Made In Knife Block: What's Included and Whether It's Worth It

Made In is a direct-to-consumer cookware and knife brand that's earned a solid reputation in recent years. If you're looking at their knife block specifically, here's what you need to know upfront: Made In sells their knives primarily as individual pieces or sets, and they do offer a knife block as part of certain configurations. The block itself is a clean, modern acacia wood design that holds their standard knives and is sold separately or as part of a bundle.

This article covers what comes in the Made In knife block setup, how the knives compare to other brands, what the block looks like and how it functions, whether it's a good deal compared to alternatives, and what to think about if you're buying for a new kitchen or upgrading an existing one.

What Made In Offers in Their Knife Line

Made In's knife lineup is focused on a small, well-considered set of essential pieces rather than a massive block with fifteen slots you'll never fill. Their core knife offerings include:

An 8-inch chef knife (their most popular piece)
A 10.25-inch bread knife
A 5-inch utility knife
A 3.5-inch paring knife
A 10-inch honing steel
Steak knives (sold separately)

The knives are made in Thiers, France, which is a respected knife-making region with a tradition similar to Seki in Japan or Solingen in Germany. Made In partners with French artisan manufacturers and uses high-carbon stainless steel.

Their steel is described as X50CrMoV15, a common German-style stainless alloy that's also used by Wusthof and Victorinox. It sits around 58 HRC on the Rockwell scale, which makes the knives easier to sharpen than harder Japanese steels but also means they need sharpening more frequently.

The Knife Block Itself

Made In's knife block is a standalone acacia wood block with slots sized for their knife line. It has a clean, minimal aesthetic that works well in modern kitchens. The block holds the chef knife, bread knife, utility knife, paring knife, and honing steel, plus a few extra slots for additional knives you might add later.

The acacia is attractive and durable. These aren't cheap particle-board blocks with fake wood veneer. The construction feels solid.

One thing to note: Made In doesn't offer a huge variety of block configurations. If you want a block that houses a full set including steak knives, you're mostly combining their block with separate purchases. Their block setup is designed around the core five-piece kitchen set.

If you're looking at how Made In's block compares to others in the same category, there's a full comparison at best knife block set that's worth checking before you buy.

How Made In Knives Perform

The honest answer is that Made In knives are very good, not magical. The chef knife balances well, feels comfortable in a pinch grip, and comes sharp from the factory. The steel at 58 HRC sharpens easily with a honing steel and whetstone. It's a great everyday workhorse.

Where Made In gets interesting is their blade geometry. The knives have a taller blade height than most German knives, which makes the knuckle clearance better on a cutting board. The distal taper (the blade getting thinner toward the tip) is well-executed, giving the tip good precision for detail work.

The bread knife is excellent. The serrations are aggressive and cut through crusty bread without compression or tearing.

The paring knife feels a bit generic compared to the standout chef knife, but it does the job.

Price and Value Compared to Alternatives

A Made In 6-piece knife set with the block runs around $400 to $500 at full price. They run sales regularly, and signing up for their email list usually gets you 10-15% off.

Compare that to:

Wusthof Classic 7-Piece Block Set: Around $400 to $500 regularly. Similar German stainless steel, extremely well-regarded, strong resale value.
Victorinox Swiss Classic 7-Piece Block Set: Around $120 to $150. Lower-end steel but a wildly practical set that many professional cooks use as a backup.
Henckels Statement 14-Piece Block Set: Around $100 to $130. High piece count at a budget price, but the steel and construction are a step below Made In.

Made In sits in the upper-mid tier. You're paying for the direct-to-consumer model (no middleman markup), the French craftsmanship story, and the aesthetic of the brand. The knives genuinely perform at that price level.

For a broader look at the best knife block options across price ranges, there's useful context there if you're still deciding.

Who Should Buy Made In Knives

Made In makes the most sense if you:

Want quality knives without paying Wusthof Icon or Shun premium prices
Appreciate the French manufacturing story and don't need the German or Japanese brand prestige
Cook regularly and want knives that perform well for years of daily use
Like the minimal, modern aesthetic of the block and handles

Made In might not be the right choice if you:

Want the widest possible knife variety in a single set
Prefer Japanese-style steel (harder, sharper, better edge retention at the cost of more care)
Are looking for budget knives (there are better values below $150)

Maintenance and Care

Made In recommends hand washing, which is standard for any quality knife. The handles are riveted stainless steel scales over a full-tang blade. No wood, which means no risk of handle cracking from moisture.

The X50CrMoV15 steel takes well to honing on a rod between uses and sharpening on a whetstone or pull-through sharpener a few times a year. It's a forgiving steel that doesn't require specialist sharpening skills.

FAQ

Does Made In sell a complete knife set with a block? Yes. Made In offers bundle configurations that include their core knives plus the acacia wood block. They also sell the block separately, so you can start with the individual knives and add the block when ready.

How do Made In knives compare to Wusthof? Both use similar X50CrMoV15 stainless steel. Wusthof has a 200-year manufacturing history and slightly higher brand prestige. Made In offers similar quality at a comparable price through their direct-to-consumer model. The Wusthof Classic line and Made In knives are functionally very close.

Are Made In knives actually made in France? Yes. Made In partners with manufacturers in Thiers, France. Thiers has a centuries-old knife-making tradition and is one of the main cutlery manufacturing centers in Europe.

Can you add other brands of knives to the Made In block? Yes, the slots are standard sizes. You can add knives from other brands as long as the blade dimensions fit. It's not a universal block with every possible slot, but the common 8-inch chef knife slot and paring knife slot are standard.

The Bottom Line

Made In's knife block setup is a genuinely solid option at the upper-mid price range. The French steel, the clean block design, and the direct-to-consumer pricing make it competitive with Wusthof and other established brands. If you're building out a kitchen and want a set that will last 10 to 20 years with proper care, Made In is worth serious consideration. Buy the set during one of their regular sales and you're getting very good value.