# when cutting boards crack!!!



## chouxbacca (Aug 10, 2001)

well, About 6 months ago I ordered this 18x18x3" cutting board by catskill called the slab. it is end grain and cost like 200 bucks. now, It has about 15 cracks (all thin, and not very long mind you) and this is a huge dissappointment for me. It seems that at the joints it is cracking, and in some spots without explanation. I admit, that I overoiled it at first...alot...but I cant see that leading to such a problem and so quickly seeing as I have only used it for a total of 2 1/2 months. I dont know what to do, and if it is ruined...I'll probably incinerate it with my death ray vision but I would rather keep a peaceful, harmonius existence with my cutting board. Does anybody know what to do?


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## bouland (May 18, 2001)

My 25-year old, 15-inch round cutting board has many fine cracks that have developed over the years. All the the cracks are chuck full of various animal fats and there has been no problems associated with them. My board isn't as fancy as yours, it's just a section of tree trunk. I wouldn't worry about the the cracks unless the continue to grow in size. Also, have you contacted the store you bought the board from and asked them about the cracks?


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## anneke (Jan 5, 2001)

Bouland, I saw one like yours in Chinatown today. I think it went for CDN$150. I really love the idea of a tree trunk in my kitchen. Are they worth it? Are they treated with anything I should worry about? They are so beautiful.... That cutting board is probably the #1 reason I occasionally tune in to Ming Tsai's show...


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## bouland (May 18, 2001)

It doesn't sound like mine. Twenty-five years ago I paid 15 USD for it. When I priced a similar one a month or so ago the cost was up to 19 USD. Obviously not keeping up with inflation. It litterally is a 4-inch thick by15-inch diameter section of tree trunk. It seems green, not dry. I keep my board damp for the first year I had it while the surface became filled with fat. It now just gets rinsed with hot water and scrubed with a brush -- no soap.


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## daveb (May 1, 2001)

I bought "The Slab" around 3 months ago (but only paid, IIRC, about $90). Mine, too, is developing a few fine cracks around the edges. Since I do mst of my cutting in the center, I'm not too worried I just oil it thoroughly every tiome I use it.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

A leading manufacturer of cutting boards is the John Boos Company. You can contact them for advice.


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## chouxbacca (Aug 10, 2001)

Well, I ordered it through shop direct online, so there isn't much I can do about it there as far as I know. Dave, It may be a good idea to take it easy on the oil for awhile. My dad seems to think that my over oiling was the primary reason for the cracking. Since it takes forever for oil to evaporate, if you just keep oiling (like I did) the wood just keeps on absorbing, and holding onto it, and as the wood expands, it creates those little fissures in the wood. So I stopped doing it, and even though I havent used it in a month and a half, it hasn't cracked at all. plus, the exess oil in your cutting board may mix with other volatiles, like garlic oil, and make your cutting board smell unpleasant, And due to too much oil, the clorophyll (sp?) in the parsley I used made a small faint stain in the board. Not anything wrong with the green line there, but just thought I'd mention it.


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