WO2019008398A2

WO2019008398A2 - Modular knife block

Info

Publication number: WO2019008398A2
Application number: PCT/GB2018/053380
Authority: WO
Inventors: William RANWELL; Charl Victor RANWELL
Original assignee: Cvr Limited
Priority date: 2018-05-18
Filing date: 2018-11-22
Publication date: 2019-01-10
Also published as: GB2558855A; GB201808139D0; WO2019008398A3; GB2558855B

Abstract

A modular knife block (10) is provided comprising a plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14) having at least one interface engagable with one or more of the other block body portions (12a, 12b, 14). At least one of the block body portions (12a, 12b, 14) has a channel (36) formed at the interface, such that when the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14) is interengaged, the or each channel (36) forms a blade- receiving slot (16) between adjacent block body portions (12a, 12b, 14) of the modular knife block (10).

Description

Modular Knife Block

The present invention relates to a modular knife block which is suitable for assembly according to a user's preference. The invention further relates to a method of assembling a customized knife block, and to a method of manufacturing a modular knife block.

There is a requirement to store knives in one place, for a user's convenience, whilst still keeping them separate to one another, as well as other cutlery implements, to prevent the knives from becoming scratched or dull. If knives are stored in a drawer or cupboard, then the blade will be exposed, risking injury to a user. There are numerous products which can accommodate knives, the most common of which being a knife block, which is a block of material, typically wood, which has blade-receiving slots for supporting the blades of knives inserted therein. This arrangement leaves the handles of the knives exposed for ready use.

The slots of a knife block are typically either vertically oriented along their length, or inclined forward towards the user to make insertion and removal of the knives more straightforward. Forward inclination also reduces the vertical height of the knife block, allowing the knife block to be more easily positioned under wall-mounted cupboards, for instance.

The lengths of the slots are sufficient to accommodate a majority of standard blade lengths. Gravity holds the knives in the slots, and the slot depths are sufficiently narrow so as to prevent the handle of the knife from entering into the slot.

The slots are oriented along their width, either front to rear or sideways. There are typically slots of different widths to accommodate blades of different width as measured from a blunt edge to a sharp edge of the knife. Knife blocks are most commonly made from wood or similar material which has a hardness which is less than that of the blades, so as to not blunt the sharp edges, especially if the slots are inclined forward and oriented front to rear along their width. Knife blocks are usually sold along with a set of knives, with the knife block being specifically made having appropriately-sized slots for each knife blade in the set. This poses a problem if the user purchases more knives, since there are no spare slots. Empty knife blocks are difficult to obtain, which poses a particular problem for chefs, who may have built a collection of preferred knives over a long career.

A further issue with knife blocks is that they are very difficult to effectively clean. The interior of the slots are only a few millimetres deep, and therefore it is difficult to introduce sanitiser therein. Even if the knives are cleaned prior to insertion, the slots are dark and often moist, which is suitable for the growth of mould and bacteria. This represents a major hygiene problem, since knives are often immediately removed from the block to be used.

The present invention seeks to provide a knife block which is both customisable and easy to sanitise.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular knife block comprising a plurality of block body portions, each block body portion having at least one interface engagable with another block body portion, at least one of the block body portions having a channel formed at the interface, such that when the plurality of block body portions is interengaged, the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions of the modular knife block, wherein each interface element is formed as a surface of the block body portion and a matable engagement element which is formed on or in the surface, wherein the matable engagement elements are formed as complementarily-engagable male or female engagement elements, and wherein the channel is formed on the male engagement element of the said at least one block body portion. The advantages of such a modular knife block are twofold. Firstly, the knife block can be customised according to the knife collection belonging to the user. Only the necessary modules of the knife block need to be purchased and interengaged in order to produce a knife block which is bespoke to a knife collection. Secondly, since the channel which forms the blade-receiving slot is positioned directly at the interface between block body portions, disengagement of the block body portions exposes the inside of the blade-receiving slot. This advantageously allows the blade-receiving slot to be thoroughly cleaned, which is not possible with existing knife blocks. The modular knife block of the present invention is therefore possible to maintain in a sanitary state much more easily. This arrangement allows for the production of simple and reproducible interference engagement between adjacent block body portions, creating a system which is easy to assemble and expansible in accordance with a user's needs. Given that the male engagement element is formed as a projection relative to the surface of the interface of the block body portion, cutting a channel therein is the most straightforward option for forming the blade-receiving slot or slots. Preferably, the plurality of block body portions may comprise first and second outer block body portions, and at least one inner block body portion. More preferably, the first and second outer block body portions may each comprise one said interface, and each of the inner block body portions comprise two said interfaces.

