# How to select a new cutting board



## filthy_dwarf (Jan 8, 2018)

Hello since now i have purchased a good japanese knife i need a new cutting board too because mine is plastic.
boardsmith is out of question. way out of my budget and it has 80 more dollars + customs duty to get here. that means for a 120$ dollar board i will pay 200 to get it shipped and then 24% tax +25 275 dollars for a 120 board. sooo yeah out of question. the options i have here are beech acacia and i found some iroko and walnut? . Ikea seems to have an acacia board but i am not sure of the quality. also i cant find any block that is made with smaller pieces just a whole piece liek this:


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## HRC_64 (Jan 8, 2018)

Maybe try to buy via Amazon.de or one of the EU vendors. 
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N0238QB/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
This is about half the price of the board in the OP post, but still may be expensive for what it is.

I'd also consider rubber (above) or european hardwoods (below) vs North American imports if possible. 
https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/-il-cucinino-cutting-board-size-45x30x5-cm.htm

The second board seems pretty cost effective and maybe more on par with local prices?


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## panda (Jan 8, 2018)

get a sani-tuff


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 8, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> Maybe try to buy via Amazon.de or one of the EU vendors.
> https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N0238QB/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
> This is about half the price of the board in the OP post, but still may be expensive for what it is.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the reply
Sanituff looks cool but if I take two ( need one for poultry and one for veggies) gets expensive for me. The second option is at my budget. Do you recommend it? I don't know the wood


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## HRC_64 (Jan 8, 2018)

I have maple board (similar dimension), but IIRC birch is well known wood 
and its more local in europe and should be OK to use. 

eg, https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-end-grain-cutting-board-birch/


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## toddnmd (Jan 8, 2018)

filthy_dwarf said:


> Sanituff looks cool but if I take two ( need one for poultry and one for veggies) gets expensive for me.



You can just wash it well after meat/poultry, and use for both. Or maybe try to cut veggies first, then meat last.

I think the whole movement to having two (or more boards) for different ingredients is largely unnecessary.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 8, 2018)

On plastic board I use for both but in wood I'm afraid because I think wood is more porous and also I know in wood I cannot use chemicals


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## milkbaby (Jan 8, 2018)

Some people use a plastic cutting sheet on top of their wood board when cutting meat to keep the meat from touching the wood. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014HPPAFS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20







Edited to add: If you only get one Sani-tuff, you could just do like mentioned and cut veggies first then meat last to avoid cross contamination.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 8, 2018)

Doesn't those sheets eliminate the use of wood boards and damage the knife?


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 8, 2018)

http://m.kochform.de/Zassenhaus-Hackblock-aus-Buchenholz.htm


I think I like this one


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## WiscoNole (Jan 9, 2018)

panda said:


> get a sani-tuff



This


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 9, 2018)

I didn't know what seni tuff is oh wow. Too sad that all I can find in Europe are those overcharged. I'll try to order from the us


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## StonedEdge (Jan 9, 2018)

WiscoNole said:


> This


+1.. but get two boards


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 9, 2018)

yeah i get you. those things are overpriced here. i cant even find a budget semi tuff ( only in the us) the best price i caan get is 60$ from japan + taxes but its a noname synthetic rubber and not seni-tuff


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## WiscoNole (Jan 9, 2018)

Does Amazon deliver to you?

I got my Sani-Tuff in 2008 and it's still on my counter right now. It's well worth the price and probably more.


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## zeus241129 (Jan 9, 2018)

Get semi-supersoft also they have the cutting board that you could peel off the outer layer after sometimes.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 9, 2018)

WiscoNole said:


> Does Amazon deliver to you?
> 
> I got my Sani-Tuff in 2008 and it's still on my counter right now. It's well worth the price and probably more.



yes they do but its around 150 without the shipping.


