Though I have a traditional knife block , and a couple of magnetic knife bars, I didn’t want another magnetic bar. This item is lovely, holds my knives safely, protects them, without complicating access to them. It holds the most recently-purchased ones, and though I was concerned about rough spots or splinters, the finish is smooth, likely to be low maintenance, no more difficult to manage than a cutting board or my current block. I’m very happy to have this item.