Wood Product Care Guidelines:
Cutting Board Care Instructions
You need a wood conditioner...
-
Keep the board from sitting long while wet, and do not place it in a sink full of water.
-
Our natural wood-made products will warp and crack if water is allowed to soak into the board. The board conditioner will help with this.
-
Never wash the cutting board in the dishwasher. Please do not use it in the microwave or oven or as a hot plate.
-
We make and sell our own Board Butter made from melted-down beeswax and mineral oil. If the board is used as display only, condition once every 2-3 months. If the board is used regularly, then condition it after every couple of uses. More or less may be needed depending on how dry the board gets. For best long-term care, use a conditioner anytime the board starts to look and feel dry.
-
Condition the board entirely with Board Butter on all sides and edges every time. The constant one-sided application will let the dry side breathe more than the conditioned side -this can cause warping.
-
Do not use edible oils for conditioner, such as olive, vegetable, sunflower, etc.), as they spoil and get rancid.
-
UV light will darken all woods. It will also pull the red and purple out of the exotics and turn them brown. Do not store in direct sunlight or a very naturally lit room, as this will rapidly darken the woods, and the exotics will lose their luster and color.
-
To clean, scrub with hot, soapy water without submerging, rinse, and towel dry.
-
Let the cutting board dry on a rack or its side, standing up for a few hours.
-
Store the cutting board in a perfectly flat area or stand it up on its side to prevent warping. If left flat, it is best to have feet on the board so both sides can breathe.
-
Store in a naturally lit, low-light area.
Types of Wood Species Used in our Products
Disclaimer.
Exotic woods used are primarily Padauk, Hard Maple, Purple Heart, Black Walnut, Peruvian Walnut, Spalted Maple, Cherry, Hickory, Bubinga, Canarywood, Wenge, Yellowheart, Zebrawood, and Bloodwood. Like Walnut with its slight chance of a reaction for people with nut allergens, there is a minimal chance for people to have some irritant issues with the Exotic woods. Plenty of domestic wood species can cause similar irritant problems. Woodworkers are exposed to the woods in the form of sawdust, which is exponentially more than using a cutting board.
​
These woods are more porous than domestic woods like Maple and require more care. Use the board conditioner frequently to keep the board as water-resistant as possible. The board conditioner also helps prevent the wood from becoming dry and prevents splinters. Conditioner is needed for all woods but primarily Wenge, which can be sharp if the board is not maintained.
Cutting Boards or Wall Decor?
We'll let you decide.
Most of the woods used are exotic woods to aid in my artistic type designs. These woods are not a “best-case scenario” for heavy-duty use. An entire block of Maple, Walnut, or even Cherry has been the standard in boards and blocks for commercial heavy-duty use. Most cutting boards are not made for commercial type use.
Edge Grain vs. End Grain
Edge grain cutting boards are less of a manufacturing process than an end grain board. The wood fibers standing on end in an end grain board give it a more rigid surface that will reduce the knife marks compared to an edge grain board. Edge grain boards can be very visually appealing because of the direction in which the grain runs. Edge grain boards soak up less oil/ conditioner and less liquid during the board use. End grain boards need more oil and care to keep them water resistant because the fibers standing on the end act as a straw to draw the moisture into the wood. Both end grain and edge grain are excellent in their ways. For heavy-duty use, an end grain board can be more desirable.
Long-term color will vary with Exotic Woods
Sadly, the bright and vibrant colors of the Purple Heart (purple) and Padauk (red/orange) will not last forever. Like all woods, they darken and change over time with exposure to light (UV). Products containing some of these exotic woods need to be stored in a place not well-lit by natural light.
If a board is placed in direct sunlight, it can turn dark and lose its vibrant Color within months. We offer refinishing services for a small cost for those boards that need it.
Coaster Care
-
Coasters were meant as decorative pieces.
-
They are not intended for heavy condensation.
-
Please read the Cutting Board Care Guide.
Food-grade board conditioner intends to repel water to protect the wood from swelling and cracking.
Bottle Opener Care Guidelines:
-
Coasters were designed and intended as decorative pieces
-
Not meant for heavy condensation
-
Please read the Cutting Board Care Instructions (Above)
If used correctly and repeatedly, our homemade food-grade safe Board Butter should repel water to protect the wood from swelling and cracking on all of our wood-made products.