purchase knife blocks with horizontal slots so the knives being stored are not resting on their sharpened blades but instead are resting on their sides. Vertical slots have a tendency to dull blades as a knife is drawn out or returned to the slot if the vertical movement draws the blade against the solid block. Some blocks may be designed to hold only knives while others may have slots for holding a sharpening steel and a set of kitchen shears.