The provision of outer block body portions having only one interface allows for the external shape of the knife block to be customized to a user's requirement, with the inner block body portions providing the majority of the knife storage capability. Such an arrangement allows the knife block to be assembled and increased in size in a modular fashion similarly to a jigsaw puzzle.

Preferably, the matable engagement elements may extend along a complete length of the surface.

Providing the elongate connection of the matable engagement elements along the complete length inhibits dislocation of the block body portions, helping to maintain the modular knife block as a unitary piece in use.

The male and female engagement elements may together form a sliding dovetail joint. This arrangement beneficially results in a modular knife block which can be readily assembled, and is resistant to collapse and unintentional disengagement.

In one preferable embodiment, the channel may be formed on the male engagement element between a pair of lips of the male engagement element. Cutting the channel into the male engagement element may result in the formation of a pair of lips, which can serve to support the blade of the knife inserted into the blade- receiving slot. This avoids a scenario in which the blade is only loosely held in the knife block, which could otherwise be dangerous to the user. The channel may be formed along a complete longitudinal extent of the male engagement element.

By allowing the channel to extend along the entire male engagement element, an access opening is created at the bottom of each block body portion, allowing ejection of crumbs, water, and similar detritus. An area of the surface of each block body portion may be identical for each of the block body portions.

Using similarly or identically dimensioned body portions results in the provision of a stable unit once the modular knife block is assembled, and may also advantageously replicate the uniform appearance of existing non-modular knife blocks. Preferably, each block body portion may comprise a base, a front face, a rear face, and a top face, the channel of the said at least one of the block body portions terminating at the top face. The channel of the said at least one of the block body portions may also terminate at the base.

Such an arrangement replicates the appearance and ease of use of existing knife blocks, whilst maintaining the modularisation and sanitization benefits of the present invention.

The front and rear faces of each block body portion may be non-parallel to one another.

The assembled modular knife block may be assembled to lean in a particular direction by the shaping of the block body portions. This may beneficially improve the ease of access for the user to the knives contained in the modular knife block. Preferably, the base of each of the plurality of block body portions includes a foot element. The foot element may advantageously provide a non-slip or frictional resistance to movement of the modular knife block in use, and by providing an equivalent element on each block body portion, there is no misalignment of the block body portions when the modular knife block is stood on its base. Optionally, the male and female engagement elements forming the dovetail joint may be aligned so as to be non-perpendicular with respect to the base.

Alignment of the dovetail joint so as to be non-vertical advantageously utilises gravity to inhibit dislocation of adjacent block body portions from one another.

Preferably, a cross-section of the modular knife block may be or substantially be trapezoidal.

A trapezoidal knife block may advantageously form the forward leaning block which makes extraction and insertion of the knives more straightforward for a user.

A plurality of said channels may be formed at the interface of the said at least one of the block body portions. The modular knife block may further comprise at least one further channel formed at the interface and which is not formed on the male engagement element.

In some arrangements, where channels suitable for small knives are provided, it may be more efficient to provide a plurality of channels to form more than one blade-receiving slot. Knives could also be provided in different positions, which may be advantageous for, for example, steak knives, or indeed for knife sharpeners or scissors.

According to a second aspect of the invention method of assembling a modular knife block, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of block body portions, each block body portion having at least one interface engagable with one or more of the other block body portions, and at least one of the block body portions having a channel formed at the interface, wherein each interface is formed as a surface of the block body portion and a matable engagement element which is formed on or in the surface, wherein the matable engagement elements are formed as complementarily-engagable male or female engagement elements, and wherein the channel is formed on the male engagement element of the said at least one block body portion; and interengaging the plurality of block body portions such that the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions of the modular knife block.

