Heritage Heirloom Cutting Boards

There are many different ways to make a wooden cutting board, and it's easy to shell out big bucks for something that looks great in the store (or on the craft table) but that won't go the distance once you start using it. All wood is not created equal, and neither are all woodworkers. These seven tips will help you distinguish between a real workhorse of a board and one that's best left to other duties.

A good cutting board will be made of tight grained hardwoods such as maple, jatoba, and walnut. These will hold up under hard use, whereas a soft wood such as pine will wear out quickly.

Look for edge grain or end grain cutting surfaces, not face grain. Face grain is far less resistant to damage from knives and will not last. End grain (also called butcher block) is designed to allow the knife edge to penetrate between the fibers, doing little or no damage to the wood.

Narrow boards or strips laminated together are less likely to warp or split than a cutting board made up of two or three wide planks. Narrower boards means they are more labor intensive to make, but the payoff is in longevity.

Look for good tight joints. Gaps or filler in the joints indicate sloppy workmanship, and an inferior product.

Make sure no dyes or stains were used. If you want a cutting board with more pizazz than the common maple board, buy one that uses several different hardwoods with natural color. These won't bleed out into your food or interfere with the mineral oil protecting the wood.

Do not buy a board that has any kind of a film finish on it. No matter what it is, it will get cut up and start to flake off into your food. It may be non-toxic, but anyone who puts a film finish on a cutting board is making a decorative piece, not one intended for use.

Mineral Oil is the best, but paraffin with mineral oil is acceptable. Be absolutely certain no peanut oil was used in the processing -- you don't want to create a problem if you discover a loved one has a nut allergy, and you don't want the oil used to go rancid.

There are only 10 different woods that I use to make my cutting boards. They are all hardwoods, which means that they have tight closed pores that absorb Mineral Oil but seal out bacteria. Because the grain structure is so dense, when using the wood for end grain cutting boards minor knife cuts are prevented as the grain closes in around the intrusion.

The woods that I use are:

Bamboo - A traditional hardwood, (really a grass), used in cutting boards. Adds an Oriental texture to the boards.

Cherry - A north-eastern US and Canada wood with a fine texture. Becomes darker and richer with age.

Hard Maple - This wood come from North Eastern US and Canada. Known for its durability and strength. Mainstay of most cutting board manufacturers. White to honey in color.

Hickory - A very strong wood with a tight grain. Found all over the US. Trees live to be 350 years old. Grain patterns are very bold and add character to any item made with it.

Jatoba - A crop wood from central and tropical South America. It is also known as Brazilian Cherry. Very distinct tight grain which adds a unique texture to end grain work.

Katalox - An extremely hard dense wood ranging from Purple to Brown to White in the same board. This very attractive coloring patterns creates character to my cutting boards. Found in Central and Southern America.

Monterillo - Also known as Brazilian Rose Wood. Comes from Central America, Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela. This is a crop wood with very distinct black stripes in a dark rich brown wood.

Purple Heart - A very hard wood from Mexico and Tropical South America. It is, as its name suggests, purple in color and brings a special colorization to any board.

Fishtail Oak - The only one of the oak family whose grain is tight enough to be used in cutting boards. Brings a distinct "fish tail" pattern when used as a side trim board.

Walnut - A dark Chocolate wood mellowing to a light brown within the same board. Medium hard but very well suited for end grain cutting boards. Come from Eastern US and Canada.

My boards are glued together with Titebond III adhesive. This adhesive is approved by the FDA and Department of Agriculture as being compatible for general food contact. In addition this product carries a NSF food safe rating.

In addition, all of my boards come with four rubber feet to provide a skid free contact on your counter for cutting safety.

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