Choosing the right board

So you'e decided to buy a wooden chopping board and you have decided against getting the standard mass produced, factory cut bore-board and instead you want something impressive, a bespoke rustic cutting board handmade in Cornwall because, well, your awesome, but what to choose and where to start.

I sell 2 main types of chopping boards, edge grain or end grain. 

Edge grain or Waney edge boards are natural wooden chopping boards like the style James Martin famously uses. Cut from a single piece of timber and then shaped and sanded (sanded and sanded and sanded) before being sealed with mineral oil and beeswax. In regards to longevity these boards are very robust and if looked after will last for many years but as you are cutting down across the grain the boards are susceptible to marking depending on the species (see Janka hardness below). Despite this I personally prefer a big natural slab of a chopping board with a live edge.

End Grain chopping boards are an assortment of different pieces of timber arranged to face the cutting surface with the end of the grain. The cutting surface is harder and more resistant against knife cuts and in some cases have been shown to self heal where the displaced fibres move to fill the cut, imagine the end of a piece of rope held tight. The collection of different woods can be utilised to yield beautiful patterns and produce very interesting boards. While when looked after correctly this boards will last decades they do have one often overlooked weakness in that they are held together with incredibly strong glue. The glue will stay strong through all uses of a chopping board and even with a fair bit of rough handling but it can be susceptible to breakdown if the board is left out in the sun. Please consider this when buying a chopping board if you intend to use alongside your BBQ on hot sunny days. 

Janka Hardness is perhaps the most important factor to consider when buying a chopping board. The Janka hardness scale is based on how pounds of force is required to imbed a just over 1cm metal ball into the wood, it dictates how easily your knife will mark your board. The lower the number the easier the board will mark but the easier it will be on your knife as well. The softest wood you will see on this website is sweet chestnut which will mark without a great deal of pressure from a sharp knife but many seasoned chefs prefer because it will not blunt a knife. Alternatively English walnut is twice as hard as sweet chestnut and will laugh at your feeble knife's attempts to mark it (unless of course you put considerable effort into doing just that. I will include the janka hardness value on all edge grain chopping boards but due to the arrangement of fibres end grain boards are much harder and also harder to estimate.

Please also consider the size and weight you require for your chopping board, ideal chefs-boards are heavy, preventing them from slipping around too much.

Aesthetics is also an important factor but lets be honest, thats down to you?