# John Boos butcher block cracked, no answer from tech support



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

I purchased a John Boos butcher block a couple of years ago, and it now has a crack in between two of the square tiles. Considering the price I paid for it I was hoping for the board to last me a bit more than a couple of years!! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif

More importantly, I have contacted John Boos (from their website at http://www.johnboos.com/) a few weeks ago and never received an answer. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/frown.gif

I am contacting them again today, with a link to this thread, maybe that'll wake them up? Let's see if I get an answer this time.


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## johnboosmktng (Jan 29, 2014)

Hello, Please contact me about your Boos Block cutting board. My email address is [email protected]


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Thank you Mandy! I was coming back here to update the thread to say that I haven't had a response from John Boos once again. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/frown.gif But your answer is giving me hope. I will send you an email now.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Mandy asked me for a few photographs of the crack and offered to send me a new board. Since my board is now discontinued, she offered a choice of two larger and thicker ones, that are also more expensive than what I originally paid. I picked the one I wanted, and they're going to ship it to me.

I have to say, I'm glad I posted about the issue here, and I'm glad Mandy saw my post and offered to help! Outstanding support. I will buy Boos again with confidence. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

That's interesting... nice response from Boos.

I  wonder how many firms in the biz keep an eye on this site?

Mike


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Yes, that's really nice. I received an email today stating my new board shipped, along with a tracking number. It should be here by the end of the week - I can't wait!


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## thecytochromec (Jan 16, 2013)

That seems like some pretty legit customer support. I'll keep this mind for my dream-kitchen. One day...


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

I got my new Boo's board today in the mail! I'm stocked! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Nice!

hope you enjoy it for many many more years!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Thanks!


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## mocoondo (Aug 20, 2012)

Just happened to see this thread from a few months ago.  I also have a John Boos maple cutting board and one of the squares has developed a crack all the way around it.  It wasn't due to misuse either.  I regularly treat the board and never submerge it in water or other liquid.  I only wipe it off and towel dry when done.  Needless to say, considering what I spent for the thing, I am very disappointed that it didn't hold up too well.  I haven't had the thing for more than 6 months or so when the crack developed.


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## raibeaux (Dec 21, 2012)

From my own past inexperience, placing hot items on a board will cause problems.  I had a habit of using it for placing hot dishes on straight out of the oven.  I have a newer board, but still use the old one a lot for doing the same thing....sometimes I'll cut on it  and then use it as a hot dish trivet.  A couple of boards are separated slightly, but it's a handy way for me to work.  The newer "good" board I only use for cutting now that I'm smarter.


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## mocoondo (Aug 20, 2012)

I reached out to Mandy this week on my faulty Boos Block cutting board. She responded immediately and asked for photos. I hope they can make this right. Paying almost $300 for a maple cutting board 2 1/4" thick, I expected a lot more than wood splitting completely through the board after only a few months, I'll let you all know what kind of resolution I get. When I tried the www.johnboos.com website form, I got absolutely no response.


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## autoredial (Oct 22, 2012)

This doesn't sound like great service. You shouldn't have to post in a forum to get service from the company. Mandy's response is saving the reputation of the company but the company is failing her and their customers. If I weren't on this forum, am I SOL?


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## mocoondo (Aug 20, 2012)

autoredial said:


> This doesn't sound like great service. You shouldn't have to post in a forum to get service from the company. Mandy's response is saving the reputation of the company but the company is failing her and their customers. If I weren't on this forum, am I SOL?


Just a quick update regarding my situation: I have a maple end grain John Boos that I paid close to $300 for, well less than a year ago. I treat it with food grade mineral oil regularly...every 2 weeks or so. It has started splitting in at least three areas and on both sides. I have been in contact with Mandy. I believe Mandy isn't in customer service per se, but rather a marketing representative, but anyway, it is nice that she is an open line of communication. When I tried communicating with John Boos customer service through the website form, I received no reply. She received photos from me showing three different areas with cracking and glue separation. She passed the photos along to Customer Service who is apparently deciding what they might be able to do for me. Still no decision has been made. Hopefully they can either fix it (I am not sure how), or issue a replacement.