Customization of a knife block allows a user to create a block which is suitable for their pre-existing collection, eliminating the need to purchase an existing knife block which may also come with unwanted knives.

According to a third aspect of the invention method of manufacturing a modular knife block, the method comprising the steps of: a] selecting a block of material; b] cutting the block of material into a plurality of block sections; c] shaping interfaces of adjacent block sections to be interengagable, wherein each interface is formed as a surface of the block body portion and a matable engagement element which is formed on or in the surface, wherein the matable engagement elements are formed as complementarily- engagable male or female engagement elements, and d] forming a channel on the male engagement element of at least one of the interfaces, to form block body portions, such that when the plurality of block body portions is interengaged, the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions of the modular knife block.

The method may preferably further comprise a step e] of attaching a foot element to a base of each of the block body portions. This method of manufacture of such a modular knife block advantageously creates a uniform appearance of the finished knife block despite the modularisation of the individual block body portions.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular knife block comprising a plurality of block body portions, each block body portion having at least one interface engagable with another block body portion, at least one of the block body portions having a channel formed at the interface, such that when the plurality of block body portions is interengaged, the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions of the modular knife block. According to a fifth aspect of the invention method of assembling a customized knife block, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of block body portions, each block body portion having at least one interface engagable with one or more of the other block body portions, and at least one of the block body portions having a channel formed at the interface; and interengaging the plurality of block body portions such that the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions of the customized knife block.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention method of manufacturing a modular knife block, the method comprising the steps of: a] selecting a block of material; b] cutting the block of material into a plurality of block sections; c] shaping interfaces of adjacent block sections to be interengagable, and d] forming a channel at at least one of the interfaces, to form block body portions, such that when the plurality of block body portions is interengaged, the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions of the modular knife block. The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front perspective representation of one embodiment of a modular knife block in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective representation from below of the modular knife block of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a perspective representation of an inner block body portion of the modular knife block of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a perspective representation of the inner block body portion of Figure 3, shown from the opposite side; and Figure 5 shows a perspective representation of an alternative embodiment of an outer block body portion, suitable for use with a modular knife block in accordance with the present invention. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a modular knife block is indicated globally at 10, and is suitable for creating a bespoke storage unit for a plurality of different knives. The modular knife block 10 is formed from a plurality of individual and mutually interengagable block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 which can be removed or inserted as the user requires. This not only allows the user to be able to customize their modular knife block 10 in accordance with the knives that are available to them, but also improves the ability to clean the blade-receiving slots 16 of the modular knife block 10.

In the depicted embodiment, the modular knife block 10 is a forward leaning block, having a trapezoidal or substantially trapezoidal cross-section to allow ready extraction and insertion of knives into the blade-receiving slots 16. As such, each of the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 is here formed having a top surface 18, a front surface 20, a rear surface 22, and a base 24, arranged to form the edges of the trapezium. Preferably, each of the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 has a corresponding and identical area in the cross-sectional direction to create a uniform appearance of the modular knife block 10, but alternative design shapes may be desirable to a user wishing to customise their modular knife block 10.

On each base 24, as can be seen in Figure 2, there is preferably provided at least one foot element on which the modular knife block 10 can stand. In the depicted embodiment, each block body portion 12a, 12b, 14 includes two foot elements 26, respectively positioned proximate the front and rear surfaces 20, 22 thereof. Each foot element 26 is preferably formed from a non-slip material, such as a rubber, elastomer, or similar plastics material.

The blade-receiving slots 16 are preferably formed so as to extend through the assembled modular knife block 10 from the top surface 18 to the base 24, preferably along a direction which is non-perpendicular to the base 24. This allows moisture or detritus to fall out of the blade-receiving slots 16, rather than collecting inside the modular knife block 10.

The smallest modular knife block 10 that could be created comprises first and second outer block body portions 12a, 12b, respectively forming left and right outer surfaces 28a, 28b of the modular knife block 10. In other words, the left and right outer surfaces 28a, 28b are devoid of an interengagable interface which would permit connection to other block body portions 12a, 12b, 14, and serve to provide the external appearance of the modular knife block 10.

Whilst planar outer surfaces 28a, 28b are illustrated, it will be appreciated that a wide variety of different shapes, appearances, decorations, and/or textures could be applied to the first and second outer block body portions 12a, 12b in order to alter the appearance thereof.