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## Drosophil (Jan 10, 2018)

The beech one looks fine to me. You could get that and a cheap edge grain board for meat, since there's not that much contact when slicing


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## Dr_Jones (Jan 10, 2018)

I never use synthetics. To keep the nooks and crannies clean, you'll need boiling water or chemicals. A good wood board cuts better, is less hard on your blade and cleans with a bit of dish soap. Nothing stays in the crannies, as the wood works every out over time.

My personal preference is oak. Hard enough to provide a straight surface and soft enough to cushion the edge.

Beech has similar qualities.

Just give it a sanding every year for maintenance.


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## brooksie967 (Jan 10, 2018)

LarchwoodCanada


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## StonedEdge (Jan 10, 2018)

brooksie967 said:


> LarchwoodCanada


He's in Greece, might be a bit much shipping wise


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 10, 2018)

yeah.. my options are very limited. the shippign are costly and remember that we have less money too  i spent 70$ on knife. another 40 for stone and i expect the custom duties on them to be another 30. so im a little short right now. i would love that senituff stuff if they were more available here. because to sell em 150$ something that costs 90 in the us and i have to pay shipping too. naaaaah


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## panda (Jan 10, 2018)

I just ordered a sani-tuff off Amazon also. 18x20x.75" made the mistake of getting the generic rubber board and only half inch thickness. Ended up giving it away cause I hated it. Use a small hi-soft at home but that stuff is too soft for heavy use.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 10, 2018)

i can find epicurian for a good price


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## HRC_64 (Jan 10, 2018)

filthy_dwarf said:


> i can find epicurian for a good price



I'd avoid those under all costs


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 10, 2018)

for what reason?


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## daveb (Jan 11, 2018)

I like Epicurean. Not bad on edges, lightweight (relatively), won't warp, dishwasher safe, otherwise bulletproof.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 11, 2018)

so not the best but pretty good. and witha very good price for me. about 1/5 of a senituff. its a deal


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## HRC_64 (Jan 11, 2018)

OP the eipicurean board construction is a variation of FRP (fiber reinforced plastic), made with wood pulp and phenolic resin. 
You can think of it as akin/similar to fibreglass or carbon fiber (GFRP, CFRP) except made with paper/pulp/wood fibres.

Thats why it is dimensionally stable despite being very thin.

However, this Epicurean board is simply plastic with additives.

Good for travel and portable applications because its 
lighter and thinner for its stiffness than poly-pro.

The better materials for main cutting boards are 
natural wood and soft rubber.

Just my $0.02


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 11, 2018)

thank you, i can understand that. but as i said is very hard and expensive to find a soft rubber and edge grain wooden board


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## HRC_64 (Jan 11, 2018)

filthy_dwarf said:


> Hello since now i have purchased a good japanese knife i need a new cutting board too because mine is plastic.



OP, re-read your first post.


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## HRC_64 (Jan 11, 2018)

Point earlier is that upgrading from poly to phenolic resin isn't much of an upgrade ...if that is your goal you should get a second board of wood or rubber.

The costs are not crazy unless you are importing from japan or USA. For you main board, there are affordable choices like the birch wood $42 euros.

If your budget is tight, skip a second new board and re-use existing plastic (for meats) to stretch your $/euros.

of course do whatever you like, 
this is just one other view.
consider it devils advocate if you want


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## JaVa (Jan 11, 2018)

I wanted a really big board on a tight budget and those cost a lot. So I bought a used Ikea bar table made of beech. Payd 12 for it. I cut it to size and Sanded it and finished with several coats of tung oil (you can use beeswax as well). It's only edge grain, but has worked really well. 

I got two boards out of it. One very big and one smaller one. 

I actually prefer edge grain. I just don't like how a sharp knife digs into an end grain board. Sure edge grain boards scar so it won't look as good after some time, but you can always sand it and get a fresh new surface.


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## panda (Jan 12, 2018)

i too prefer edge grain when it comes to wooden boards. but i sure as hell don't miss the maintenance required. #sani-tuff all damn day


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## Dr_Jones (Jan 12, 2018)

JaVa said:


> ...So I bought a used Ikea bar table made of beech. Payd 12 for it. I cut it to size and Sanded it and finished with several coats of tung oil (you can use beeswax as well).



