Artelegno Magnetic Knife Block

Product Description

For the inner chef in everyone, store your knives in elegant style with an original Artelegno Magnetic Knife Block made of solid beech wood and top grade neodymium magnets. Beautiful craftsmanship by masters in Italy, the Magnetic Knife Block shows off your impressive knife collection on your kitchen counter that will be the envy of your family and friends. At the same time, protect your investment in high-end knives by storing them safely in a versatile magnetic knife block without worrying about dulling the edges or knives not fitting into slots in a traditional block. The 5 magnetic partitions hold most standard 10 piece knife sets with blades up to 11.6 inches. Artelegno's master craftsmen have been designing and manufacturing top-quality, solid wood creations since 1960, and use eco-friendly materials and sustainable manufacturing technologies such as renewable wood resources. Each magnetic knife block is created from solid beech wood that has been sustainably harvested from top-quality suppliers and skillfully crafted with the highest grade neodymium magnets to produce an elegant and refined storage system that works well with any kitchen décor. Only water-based varnishes that are compatible with food contact are used to finish each piece; these lacquers also have stain resistant properties to keep the natural wood looking brilliant and clean for many years to come. The Artelegno Magnetic Knife Block would also make a wonderful gift for family and friends, or for the discerning bride and groom who want quality, elegant furnishings in their homes.
Arte Legno Quality in Solid Wood, Designed & Made in Italy

Top Reviews

Excellent design, poor execution and quality control
by B. T. Byrd (2 out of 5 stars)
December 17, 2016

I really wanted to like this product. So much, in fact, that I ordered two of them in different styles. Finding a universal knife block that is well-constructed, beautiful, and can handle large knives is next to impossible. I have several long knives (including a large 11" Global G-17 chef's knife) and finding a block that can even accommodate them has been a challenge. The editors of Cook's Illustrated rated the 360 Knife Block from Design Trifecta (also available on Amazon) as their top choice for a universal knife block, but for $300 or more, it's very expensive. I started looking for alternatives and was excited by these beautiful looking Italian blocks which, while still expensive for a knife block, were much more affordable. My first order was for the model with natural finish and black accents.

The block arrived and was as beautifully designed as I'd anticipated with the exception that the magnets on this model were exposed rather than being inside the block. (This is not true of the "Natural" finish model I would purchase later -- the magnets are inside the wood on that model, making it much more attractive). The images of the product in the Amazon description never show the block from an angle where the magnets are visible, which is somewhat strange. But since my knives would be covering the magnets, this wasn't a big deal to me. What was a big deal were the globs of wood glue on the black accents holding the block together. On each connection, there were various amounts of visible glue -- an issue I've never even seen on another wood product (and my home is filled with wood). An additional problem was that several of the bottom edges of the block were rough and frayed looking because they were improperly sanded and finished. Problems with the finish were evident throughout the block. While the exterior -- the back, front, sides, and edges -- of each board in the block had a solid finish, the interior of the block was unevenly finished. If you run your hand down each board, there spots that are rough to the touch (unlike the smooth, finished exterior) -- spots that look visibly "dry" and rough compared to the smoother wood around it. Dismayed with these issues, I boxed it up and returned it.

