Looking for a home gift for a design-conscious bachelor who enjoys cooking? The Edge of Belgravia’s Black Diamond knife block and knives could fit the bill.
This is a knife block like no other – it’s modern, funky, sleek and unusual. When it comes to knife blocks, you don’t normally expect them to be like a piece of art in their own right. But this one is.
As its name suggests, the design is based on the shape of a rough-cut diamond. The concept was created by London designer, Christian Bird, and it’s aimed at being a modern and daring knife block.
With a typical knife block, the knives slot in so that blades are hidden. But in the case of the Black Diamond block, the knives slot in and ‘float’, so that the blades are all still visible within the cut-out diamond shaped block.
The Black Diamond has slots for storing 11 knives, but is sold as it is without any knives. It retails for £89.90 direct from Edge of Belgravia (RRP £99.90). The Precision collection of designer knives, also designed by Christian Bird, is perfect for using with it.
Each of the knife blades have been created with precision in mind. They’re made of coated stainless steel, with a non-stick blade coating. The handles coordinate with the Black Diamond holder, with their gemstone-inspired facet shape.
The complete set of Precision chef knives consists of four pieces – a bread knife, chef’s knife, pairing knife and deba knife (the latter is inspired by traditional Japanese salmon knifes, but ideally suited for cutting fish, vegetables or fruit).
We were impressed by the quality of the cutting ability of the knives. The handles were comfortable to hold and the unique knife blades cut through items with ease, making food preparation a doddle.
The Precision knife set is available for £69.90, or the knives can be purchased individually. Products are can be purchased direct from Edge of Belgravia, or from retailers such as Amara or Selfridges.
The Fresh Design verdict
Overall, the Black Diamond is an unusual and distinctive knife block design and would definitely look at a home in a design conscious modern kitchen.
From a safety point of view, the design does make it impractical for use in a family kitchen, as a child could easily put their fingers through the open side of the block base and access the knife blades.
Likewise, it’s also important to be aware of the safety side of things if you’re moving the block around the kitchen, for example as you prepare food, as it would be easy for a finger to accidentally slip as you carried it.
That aside, if it’s a stylish piece that would take pride of place in a bachelor pad – either for regular use or simply for looks – then it certainly does fit the bill. The Precision knife set is the ideal accompaniment and there’s plenty of room in the block for additional knives, so you could add to your collection at a later date.
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[…] featured the first set of Precision knives last year, along with the rather funky Black Diamond knife block that goes with […]