Good solution. Wood will always beat synthetics - even Ikea wood .

I wouldn't use beeswax, though. Doesn't penetrate the wood as well as oil.


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## toddnmd (Jan 12, 2018)

Dr_Jones said:


> Good solution. Wood will always beat synthetics - even Ikea wood .
> 
> I wouldn't use beeswax, though. Doesn't penetrate the wood as well as oil.



I like to do several applications of oil, then follow up with a board butter (oil/beeswax mix). Seems to give longer protection than just oil alone. 

Can do a quick application of oil every once in a while, then eventually go back to the multiple coats of oil and then board butter.


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## Dr_Jones (Jan 13, 2018)

toddnmd said:


> I like to do several applications of oil, then follow up with a board butter (oil/beeswax mix). Seems to give longer protection than just oil alone.



I'm sure it does. My point is that beeswax is a top coat while oil soaks in.

I find that my oak board works fine even when it is bone dry. I only treat it once or twice a year with a light sanding and a brush-over of oil.

The top coat is mostly needed for softer woods or for cosmetic purposes.


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## JaVa (Jan 13, 2018)

In another thread the OP mentioned he's not able to source suitable oils, but can get beeswax. Hence the beeswax recommendation. The beeswax will give a protective coating on the board. It prevents the wood from drying and staining. Yes, oils would be better (and/or board butter), but under the circumstances beeswax works just fine.


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## HRC_64 (Jan 13, 2018)

Use Olive oil without worries
OP location is Greece


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## JaVa (Jan 13, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> Use Olive oil without worries
> OP location is Greece



Yeah, but Olive oil won't dry, harden and can go rancid. 
I used to do that a long time ago, but wouldn't recommend it.


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## Dr_Jones (Jan 14, 2018)

JaVa said:


> In another thread the OP mentioned he's not able to source suitable oils, but can get beeswax. Hence the beeswax recommendation. The beeswax will give a protective coating on the board. It prevents the wood from drying and staining. Yes, oils would be better (and/or board butter), but under the circumstances beeswax works just fine.



OK, point taken.

I'd still go for olive oil (processed non-virgin), but that's just my opinion


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## scott.livesey (Jan 14, 2018)

mineral oil, the main ingredient in most cutting board finishes, is commonly sold as a laxative and should be available in any drug store. locally a 1/4 liter bottle is $3US and is enough for several years.


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## scott.livesey (Jan 14, 2018)

mineral oil, the main ingredient in most cutting board finishes, is commonly sold as a laxative and should be available in any drug store. locally a 1/4 liter(8oz) bottle is $3US and is enough for several years.


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## Chef Doom (Jan 17, 2018)

All though hi-soft and rubber boards have their advantages, nothing beats end-grain cutting boards. I'm surprised their isn't some local wood makers or lumber suppliers in your area that you can source materials from. 

Also, people have the wrong misconception about wood holding bacteria due to pores. Wood cutting boards are better at killing bacteria naturally compared to plastic. Stop believing in fairy tales and get some wood. :thumbsup:


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

i do have to import from us or japan. thats the thing. and shipping prices are as much as the board itself. plus 25% +15$ import taxes if it was easier and cheaper hell yeah i would go for something better


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jan 17, 2018)

Got a Zassenhaus (but the version made from rubber tree wood) - I think they are OK for the price.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

anything wrong with the rubber tree wood?

thank you for telling me that brand. 

i found this: http://www.zassenhaus-brandshop.com...B/?ObjectPath=/Shops/79699945/Products/055412


looks good and fair price.. awesome


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## HRC_64 (Jan 17, 2018)

Just use a local wood from europe...



