# Hinoki Cutting Boards



## daveb

Any special care or feeding instructions for Hinoki boards? Much thinner than my Boardsmith and Boos boards. Same oil it, rinse it, some shelf liner under it as other wood?


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## aboynamedsuita

I have the Shun branded hinoki boards from Cutlery & More, possibly considering an upgrade at some point. Apparently they don't need oil; I put Boos Butter on two of the three, and the one without doesn't seem any worse off from regular home use. Because they are thin, if cutting moist produce, the moisture can enter the board and temporarily cause it to bow. In my experience, this can be corrected by placing a damp cloth underneath (also helps prevent movement) and strategically drying or misting each side as required.


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## Asteger

I remember asking a couple times in Japan about how they deal with their boards, but I wasn't asking about any specific wood, and if they used any oil and the oil-thing wasn't at all known to them. Therefore, maybe oiling the board isn't necessary. I don't think it'd hurt, though. I'd probably do it but after trying it without.


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## daveb

Bump.


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## RubbishCook

I have had two hinoki boards for a couple of years now, Shun and Kodai branded ones and as far as I can tell they don't need any special care. I just wash them with dish soap and cold water after use and let them dry (I lean them up against a decanter drying stand). 

My housekeeper put the Shun in the dishwasher and it felt a bit dry afterwards so I put J.K. Adams Mineral oil on it and that was about a year ago and it hasn't felt dry since. I use both boards a 2-3 times a week. 

I have not noticed any bowing with my two.


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## aboynamedsuita

Part of the problem with the shun is they are so thin, they range from 3/8" to 3/4" depending on the size. The bowing isn't severe, although it wound give it a bit of a temporary wobble.
I now have the replacement I mentioned above, will post more in due course


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## XKFC

shun's is thin and is not a single piece, i have one from power of wood which is really good, never oil it


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## Fedusa

On Aframes, he mentions saturating the boards with water before use so smells don't transfer between board and food but thats for cypress and willow. No mention of hinoki.


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## zitangy

if I may chip in....

a. any glued boards if soaked in water for too long will weaken the joints and thus come apart. No problem as you can always clamp it with wood glue. Big clamps are no cheap though. ON thicker solid 1 piece cutting boards like Burmese Yellow Heart wch tends to hv micro fissures on the surface, it needs alot of water. I wash it it lavishly with water or a short time soak

b.Light coly wood It does tend to discolor or stain easily . Thus i do not use for cutting dry food only and no oily stuff

c. I now leave mine un-oiled as I like the light color look and oily maintenance is an occasional light sanding for tht cleaner look

d. I always put it up sideways after washing. to prevent any warping as it is less than an inch thick.

hv fun... D


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## laxdad

Fedusa said:


> On Aframes, he mentions saturating the boards with water before use so smells don't transfer between board and food but thats for cypress and willow. No mention of hinoki.



Hinoki is Japanese Cypress


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## Fedusa

Well, there you go. I was thinking honoki which I don't think is generally used for cutting boards.


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## Keith Sinclair

I like them easy on your knives. Use a smaller one for light prep. silicone strips under so no slip.


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## panda

i just picked up a cheap one off amazon and i love it!! 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L92LS81 (i got the x-large one which is laughable because it's same size as my "small" hi-soft one, haha but i guess this is XL for home use)


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## Keith Sinclair

I had the thin one after a while warped some maybe partly cuz did not wash & dry right away. The 1 inch thick worked better.


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## Runner_up

I'm a big fan. Really light and very easy on knives. As mentioned above the trick is to saturate the board with water before using it. This prevents stains and smells from seeping into the board. Wash with soap and cool water after, and stand to dry. These boards should not be oiled.


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## Ceriano

Runner_up said:


> I'm a big fan. Really light and very easy on knives. As mentioned above the trick is to saturate the board with water before using it. This prevents stains and smells from seeping into the board. Wash with soap and cool water after, and stand to dry. These boards should not be oiled.


Does it hurt to oil them?


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## Runner_up

I don't think it would hurt it, but it's really not necessary.


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## waxy

Ceriano said:


> Does it hurt to oil them?



Mineral oil does not hurt them, in fact it's highly beneficial and recommended - Antimicrobial properties is an added bonus.
At a minimum, use food grade wax, it's food for wood - hydrate and protect the fibers from an aged, cured wood.
The last thing you want to do is saturate it from years of drying, expect the wood to expand and ruin the surface.
Resurfacing them every year simply by sanding.

I use many different varieties of Hinoki and Icho cutting boards, end grain, edge grain, solid chamfered, solid live edge.
My favorite definitely isn't the edge grain as far as maintenance, still good as a workhorse, not always good for yanagiba's because the fibers tend to be uneven.
Solid is the easiest to maintain, extremely rigid, loud sounds from knife impact.
End grain has little to no vibration from knife impact and low sound, easy to maintain

If any of your boards warp, soak them in mineral oil or splash with water and put some weight on it to flatten - Stand dry, never lay flat because of the moisture.

Mold is a sign it's been in the dishwasher - Sad to see this but many people do this.
By doing that, it destroys the Hinoki wood properties.

It's also a cutting board, not a chopping board, really soft wood and gentle on knives.
I bring this up because I see silly reviews on Amazon from user error.
Please take care of Hinoki wood, they're one of the best woods we've been graced with.


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## LostHighway

Fedusa said:


> On Aframes, he mentions saturating the boards with water before use so smells don't transfer between board and food but thats for cypress and willow. No mention of hinoki.



Dampening the board (both sides) before use does cut down on odor and staining issues which these boards are prone to. I think totally saturating the board is both unnecessary and just asking for trouble. I was taught that the Japanese do not oil or wax their Hinoki boards.


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