Each of the first and second outer block body portions 12a, 12b also has a single interfacing surface, which forms an interface with other block body portions 12a, 12b, 14. The interfacing surface is formed to permit interengagement of the first and second outer block body portions 12a, 12b with other block body portions 12a, 12b, 14, and the form of the interface will be described in more detail below in respect of the inner block body portions 14.

Figures 3 and 4 show one said inner block body portion 14, and better indicate the form of the interfaces. Each interface is preferably formed as a surface 30 of the block body portion 14 and a matable engagement element 32, 34 which is formed on or in the surface 30. As indicated, the matable engagement elements are formed as complementarily-engagable male or female engagement elements 32, 34 which are interengagable. One possible engagement mechanism is the formation of a sliding dovetail joint using the male and female engagement elements 32, 34. The female engagement element 34 is therefore formed as an elongate recess, preferably extending along the complete extent of the block body portion 14 between the top surface 18 and the base 24. The elongate recess has a dovetailed or trapezoidal cross-section, such that an interengaged male engagement element 32 cannot be separated therefrom by pulling of the engaged block body portions 14 in a direction perpendicular to the interface.

The male engagement element 32 is formed as a complementary projection, having a dovetailed or trapezoidal cross-section, and is preferably positioned on an opposite surface 30 of the block body portion 14 to the female engagement element 34. Preferably, the male and female engagement elements 32, 34 of each block body portion 14 are aligned with one another to permit customizable engagement of the modular knife block 10 by sequential engagement of the block body portions 14.

Figure 3 shows the position of a channel 36 cut or otherwise formed in the male engagement element 32. This channel 36 is formed as an elongate and substantially rectilinear recess or groove, the depth of which is sized according to a blade depth of a knife to be inserted therein. The channel 36 is preferably aligned with the extent of the male engagement element 32 so that it is able to span from the top surface 18 to the base 24 of the block body portion 14. Preferably, the channel 36 is formed so as to reside between a pair of lips 38 of the male engagement element 32, thereby acting as blade supports for the blade inserted into the blade-receiving slot 16. It will, however, be appreciated that the channel 36 could be positioned at an edge of the male engagement element 32, with the surface 30 of an interfacing block body portion 12a, 12b, 14 providing all or part of the blade support. The channel 36 shown in the indicated block body portion 14 is a singular channel, but as can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, it is possible to provide a block body portion 14 having a plurality of channels 36 for supporting more than one blade.

To assemble a customized knife block 10, a user can select from a plurality of block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 which have been provided, in which each block body portion 12a, 12b, 14 has at least one interface engagable with one or more of the other block body portions 12a, 12b, 14. In this instance, this is achieved by engaging the male and female engagement elements 32, 34 together by sliding to form the sliding dovetail joint. At least one of the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 must have a channel formed at the interface in order for a blade-receiving slot 16 to be formed. As many of the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 as are required to house the user's collection of knives can thus be interengaged to complete the modular knife block 10.

The blade-receiving slot 16 is therefore received between the open side of the channel 36 on the male engagement element 32, and the edge of the corresponding female engagement element 34 on an adjacent block body portion 12a, 12b, 14. Since the male and female engagement elements 32, 34 are offset relative to a vertical or horizontal direction in a standing condition of the modular knife block 10, with the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 being engaged via close-fitting joints, is it not possible to accidentally disengage the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 from one another accidentally. The user must actively lift the knife block 10 out of its standing condition in order for the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 to be slidably disengaged. It may be possible to provide a further horizontal catch or locking element which is able to prevent sliding release of the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14, if this were deemed desirable. The modular knife block 10 is preferably formed from a solid and/or heavy material, which assists in maintaining the upright configuration of the modular knife block 10 in use. Wood is an ideal material for this purpose, though other materials, such as plastics materials, could be considered.

To manufacture a modular knife block 10 having a set number of block body sections 12a, 12b, 14, a block of material can be selected, which can then be cut into a plurality of block sections. Preferably, each of the block sections are cut to the same thickness, with the potential exception of the outer block section which will have a female engagement element 34 cut therein; this will result in a block body portion 12b which has the appearance of having an identical thickness to the other block body portions 12a, 14.