> The general rule of thumb for selecting a wood to use is: wood from any tree with either edible nuts or sap, like hard maple where maple syrup comes from. An exception is oak, to porous.
> 
> What to avoid: most of the exotic woods - they may contain oils that are toxic to humans, spalted wood - the bacteria that causes the spalting is toxic and any wood the insects stay away from like cedars for example. They contain oils which repel wood eating insects.
> 
> ...


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

found acacia that is local i think. and european beech. i think i will go for acacia because of the color


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## HRC_64 (Jan 17, 2018)

Acacia is a toxic wood to some people...
just FYI as this has come up before.



> Toxic Woods
> Scientific name	Common Name(s)	Toxicity Type, Source, and Effects
> 
> Acacia aneura
> ...


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

69euros ending price including shipping and a bottle of mineral oil  not bad at all


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> Acacia is a toxic wood to some people...
> just FYI as this has come up before.



interesting.... well then nothing wrong with beech


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## JaVa (Jan 17, 2018)

Beech works great as a chopping board.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

always thought beech was inferior ... guess i was wrong . anyway seems that i found my solution thank you all


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## Chef Doom (Jan 17, 2018)

It's always great when we can get to the collective jumping high five moment with the rolling credits. Quick, what is the official KKF theme music?


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 17, 2018)

what is kkf ? hahaha

edit: nvm im stupid lol


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## JaVa (Jan 17, 2018)

Chef Doom said:


> It's always great when we can get to the collective jumping high five moment with the rolling credits. Quick, what is the official KKF theme music?



Its got to be Star Wars?


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## Chef Doom (Jan 18, 2018)

I was thinking maybe Simpsons but Star Wars is a good candidate


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## JaVa (Jan 18, 2018)

Chef Doom said:


> I was thinking maybe Simpsons but Star Wars is a good candidate



Cmon

You know your making lightsaber sounds when your waving your gyuto around in the kitchen. Throw on a black cape and a Darth Vader mask, talking with a low voice to your vegetables how the force is strong in them while chopping, calling all your veg Luke and telling them how youll pull them to the dark side while throwing them in to the pan - I mean Death Star. 

... so kinda fitting IMO.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 18, 2018)

I make Japanese sound's


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 18, 2018)

https://youtu.be/4ZgVXQnJhzA
Like this


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## StonedEdge (Jan 18, 2018)

filthy_dwarf said:


> what is kkf ? hahaha
> 
> edit: nvm im stupid lol


This made me laugh way more than it should have


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 18, 2018)

Job well done


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## Chef Doom (Jan 18, 2018)

JaVa said:


> Cmon
> 
> You know your making lightsaber sounds when your waving your gyuto around in the kitchen. Throw on a black cape and a Darth Vader mask, talking with a low voice to your vegetables how the force is strong in them while chopping, calling all your veg Luke and telling them how youll pull them to the dark side while throwing them in to the pan - I mean Death Star.
> 
> ... so kinda fitting IMO.


Bwahahaha


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## Drosophil (Jan 18, 2018)

JaVa said:


> Cmon
> 
> You know your making lightsaber sounds when your waving your gyuto around in the kitchen. Throw on a black cape and a Darth Vader mask, talking with a low voice to your vegetables how the force is strong in them while chopping, calling all your veg Luke and telling them how youll pull them to the dark side while throwing them in to the pan - I mean Death Star.
> 
> ... so kinda fitting IMO.



How...? Have you put cameras in my kitchen?!


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## Vils (Jan 18, 2018)

I have boards from both The boardsmith and BeauGrain in Canada. All wonderful but things from Canada seems to evade custom in the EU easier.
Treat them all with a mix of one litre of mineral oil and 100g beeswax. I use that slurry on wood utensils and knife handles as well. Works for tired feets to


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 18, 2018)

One litre ? So much?


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## Drosophil (Jan 19, 2018)

filthy_dwarf said:


> One litre ? So much?



It's more about the ratio (10:1). You can make it as thick as you like. I prefer "butter" to "slurry" (5:1 or 6:1), but there's no wrong way of doing it.


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 19, 2018)

i mean the board is that hungry?


