Customer Reviews

Catskill Craftsmen Wood End Grain Cutting Slab

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

I bought this expensive board a few weeks ago because I thought it would last, since it's 3" thick. After using it two times and washing it according to recommendations (mild soapy water), the board warped and split. I was amazed until I read other reviews. Apparently, I'm not the only one having problems with this board. Don't waste your money.

This board is jewelry for cutting and chopping fanatics. When it arrived I could scarcely believe the sheer mass and quality of the product. In addition to being the cutting board of my dreams, it's a work of craft art. In short, it's beautiful! I use a vegetable cleaver for most of my cutting and the solid "thunk" of the knife on this board as opposed to the annoying rattle of the plastic ones is an earthy joy. In addition, no matter how active your cutting gets, 27lbs. of wood is staying right where it started. Now for the criticism. When I got the board I bought some mineral oil and spent several days mopping the board with it until I decided it could take no more. I then used it for a couple of weeks and loved every minute of it. Then, even though there was no evidence of dirt accumulation, I washed the board in the sink with detergent and hot water (a two minute process)just to satisfy my germ hatred, dried it with a towel and put it on edge to dry overnight. To my horror, the next morning it had a crack! Not fatal, mind you, but as I said earlier, this board is jewelry and if it can't stand washing the manufacturer should tell you! Such are the joys and pitfalls of the best cutting board I've ever seen. Mine (too late) will never see detergent and hot water again. Be forewarned!

Addendum: It's been more than ten years since I bought this board. After my initial error, I never washed it again. (The crack "healed" by the way). I bought what's known as a cabinet scraper from Lee Valley tools and I use that to clean the board between uses. It leaves the board with an unbelievably smooth finish. Whenever I get in the mood I might clean the board with a bit of vinegar or alternately hydrogen peroxide since according to Consumer Reports the germs that can tolerate one cannot stand the other. I just pour one of them on, scrub with a plastic abrasive pad, and then immediately dry the board with paper towels, though I have a sneaking suspicion that none of that is necessary. If after a while the board starts looking a bit gray or dry, I just smear it with a bit of drugstore mineral oil and leave it alone overnight. Next day it's beautiful again.

If you have an appreciation for knives and take pleasure in preparing food for yourself and your family you absolutely must have a heavy, end-grain board like this one. I can't imagine being without it.

I saw the reviews before I bought it but I thought those people had possibly been careless. I apologize to them... mine split in less than 3 weeks of use and I did everything I was supposed to. Just the steam from a regular pasta cooking kitchen split it. It was beautiful but obviously it was defective. Amazon has been good about taking it back and I'm assuming I will have no problem getting my refund.

I am very disappointed. My cutting board is evidently not glued properly. After only three weeks of use (and no soaking in soap and water), it's pulling apart. Shipping it back might be a little expensive (heavy, as you know). Will look into the one year warranty. Mkleiss

I was concerned about splitting after all the reviews I read. I called Catskill Craftsmen direct, and they informed me that the splitting issues were the result of poor storage and improper care. When I purchased mine, I oiled it regularly (twice a week for the first month) and stored it upright on its edge. I haven't had an issue at all. You can't put this through a dishwasher or not oil it in very dry climates. Living in Louisiana, I was a little worried, but my chopping block is fine. Plus Catskill told me to call them direct with anymore issues. Great chopping block, great customer service!

UPDATE Dec 2011 - still going strong with no problems. Treat this board with care and it will last a lifetime.
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Original Review:
This review is in response to those who have had problems w/ cracking of their blocks. I hope it does not happen to me, of course, but after researching butcher-block oils for the safest, closest to all natural wood preservative, I have found Catskill's own product at: [...]

It was not easy finding this, which is odd, for you would think w/ all of the wooden cutting boards, spoons, and spatulas out there it would be readily available.

I keep my block on a counter w/ a dry dishtowel over it when not in use. This way i can use the space for other things.
I coated my block multiple times before using it, and try to cut only dry/dried items on it, such as lettuce, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, potatoes, etc... As for tomatoes, onions and other wet items, i dry the board off quickly after any cutting. As for raw meats, i use a polypropylene cutting board that can go in the dishwasher.

I am still coating the board every once and awhile too. Using this block is a pleasure, and for 11 years in the restaurant business, this is a reminder of my past, and a pleasure to use. You can feel the knife cut into the board or make that sound after a chop, which is like hitting the sweet spot of a golf ball to any golfer. Crazy am i? Yes, of course, but enjoying cooking one-step more with this item!

Do not forget to protect your wooden spoons, spatulas and others too!
Cheers!

Good luck!

I have to admit that, after reading all the reviews, I was unsure whether I should order this. I wanted so badly for my experience with this board to be fabulous! The size of this board both in surface area and in depth was exactly what I was looking for. Five years later, I can say without hesitation that this board is WONDERFUL. It is heavy and substantial. It stays out on my counter and I have never had to put any non-skid materials underneath it. It doesn't move unless I push it! I did buy mineral oil to treat the board. I was more religious about using it all over the board (both top and bottom and all sides) at first. But over the years I have slowed down my usage of the oil, and I tend to only oil the top cutting surface occasionally.

I have had absolutely no issue with cracking. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I guess there is enough moisture in the air to prevent dryness. I have followed all the manufacturer's instructions on care, which I have to guess may be the key. Or I just got lucky and my slab is without imperfections that lead to cracking.

This cutting slab just makes me happy. I love it! I use it every day and have put it through its paces for the past five years. I am confident that I will have it for many years to come. It was well worth the investment! Could've spent a lot more and not been as pleased.

I purchased my Cutting Slab in early June 2003 and have enjoyed using it. However, in late September it developed a major 3 inch split along the edge. Seems like since there have been a number of failures you should discountinue carrying this item and offer us a refund.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Mine lasted a little longer than some of these others, but I still haven't gotten the use out of it I'd expected. It developed a 4 inch long crack along a seam after 3 yrs. Very disapointing, and judging by the other comments a common cause of failure.

Yes, this cutting board looks great and is wonderful to use, but bottom line: it failed after 3. Buy something else!