Perhaps foolishly, I ordered another model I thought would have fewer issues. And I guess I was right. The Natural finish model does not have the black accent wood in the center to hold it together ("No glue blobs!") but instead has a piece of wood running along the base of the unit ("No frayed edges!"). And the Natural model has a few extra magnets (more storage!) that are actually embedded in the wood and aren't visible. Another advantage about not having the black accent wood in the middle is that you don't have to worry about bumping it when retrieving a knife, damaging the wood or dulling the knife. When it arrived, I took it out of the box and noticed a small dent on the corner of the front piece of wood. I sighed. But it was a very small dent and I was willing to overlook it. Apart from that minor blemish, it was beautiful. It held all my knives, and the extra magnets meant that my kitchen shears could have a bit of extra space on the lower rows -- a plus. But like the model with black accents, the finish on the interior of the block, and also on the piece of wood on the bottom, was uneven and rough. As with the dent, I was content to overlook this problem because of how much I liked the look of the block. So I placed it on my butcher block, made dinner, and went to bed. This morning I discovered that in the course of my dinner-making, a few small droplets of oil had gotten onto the block. On the edges of the block, where it is properly finished, I simply wiped the oil off and had no further problem (as one would expect). But on the interior of the block, where it isn't fully finished, the oil was absorbed and the wood darkened and discolored. I showed it to my wife, and her remark was "That's going to look like crap in no time." Yes. Yes it will. I have a ton of wood in my kitchen: a butcher block, seven or eight cutting boards, a number of wooden bowls and utensils... I have never -- EVER -- had anything wooden that was designed for the kitchen become discolored from being exposed to a small amount of oil. And indeed, everything else in my kitchen is DESIGNED to be periodically coated with oil for maintenance purposes. This product is advertised as having a "lacquer finish with stain resistant treatment is compatible with food contact." This is partly true, because only parts of these blocks have this finish. The rest is essentially unfinished and unsealed. If you were to coat these blocks with an NSF-certified food-grade oil designed for wood, they would look like hot garbage the next morning, as the unfinished parts would darken and discolor while the properly lacquered parts would remain unchanged. This flaw, common to both the blocks I received, render these blocks basically unusable in a real kitchen environment.

I implore the manufacturer to rethink the finish on this product. Either provide a thick and consistent lacquer that will stand up to real life use or, better yet, drop the lacquer altogether and opt instead for a finish that consumers can maintain themselves with a NSF certified mineral oil like Boo's Mystery Oil or Emmet's Elixir. If the Natural finish block I received had a proper finish, it would have been next to perfect. And if it didn't have that small dent, it would have actually been perfect.

I really wanted to love these blocks. You have no idea how much I did. But when I received items with obvious blobs of wood glue, rough edges, dented corners, and an uneven finish that discolors the very first time you use the block, I'm afraid there's nothing to love here. Well, almost nothing. Sometimes, they say, you can love the idea of a person but not love the actual person before you. That's pretty much my relationship with these blocks. They manifest a beautiful concept in a shoddy execution. And while I might be able to overlook these flaws in a $35 knife block, at $135, these flaws are unforgivable.

The included photos show both the overall beauty and utility of the design of the model. You can see that it holds my 11" Global knife with room to spare, and can also hold kitchen shears with room for a paring knife on the first row. (Amazon's computers rotated the straight-on photo of the front, for some reason). The other photos illustrate the construction defects I've talked about in this review. There are pictures of the wood glue and (one of the) frayed edge on the Black Accents model, as well as the small dent on the corner and the stained finish on the Natural finish model. Again, I really hope this design gets refined to have a better finish. I would buy this block again in a heartbeat if I knew it had a durable finish.
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Beautiful, unique and very well made
by Peter Gimeno (5 out of 5 stars)
February 2, 2016

I ordered this looking for a unique, but attractive knife block. I am a very picky person, and I tend to notice things, even the littlest details others might overlook.

With that, my opinion of the Artelegno Beech Wood Magnetic Knife Block (Large with Natural With Black Accents) is that it's beautiful and very well built and I would purchase it over again. The block is solid and very sturdy, and the finish is smooth and even. The magnets are slightly recessed so you do not have to worry that they'll damage or scratch your knives either. The block has some heft to it as well which is probably enough to keep the block from moving as you grab a knife, although it also has rubber pads. The pads elevate it slightly, ensuring it won't trap water beneath it and guaranteeing the block won't unexpectedly slide. The magnets are probably a little too strong, as it does take more effort than I'd like to remove a knife, but you won't have to worry about a knife falling out either. The panels are close enough that you'll need to zig-zag the way you store your knives, otherwise, the handles will be too close to comfortably grab. At first, I was bothered by this, but I found that I prefer the zig-zag look as it gives a slightly more stylish look overall.