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## HRC_64 (Jan 19, 2018)

No, you don't need a litre...100ml bottle should be adequate


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## filthy_dwarf (Jan 19, 2018)

ok ty


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## panda (Jan 20, 2018)

anybody out here use hinoki?


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## Paraffin (Jan 20, 2018)

panda said:


> anybody out here use hinoki?



I use the Shun medium and large hinoki boards for vegetables, and switch to a Hi-Soft for meat and fish. Hinoki boards are great! Very gentle on the knives, very lightweight for transfer to the sink for washing. No oil used, just sandpaper to freshen the wood if it picks up too many cut marks. Smells good.

Downsides to hinoki: It's so soft that you have to cut no more than 45 degrees away from perpendicular to the wood grain or the blade will stick. It's a bit prone to staining, although wetting down first will help. It's also prone to warping, but this can be helped by wetting down both sides when washing. Oddly, the thin .5" board doesn't warp at all, the .75" board tends to warp. I just use the other side and it settles down. I've seen one hinoki board (can't remember where) that had two walnut strips at each end, which seems like a good idea.


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## panda (Jan 20, 2018)

that's the yoshihiro one


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## Paraffin (Jan 20, 2018)

Yes, yoshihiro! That's where I got the Hi-Soft board, and now I remember seeing in the brochure that came with it:

https://echefknife.com/product/yosh...-cutting-board-with-anti-twisting-walnut-rim/

Maybe I'll try one of those when the ones I have get too beat-up.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jan 21, 2018)

@Paraffin used any of these for pull slicing with a usuba or deba? The softness sounds good for the edge (unless it will stick too easily?), the warping tendency sounds like a nightmare for that application...


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## Paraffin (Jan 21, 2018)

I don't have any single-edge knives, but I don't imagine it would be much different than pull slicing with my thinner double-bevel knives, which are very sharp. Just pull _across_ the wood grain, which the shape of the board encourages, and it's fine. You won't feel the knife sticking (otherwise these boards wouldn't be popular for sushi). 

The board will accumulate fine knife marks over time, but it's not enough to impact cutting, and you can just sand it smooth if you get any deeper cuts. One advantage of a board intended to be kept free of oil or wax, and a wood this soft, is that it sands very easily.

As for the warping, it hasn't been a major problem so far. As I mentioned, it's only the larger board that sometimes develops a very slight curve, which flattens out again after repeated use of the other side and making sure to rinse both sides when washing. The small one doesn't warp at all. The Yoshihiro board linked above with walnut edge strips may eliminate any worries entirely, but I haven't tried it.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jan 22, 2018)

@Paraffin with a truely flat profiled knife (noodle knife, usuba), a half mm of board concavity over several cm can drive you insane.


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## Paraffin (Jan 22, 2018)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> @Paraffin with a truely flat profiled knife (noodle knife, usuba), a half mm of board concavity over several cm can drive you insane.




Yeah, I can see where that would be an issue for some specific things like cutting noodles with a menkiri. All my knives including the nakiris have a little curve in the profile, so for me, it's not a deal-killer if the board is just barely convexed. Only one of my hinoki boards tend to do that anyway. 

It's all trade-offs. I've used big heavy end-grain cutting boards in the past, and these days I'm just more into lighter-weight boards that I can swap out for different things, and wash easily in the sink. I'm also working on a fairly high (custom) kitchen island, where a tall end-grain board would be too high. The thin hinoki and Hi-Soft boards are the right height.


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## HRC_64 (Jan 22, 2018)

Paraffin said:


> These days I'm just more into lighter-weight boards that I can swap out for different things, and wash easily in the sink.



+1

Not every cut with every knife needs to be your best board.
I use single ingredient boards for bread and protein.
This really minimizes the damage to main boards.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jan 22, 2018)

That is what has still kept me from getting a 9+ inch gyuto to this day - needs just too big a board - an 8 inch already has a propensity to distribute too much stuff over the counter (and floor) if used with a household, letter paper sized board..


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