Thread: Any Butchers About - End Grain Boards

Gidday, I'm getting a large end grain chopping board done for our kitchen island as I enjoy doing all our own butchery. I've currently got a Black Maire side grain board but it's so hard on gear, way too hard a timber, for side grain anyway.

The guy whose making it has two types available, Totara/Mountain beech combo or Straight Walnut. Any ideas what the better timber would be for this type of board? Dimensions will be 400 x 600 x 40. If that makes any difference.

Any help would be great.

Cheers

Scott

totara splits really easily.... maire sure is hard....would be good on end grain maybe....ive got a couple of oak side grain ones that are lasting well.as is the wattle one...

That Black Maire is a great timber. I once saw an end off cut from an old telephone pole cross bar, it was a trial run of Black Maire and had the wee brass plate with date and trial etc ...very cool little paper weight.

Any timber board will be more sterile than either glass or plastic. Totara contains a natural antiseptic but is a very soft timber and will mark very quickly. Eucalyptus makes a good board.

white pine/kihikatea is ideal as it has no scent.....why it was used for butterboxes I believe....not sure how it will stand up to chopping.

Ditto what Micky Duck mentioned above, especially on end grain.However the tried & true std is an end grain Kauri.Every dinkum corner butcher had one. Probably have to put your hand deep in your pocket if you can source one

Could be wrong but I read somewhere ''Black Maire'' is the hardest of our NZ hardwoods with Rata a close second.

Originally Posted by ghosts

Could be wrong but I read somewhere ''Black Maire'' is the hardest of our NZ hardwoods with Rata a close second.

Black maire second in density to Southern rata. Maire more stable, so better suited to furniture and flooring, if you can find the stuff.

Did a bit of reading and sounds like walnut is the way to go, best to stick with one type of timber as minimises chances of it moving once glued up.

This is the Maire one I have at the moment, beautiful bit of wood but like cutting on marble, not ideal.

Interesting thread.
Cant say I have ever considered the block in a causing knife wear fashion im more concerned with damaging the block.
But then the only block I have used regularly is basically just a flitch of native not a manufactured "block"

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Interesting thread.
Cant say I have ever considered the block in a causing knife wear fashion im more concerned with damaging the block.
But then the only block I have used regularly is basically just a flitch of native not a manufactured "block"

Most of the time not an issue, but with these hardwoods it's next level hard. The block pictured is close to 10 kg and it's only 40mm thick. I never used to worry because I was using cheaper, easy to sharpen knives. Now I've got a couple nice Japanese and German ones, because I enjoy cooking a lot, I want to look after them a bit......and the end grain boards do look pretty cool, not going to lie.

We have a Australian marri chopping board it's hard on soft steel knives.

Originally Posted by nor-west

We have a Australian marri chopping board it's hard on soft steel knives.

Yea and I've heard with the very hard Japanese knives, prone to chipping them.

Originally Posted by McNotty

Yea and I've heard with the very hard Japanese knives, prone to chipping them.

Yep, Japanese knives hold a bloody good edge but hide them from visitors and your better 1/2's as they do chip easily if you try and use them in a way that was not intended by the maker!!!!

Mine are hidden

I make end grain boards but don’t really use any NZ timbers. I really like the look of white oak.The walnut we get here is no where near as nice as the USA stuff. But the middle board is un oiled walnut and oak if you wanted to see what it looked like. Bottom board is oak, walnut, jarrah and some Purple Heart I think. I have yet to go and get some Padauk that stuff looks amazing.
Top board is all oak with a @Ripi ;knife.






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Originally Posted by Ranal

I make end grain boards but don’t really use any NZ timbers. I really like the look of white oak.The walnut we get here is no where near as nice as the USA stuff. But the middle board is un oiled walnut and oak if you wanted to see what it looked like. Bottom board is oak, walnut, jarrah and some Purple Heart I think. I have yet to go and get some Padauk that stuff looks amazing.
Top board is all oak with a @Ripi ;knife.






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Thanks for that man, your boards look bloody nice! Do you sell any?