Although I have a few criticisms, I do not regret purchasing this and I would buy it again if I had the chance. In hopes that the manufacturer reads this, here are the few things I would change.
1) Use thin strip magnets instead of circular magnets. The circular magnets make it impossible to hold more than one knife in each slot, and they tend to pull the knife to the center of the slot. This disrupts my

zig-zag pattern, which does mildly irritate my OCD.
2) No place to hold cooking shears, honing steel, or a ceramic sharpening rod.
3) The center (black accent) piece that holds the panels together is a little thicker than I'd like. It may cause larger knives (stored in the middle panels) to hang over the side edge slightly. This is not an issue with the top panel, so this may not be an issue for most people.

As I said, these criticisms would not prevent me from buying this again, although I think it would make a great product excellent.
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Nice style and great function
by William R. Voss (5 out of 5 stars)
January 4, 2018

I wasn't looking for a cheap solution. Was looking for something that looked good and functioned well. That is what I go. Very nice clean style that would look good in pretty much any kitchen. The magnets hold perfectly. The knives stay firmly in place and then they release with a gentle twist and pull. The top row is long enough for a 10" Chef's knife and at 12" slicer. 8" Chef's knife can go as low as the third row. The block has a more "horizontal" angle to it than most knife blocks. That means it takes up more counter space, but is much easier to access under overhead cabinets.
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Knife block tips over
by dgo (1 out of 5 stars)
October 8, 2017

Knife block is beautifully crafted and would give 5 stars for craftsmanship and quality of construction. Magnets are very strong and have no problem holding the heaviest of knives and holds a variety of knives . What's the problem? The knife block tips over every time you try to remove a knife, so the actual function of the block leaves much to be desired. Block was returned after 2 days. :(
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My favorite knife block
by Jbrewco (5 out of 5 stars)
November 11, 2018

The modern style of this knife storage block fits in very well in a modern contemporary kitchen. The magnets that hold the knives are very strong. I like being able to see the blades as compared to solid blocks where I had to pull out a few knives before I found the one I needed. I also like being able to clean where the knives are stored, my old block had slots for the knives and I could only imagine what was growing in there if my kids put a knife back cleaning it.
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very nice presentation, easy access for knives
by B. Byrne (3 out of 5 stars)
January 1, 2017

Plenty of room for even long 10+ inch chef knives.

well made, very nice presentation, easy access for knives, and the blade is not at risk for being dulled.

loosing 2 stars - when loaded with knives, it becomes tipsy from the longest slot. It should have suction feet, or a heavier weighted bottom, or different balance point in general. Had higher expectations for the price.
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Design could well work as intended, but may be fragile in certain situations.
by Merle ApAmber (4 out of 5 stars)
May 16, 2018

If shipped in original factory packaging there is every reason to anticipate item will arrive in good condition. The wood paddles are only supported by the base and clean router joints. In daily use this design should be stable and long lasting. However, I purchased a unit which was repackaged due to unknown reasons from AWS. In transit it appeared something caused the knife block to flex along the loose ends of the knife boards. This appears to have caused a stress fracture on the base board where the boards are mounted and supported.
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Great investment and Happy wife
by Franklin (5 out of 5 stars)
March 26, 2016

Bought these to hold my wife's Global knife set. She wanted something magnetic, but didn't want to hang them up for our kids or someone else's to grab off the wall. This worked perfect and looks clean.
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Substantial Knife Rack
by Kindle Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
May 25, 2019

I love this knife rack. It is hefty and holds knives very firmly. It allows air to flow across the knives which minimizes "grunge". Highly recommended!
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Gorgeous
by KLC0712 (5 out of 5 stars)
April 23, 2017

Quality is superb. Even holds my scissors. Looks like a piece of art - which it is!

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