Interfaces of adjacent block sections can then be shaped so as to be interengagable. In practice, this might be achieved by cutting, preferably using a machine tool, the female engagement element 34 as required for each block section. Similarly, the male engagement elements 32 can also be cut. A channel 36 can be cut at at least one of the interfaces, to form block body portions 12b, 14. It will be appreciated that this step could be performed before, after, or concurrently with the formation of the male and female engagement elements 32, 34. Since different channel 36 sizes are required, it will be appreciated that different tool sizes may be required, whereas only a single tool will be needed to form the male and female engagement elements 32, 34. Once the shapes of the block body portions 12a, 12b, 14 are formed, any rough edges or burrs can be removed, and if wood is used, this can be treated to provide a suitable surface finish.

If foot elements 26 are provided, then these can be attached at the end of the machining process, typically by adhesive connection.

Figure 5 shows an alternative outer block body portion 12a' which could be used as part of a modular knife block. Identical or similar features of this embodiment of the invention will be referenced using identical or similar reference numerals, and further detailed description is omitted for brevity. The outer block body portion 12a' has a male engagement element 32' which has a channel 38' therein, formed between the lips 38' of the male engagement element 32', for receiving a knife, when engaged with a corresponding female engagement element. The blade-receiving slot opens onto the top surface 18', close to an upper portion thereof. At a lower portion of the top surface 18', close to the front surface 20' of the block body portion 12a', there is provided a further channel 40', which may not be associated with the male engagement element 32', instead, the further channel 40' is directly cut into the inner surface 30' of the outer block body portion 12a' .

A front section 42' may be provided in the block body portion 12a' which is kinked or bent with respect to a main body of the block body portion 12a' . This allows for a more irregular shape of the modular knife block to be achieved.

In this embodiment, it is anticipated that the further channels 40' form blade-receiving slots for, for instance, steak knives, which may be stored separately to ordinary kitchen knives. It will be appreciated, however, that a wide variety of slots could be created in this way, to accommodate various implements, including but not limited to, knife sharpeners and scissors.

The interconnection of the block body portions has been hereto described in the context of sliding dovetail joints. However, it will be appreciated that alternative interfaces could be provided, whilst still achieving the same modularity and capability for sanitizing the blade-receiving slots.

For example, the interfaces could be formed as clip-together surfaces, for instance having male and female snap-fit elements, catches, or press-fit members. Other interference fit type joints could be considered instead of dovetail joints, for instance, matching shape joints. It may also be possible for each interface to include both male and female engagement elements which are complementarily engagable with a corresponding pattern on an adjacent block body portion.

Alternatively, completely planar interface surfaces could be provided, with the channels formed thereon to provide the blade-receiving slots, with a separate locking element being provided, such as an adjustable clamp, which is able to hold the block body portions relative to one another.

It is therefore possible to provide a modular knife block in which the user is not only able to create a bespoke knife block to house their own personal collection of knifes without resorting to a standard block size, but also a knife block which is capable of being sanitised in a simple manner, thereby improving the hygiene of the knife block and inhibiting the transmission of bacteria or mould to the knives housed therein.

The words 'comprises/comprising' and the words 'having/including' when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

1. A modular knife block (10) comprising a plurality of block body portions, each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') having at least one interface engagable with another block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a') having a channel formed at the interface, such that when the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') is interengaged, the or each channel (36; 36') forms a blade-receiving slot (16) between adjacent block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') of the modular knife block, wherein each interface element is formed as a surface (30; 30') of the block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') and a matable engagement element (32, 34; 32') which is formed on or in the surface (30; 30'), wherein the matable engagement elements (32, 34; 32') are formed as complementarily-engagable male or female engagement elements (32, 34; 32'), and wherein the channel (36; 36') is formed on the male engagement element (32; 32') of the said at least one block body portion (12a, 14; 12a').

2. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') comprises first and second outer block body portions (12a, 12b; 12a'), and at least one inner block body portion (14).

3. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second outer block body portions (12a, 12b; 12a') each comprise one said interface, and each of the inner block body portions (14) comprise two said interfaces.

4. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the matable engagement elements (32, 34; 32') extend along a complete length of the surface (30; 30').

5. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the male and female engagement elements (32, 34; 32') together form a sliding dovetail joint.

6. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the channel (36; 36') is formed on the male engagement element (32; 32') between a pair of lips (38; 38') of the male engagement element (32; 32').

7. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the channel (36; 36') is formed along a complete longitudinal extent of the male engagement element (32; 32').

8. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an area of the surface of each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') is identical for each of the block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a').

9. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') comprises a base (24), a front face (20; 20'), a rear face (22), and a top face (18; 18'), the channel (36; 36') of the said at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a') terminating at the top face (18; 18').

10. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the channel (36; 36') of the said at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a') also terminates at the base (24).

11. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the front and rear faces (20, 22; 20') of each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') are non- parallel to one another.

12. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the base (24) of each of the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') includes a foot element (26).

13. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, when dependent on claim 5, wherein the male and female engagement elements (32, 34; 32') forming the dovetail joint are aligned so as to be non-perpendicular with respect to the base (24).

14. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a cross-section of the modular knife block (10) is or is substantially trapezoidal.

15. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of said channels (36; 36') is formed at the interface of the said at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a').

16. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one further channel (40') formed at the interface and which is not formed on the male engagement element (32').

17. A method of assembling a modular knife block (10), the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') having at least one interface engagable with one or more of the other block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), and at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a') having a channel (36; 36') formed at the interface, wherein each interface is formed as a surface (30; 30') of the block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') and a matable engagement element (32, 34; 32') which is formed on or in the surface (30; 30'), wherein the matable engagement elements (32, 34; 32') are formed as complementarily-engagable male or female engagement elements (32, 34; 32'), and wherein the channel (36; 36') is formed on the male engagement element of the said at least one block body portion (12a, 14; 12a'); and

interengaging the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') such that the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot (16) between adjacent block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') of the modular knife block (10).

18. A method of manufacturing a modular knife block (10), the method comprising the steps of:

a] selecting a block of material;

b] cutting the block of material into a plurality of block sections;

c] shaping interfaces of adjacent block sections to be interengagable, wherein each interface is formed as a surface (30; 30') of the block section and a matable engagement element (32, 34; 32') which is formed on or in the surface (30; 30'), wherein the matable engagement elements (32, 34; 32') are formed as complementarily- engagable male or female engagement elements (32, 34; 32'), and

d] forming a channel (36; 36') on the male engagement element of at least one of the interfaces, to form block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), such that when the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') is interengaged, the or each channel (36; 36') forms a blade-receiving slot (16) between adjacent block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') of the modular knife block (10).

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a step e] of attaching a foot element (26) to a base (24) of each of the block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a').

20. A modular knife block (10) comprising a plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') having at least one interface engagable with another block body portion, at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a') having a channel formed at the interface, such that when the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') is interengaged, the or each channel (36; 36', 40') forms a blade-receiving slot (16) between adjacent block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') of the modular knife block (10).

21. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in claim 20, wherein each interface is formed as a surface (30; 30') of the block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') and a matable engagement element (32, 34; 32') which is formed on or in the surface (30; 30').

22. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the matable engagement elements (32, 34; 32') are formed as complementarily-engagable male or female engagement elements (32, 34; 32').

23. A modular knife block (10) as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein the channel (36; 36') is formed on the male engagement element (32; 32') of the said at least one block body portion (12a, 14; 12a').

24. A method of assembling a customized knife block (10), the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), each block body portion (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') having at least one interface engagable with one or more of the other block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), and at least one of the block body portions (12a, 14; 12a') having a channel formed at the interface; and interengaging the plurality of block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') such that the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot between adjacent block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a') of the customized knife block (10).

25. A method of manufacturing a modular knife block (10), the method comprising the steps of:

a] selecting a block of material;

b] cutting the block of material into a plurality of block sections;

c] shaping interfaces of adjacent block sections to be interengagable, and d] forming a channel at at least one of the interfaces, to form block body portions (12a, 12b, 14; 12a'), such that when the plurality of block body portions (12a,

12b, 14; 12a') is interengaged, the or each channel forms a blade-receiving slot (16) between adjacent block body portions of the modular knife block (10).