Universal knife block

Claim 1

A knife holder comprising a generally solid block member defined by exterior planes including a face plane and having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said face plane wherein said block has formed therein a plurality of elongated slots for storing and protecting knife blades wherein each said slot is defined by a separate pair of substantially parallel closely spaced side walls extending a substantial distance into said block member parallel to said longitudinal axis wherein each of said slot defining walls has an edge in said face plane whereby a knife blade can be inserted into said block member through one of said slots in said face plane thereof a plurality of spaced divider grooves formed in at least one side wall of each of said slots and wherein each said divider groove has an edge in said face plane a plurality of slot dividers, each formed to be slideably insertable into and removable from a slot at a selected divider groove, each of said dividers having a width that spans the distance between the walls defining a slot and a length which permits each said divider to extend from said face plane into said block a substantial distance, said divider including a portion which registers in a divider groove when said divider is inserted into said block at a divider groove whereby each of said slots is divisible into a plurality of knife blade storing and protecting pockets wherein the number of said pockets formed from each slot and the size knife blade which can be inserted into a pocket is determined by the particular divider grooves into which dividers are inserted.