Catskill Craftsmen Wood End Grain Cutting Slab
by Catskill Craftsmen
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Our Price: $79.99
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Catskill CraftsmenBrand: Catskill Craftsmen
Model: 1318
Product features:
- Hardwood cutting board for chopping and slicing
- Oil finish with finger grooves for portability
- 3 inches thick, 18 inches square, 27 pounds
- Wash with warm, soapy water; occasionally restore with mineral oil
- One-year warranty
- End Grain Chopping Block with Feet
- Catskill Craftsmen 20x20x3-in. Professional End Grain Hardwood Slab.
- End Grain Chopping Block
- Catskill Craftsmen 14-Inch Round Slab with Feet
- Catskill Craftsmen 17-Inch Round Slab, Reversible
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Catskill Craftsmen Wood End Grain Cutting Slab
Customer Review: End Grain Cutting Boards & Spliting
Summary: 4 Stars
I wanted to respond to problems mentioned by some purchasers regarding cracks and splitting of their butcher block cutting boards. These are end grain blocks. This is nice because it proves to be a soft surface for your knife edge, prolonging its sharpness and the resulting cuts on the board surface do not show if you keep the block oiled. It is problematic because wood cells run longitudinally parallel to the trunks long dimension. Thus the long dimension of these wood cells wind up being perpendicular to the cutting surface. These cells are what transport water and nutrients up the trunk over time in successive layers. Essentially they act as straws that suck in moisture. The surface of your end grain cutting block is essentially acting like tens of thousands of cut straws that suck in moisture when they get dry.
If there is an uneven ability to absorb moisture between the two end grain surfaces caused by one surface being more exposed to moisture than the other, one surface will absorb more moisture and differential movement in the wood will result which causes forces the bend, twist and can crack wood. This is the core of cracking problems in blocks like this. Another cause is that there are so many glue joints to join all the small pieces together in a block like this and the depth of the glue joints is not great ~ 2" on my catskill block. The more glue joints you have in anything built with wood, the more opportunities there are for joint failure due to stress forces developed in the wood by differential water/moisture absorption. Wood moves with changes in water content.
So, lots of exposed end grain, lot's opportunity to absorb water. Lots of glue joints, lots of opportunity for joint failure due to internal movement caused by moisture absorption increase the risk of failure. Relatively thin (2-3" depth of cutting boards) end grain blocks are great but inherently problematic no matter who makes them.
What I was surprised by when I got my Catskill block was that is was bone dry. I kind of thought this was not a good way to ship something that was going to be sitting for days in hot trucks. My board soaked up an entire bottle of the oil I got from Catskill and wanted more.
The best way to care for these is to oil them regularly and not let them sit wet at all. I now use common food safe mineral oil available from any drug store for under $3 a pint, and this is the oil commonly used by manufacturers. You need to do both sides, regularly. Keep a bottle with your olive oil and other cooking oils and use it on both sides of your board frequently. This will minimize problems, but not necessarily prevent all of them in my view. Wood is going to move. When it moves, it generates stresses within the wood. Those stresses cause cracks and joint failure over time. Wiping your board dry when it gets wet and regularly applying oil will minimize problems, keep the board looking great, and provide a very functional beautiful piece for your kitchen despite small failures.
Best of luck.
Description of Catskill Craftsmen Wood End Grain Cutting Slab
Chop like a pro using this thick butcher's block Cutting Slab, designed for your countertop, table and any area where you normally prep food. Made of hardwood, it measures 18-in. sq. and is a thick 3 inches. It features finger slots for easy handling, too. What's so great is its portability - move it to the patio for your barbecue needs or take it from counter to stovetop to sink when you're in the kitchen. Longlasting and easy to care for, the oiled finish simply wipes clean with a damp cloth. Do not soak in water for any period. Products offered by Catskill Craftsmen are made from naturally self-sustaining, non-endangered North American hardwoods, primarily birch and hard rock maple. Lumber is purchased from area sawmills, then dried, manufactured, and packaged on site. All sawdust, shavings and waste materials generated during the manufacturing process is converted into wood pellet fuel, and used to heat homes. Catskill Craftsmen operations generate no wood waste..Cutting Boards
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