I would think these were not made by the user. Rather, these were probably trade items made by itinerant woodworkers that made a living traveling and making these and other wood or metal things useful in the kitchen.
The sliding dovetail can b e made with one or two specialty planes, and that is what takes it out of the user making them - those dovetails got the farmer scratching his head - he did not know how to make them.
Not too long ago, anthropologists were looking for ways the settlers could carry water at a Jamestown excavation. They found lots of slatted parts, but nothing that would make something that would hold water. But then an enterprising amateur woodworker described how cooper built waterproof barrels - a technology well known at the time of the settlement. They then realized the slats made a bucket with vertical grain, and cordage - leather or other - that would sit in a groove of sorts and held the slats tight, as long as it was kept wet, all was tight and - wood wins again.
Sometimes we forget the easiest path is ....the easiest path. Via the well shaved Mr Occam.
I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.
- Kurt Vonnegut