The Totally Bamboo Story

Several years ago, in a nook in the 'NoHo' Arts District of North Hollywood, California, Tom Sullivan and Joanne Chen owned and operated a small design and manufacturing studio. Their focus was on the design and manufacture of luxury customized director chairs for the movie industry. In their quest for a lighter weight, but durable chair, they experimented with bamboo, long known for its strength vs. weight ratio. The resulting chair was not only lighter but substantially stronger than the oak they had originally used.

Intrigued with using this renewable, ecologically friendly material as well their desire to use every scrap from the manufacture of the chairs, they set out to design various house ware products using their 'engineered bamboo'. In doing so, the world's first bamboo cutting board was developed! Bamboo, they discovered, is harder than maple, making it perfect for a cutting board surface.

Shortly thereafter, Totally Bamboo was born; launching as the premiere manufacturer for bamboo house ware products; offering everything from cutting & serving boards to salad bowls to salt boxes to utensils to Hollywood chairs. Totally Bamboo is changing the way the world uses bamboo, as a viable alternative to our precious hardwood trees.

Our Belief in Quality, Design and Construction

At Totally Bamboo we use only premium grade bamboo and then only the lower portion of each pole because it is much denser. The manufacturing of our designs is executed by highly skilled craftsmen with the guide of progressive and cutting edge engineering. For example, the Hawaiian Collection which features opposing grain end caps and inlay of contrasting bamboo, a detail commonly used in fine furniture making. This construction reduces the chance of warping in the boards, ensuring years of use. In addition to the design and engineering of Totally Bamboo Products, our factories adhere to stringent protocol, for curing and processing of the bamboo, resulting in the highest quality product attainable.

We do not use artificial dyes or stains to accomplish the color of our bamboo. There are typically two colors in bamboo, light and dark. The light is the natural occurring color of bamboo. And the darker color is achieved by 'cooking' or steaming the bamboo to perfection; literally, a result of the heating process in which the natural sugar in the wood is caramelized, producing the darker, beautiful honey color. All colors are permanent and will not fade or wash off.

The adhesive used in the making of our products is a high grade, non-toxic food grade glue which was developed by a specialized chemist for our exclusive use in the manufacturing of Totally Bamboo cutting boards and other items that may come into contact with food.

There are three types of grain in bamboo: Vertical grain, Flat grain and End grain. Vertical grain is approximately 1/4" wide and is taken from the side of the split pole. Flat grain is approximately 5/8" wide and is taken from the face of the pole. End grain is the cross section of the pole. Each grain type is beautiful in its own right and creates a distinctly different design aesthetic.

The welfare of our planet and the animals and people on it are our top priority, therefore our factories are ISO 9001 compliant which is a rating system covering non-polluting environmental issues and employee welfare, safety and minimum age.

The Story About Our Bamboo

Totally Bamboo products are made from a bamboo called Phyllostachus, Pubescens, more commonly referred to as "Moso", which is grown 500k west of Shanghai in China. This part of China has a temperate climate which encourages slower growing bamboo and therefor produces a much denser, harder and more durable culm or stalk. Unlike most other hardwoods, it absorbs very little moisture and consequently reduces shrinkage or swelling in the finished product, making it a superior material for cutting boards and other kitchen and household items. In addition to the general ecological and functional benefits of Moso bamboo, it is not a food source or a habitat for the Giant Panda.

Bamboo is actually a grass that grows to a harvestable height of 60 feet in three to five years; growing as much as two feet per day. It has an extensive root system that stabilizes the ground in which it grows and continually sends up new shoots, naturally replenishing itself. It does not require replanting after harvest, making it one of the most renewable resources in the world. The bamboo species used at Totally Bamboo, "Moso" timber, can be re-harvested every 4 ½ years…compare that to the 30-60 year growth cycle for most hard woods.

Bamboo is 16% harder than maple wood (a hard wood commonly used for cutting boards), 33% lighter in weight than oak and yet, in some instances, it is as strong as steel. Bamboo holds the promise of a sustainable, cost effective, durable and ecologically responsible alternative to a material that is a bi-product of widespread clear cutting of our old growth, hard wood forests.

Authentic Products Along With Exemplary Customer Service

When you order a Totally Bamboo product, be sure it is authentic! Look for our logo that is permanently laser etched into every item. And while our products are manufactured in China, our headquarters and warehouses are located in San Marcos California, everything ships from this location! Do not be fooled by products that claim to be made by Totally Bamboo, that look similar to ours or have packaging that resembles ours.

We feel exemplary customer service puts us above the competition and we take this very seriously. If you have a complaint or problem, we will do whatever it takes to make our customer happy. This is the basis of our customer satisfaction policy and we stand by our products.