Thread: cutting boards, not!

I "accidentally" dropped a cast iron pan on my wife's 2 day old glass cutting board, dang the luck! My wife mostly uses our stainless Wusthof knife set in a block by the stove and leaves the nice carbon steel knives alone...which is fine with me. I really want to pick up a good end grain cutting board of some substance one of these days...or just make one.

What woods "would" make the best cutting boards with all things considered?

Long Time standard,hard rock maple.
You can buy thick Laminated slabs and trim it like mine above,Rout a bloodgroove around the edge.
Trim I used was padauk,inlays are Ebony,will post another pic shortly.

Not end grain (not my choice of woods) this one is 3in thick,real heavy,salvaged from an old woodshop.

Question before I'm off to work. Pixie.....If one were to go to say home depot and just buy a big ol square of maple or birch would that work as a cutting board and is there anything you have to do to season it or treat it before use ??

If you can fins a pce large enough it will work,they sell butcher block oil, they cal is food grade,is just mineral oil, thats what I use.

Originally Posted by Grazor

I made one out of a chunk of kauri about 20 years ago, not the sort of thing you would wear out in a hurry. We have a few plastic boards but I am not a fan. The wife has a couple of glass ones for cheese, and the matching blunt knives. Butchers block with the end grain would be the most forgiving on the edge of your knifes I think.

I imagine Kauri would be quite gentle on an edge. Best Japanese boards are Paulownia.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I imagine Kauri would be quite gentle on an edge. Best Japanese boards are Paulownia.

Yeah, reasonably soft, neutral smell and handles water well. Never heard of Paulownia, although I know the Japanese chefs are rather fanatical about their knives, so no doubt a top notch board.

Interesting wood and tree actually ...wow ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia