Pure Komachi 2 Series 8-Slot Knife Storage Block - Premium Wooden Knife Organizer for Kitchen Countertop - Perfect for Storing Chef Knives, Steak Knives & Kitchen Utensils

Before I bought this product, I went ahead and read all the other reviews posted here on Amazon.com and came to the conclusion that this knife block would probably resemble a clear upside down bucket and be a little on the larger side. That's exactly what it looks like. Still, it's light-weight and all my Pure Komachi 2 knives fit easily into their coordinating slots. Also, the block is easy enough to pick up and move around from one place to another when needed.Because I do have space limitations in my smaller kitchen, I figured worse case scenario I'd end up returning the block if it ended up being way too big to display on a countertop or fit on a shelf or inside a cupboard. I almost did just that since it takes up the space of my coffee maker and, with all the knives inserted, is taller than just about any of my kitchen appliances.Luckily, with a little creative rearranging, I am now able to display my knives on a countertop directly in front of my toaster oven. I do need to move the block from one side to the other whenever I use my toaster oven, but that's easy enough to do even with all the knives in it since it weighs very little. It looks really pretty in my kitchen and has become quite the conversation piece.In the past two weeks since I've owned it, friends and family stopping by to visit have all commented on how cool my colorful knives are and how awesome it is to have a clear knife block to display them in. I think so too and am now happy I didn't return the knife block. Over all, yes, I would have preferred it to be a little smaller, but that's no longer an issue now that I've found a spot for it. I am happy with this purchase.I purchased my Pure Komachi knives by themselves initially, thinking I might use a magnetic knife bar to hold them. I changed my mind & decided I wanted to get the clear holder for them after all. The knives are fantastic & I wanted them displayed nicely.The concept of this knife block is great - a transparent holder to show off the wonderful colors of the Komachi knifes. But, oh my gosh -- this thing is absolutely HUGE!!! I had read other reviews, that stated it was big & had read the description - but really didn't grasp just HOW incredibly *enormous* it was, until it arrived. I had a large number of orders arriving from Amazon at the time, and when I pulled this out of the box, my first thought was, "I don't recall ordering a bucket???"There is no way that this holder with the knifes inserted would fit on my counter & slide up under the cabinets, so it was returned for a refund & I went back to using my magnetic knife bar.I don't know - I've had knife blocks before that held more knifes than this - but were a reasonable size. It seems they could rework the design on this block & keep the novelty of the transparent block, but make it a more "normal" size.I really liked this product but I had to return it because I had my own knives already and didn't realize they would not fit until I actually received it. If I hadn't purchased my own knives previous to getting this item, I would have kept it because it was sturdy and nice. I really liked the fact that was made out of clear plastic to be able to see the colorful ceramic knives I like and make it part of the kitchen decor.I've been buying the Kai Pure Komachi 2 series knives - which are truly wonderful knives. I didn't want the knives in my knife drawer - because I wanted to protect the blades. So, I purchased the acrylic knife storage block. It works - it keeps the blades separated - it is clear, so you can easily select the knife you need for the job. However, it is really big and clunky. This is a case of functionality over beauty. If you have counter space or don't mind cluttered countertops - no problem. If you are like me - who likes clear counter tops - you will need to adjust your philosophy.it does take up space but seriously I'd rather have this vs the wood / bamboo blocks which are closed (as in i can't see the knives) and also if the knives aren't dried completely they are held in a closed no light dark space where fungus might grow inside. I'd rather go with this big acrylic block which is less likely to grow fungus and if anything happens I can clean the inside easily.I love this knife block! Yes, it's a little on the large side, and others' reviews almost scared me off because of its size. But I decided to take the plunge and I'm glad I did. It looks terrific loaded with the colorful knives, they're easy to see, and I'm not digging around in a drawer for the right knife. I had too much stuff on my countertop, so I did some editing/replacing and ended up with a space that looks light, colorful and complimentary, and nothing stands out because of its size. My favorite trick was repurposing a tall clear Oxo canister to be the indoor compost holder, with some great peel/stick decals.This clear knife block does what it's supposed to do by holding Komachi knives in a "cool" fashion. With the block being clear, you can easily identify what type of knife you want. The only downside would be the size. It's a little larger than I envisioned and kind of looks like an upside down water pitcher, but I would still recommend it. In my opinion, it's the best knife block for these types of knives.I should have read the details and reviews but it's the only block I can find for these knifes so I bought the darn thing. As other people stated...it's huge.My wife asked me why I bought I waste bin. I said its the knife holder you have been bugging me to get! She said return it.This had to go back. It was huge, and looked super cheap.