Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
...my worry with mag bars (not blok) that have exposed metal is that the possibility of damage is always there, especially if someone else decides to use your knife...
This just isn't an issue. Knife steel is fairly hard and doesn't mark up easily. (Also, so what if it does?)
If you had a magblok then you would have to worry about the hard steel for the knife marring the wood surface.
I switched from a wood block to a magnetic strip to free up counter space and wouldn't trade back.