In the interim, I have stopped using my John Boos because I am concerned about bacteria in the cracks and cross contaminating my food. I am quite disappointed because I really loved my Boos Block but it really hasn't held up to my expectations despite being very well cared for. I know some people don't even do anything to their boards, but I keep mine clean and oil it regularly.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

As far as quality is concerned, I haven't heard any complaints about Boardsmith's nor Michigan Maple Block's cutting boards.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

I have a similar board, but not boos. It too is cracking along a glue line. It has remained that way for about a year. It closes a bit depending on humidity and temp, as well as time between oiling. I only use it for prep and cooked food like pizza. Never for anything raw other than vegetables. I scrub and clean normally but try not to leave it wet (i.e. salted vegetables) for too long to seep into the crack and make it worse.

You have options which in the end can and will be a major pain in the arse. I've tried a strap clamp to see if it generates enough pressure to close the crack but to no avail. The other option is to block it, drill a perpendicular hole through the board across the crack (like a "chord" in geometry) and install a bolt after countersinking the ends. Glue, and tighten the bolt. You have more than one crack. (post pics?) All in all, a pain in the arse, and not sure it's worth it. 

Replacement board, depending on the crack size/ depth. You might just want to keep using the board for one thing - veggies or meat. Get another for the other. 

If they get you a replacement : firewood.


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## mocoondo (Aug 20, 2012)

After two plus weeks of back and fourth emails, I am totally getting the runaround from John Boos relative to my defective, heavily cracked, 9 month old, $279 John Boos cutting board that is supposed to be under warranty.. Suffice to say, we will not be welcoming any future John Boos products into our home.

Despite being very careful with the board, never getting it wet, and regularly treating it with food grade mineral oil every couple weeks, this is what we ended up with all over the board:





  








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mocoondo


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Definitely not worth a damn, in my opinion.

Although Boos blew me off, I did take the time to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and initiate an investigation with the Illinois Attorney General in hopes that other people won't get screwed as we did. I have since discovered many other reviews on the net where people had their John Boos boards crack and split open. Obviously they have a quality control problem which they fail to acknowledge or provide any assistance with through their sketchy, never completely disclosed product warranty.

They actually have a real clever scheme going. If you want service, you have to return to your selling dealer, which in our case was an internet website. Because the board is unwrapped and used, the selling dealer will not exchange it and insisted I contact the manufacturer for service. Guess what happens when you contact John Boos, the manufacturer? You guessed it...From Lisa Sieben, Customer Service Manager, "As we do not sell direct form the factory all warranty issues must do through the dealer that it was purchased from."

And with that, I guess I am now the proud owner of a $300 piece of firewood.

If you are contemplating a John Boos product, be sure to choose wisely. My cheap $20 bamboo board has held up longer than the junk John Boos sold me.


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## raibeaux (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi.  I have a fairly new Boos board that I want to take care of, and was wondering how you keep yours clean and sanitized without getting it wet.  I've been washing mine with soap and water, rinsing it and drying it, and standing it up to let it finish air drying.  If I've been cutting raw meat, the last thing I do is spray it with sanitizer, and leave the sanitizer on it for about five minutes before rinsing and drying.  I am pretty careful about getting the edges dry.

It seems to be working fine, but I'd like to know your method, too.  I put board cream on my board about twice a year.  I have another Boos that's developed a couple of small cracks that I've treated the same way, but I've been using it since 1997.  They are both side grain.

Thanks.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

> Originally Posted by *Raibeaux*
> 
> ...I put board cream on my board about twice a year. I have another Boos that's developed a couple of small cracks that I've treated the same way, but I've been using it since 1997. They are both side grain.
> 
> Thanks.


I apply mineral oil or mineral oil + beeswax (board cream) at least every three to four weeks and mine from BoardSmith has held up just fine and with no cracking nor splitting at the seams. I'd recommend that you oil/cream yours at least once a month.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Oh, and also I wash it weekly with soap and warm water the dry immediately afterwards.


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## jimbo68 (Feb 3, 2012)

If you cannot get service from Boos, the board can be repaired by sawing the board in two along the crack, and regluing. If you do it carefully, there will be no need for resurfing.

Cracked boards are generally the result of climate differences. Wood swells and shrinks based on humidity.


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## raibeaux (Dec 21, 2012)

I use the mineral oil between the cream sessions, but I'm a little more anal about it since I've gotten into sharpening.  I only got this new one because I needed a larger board.   I have had a couple more Boos blocks over the last 50 years and really, even the ones I didn't take particularly good care of held up pretty well.  I had my first couple of boards for several years each, and they MIGHT have seen oil every couple of years.  Still worked out ok if I kept my magnifying glass in the drawer.  This new one, I'm keeping it looking spiffy.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

jimbo68 said:


> If you cannot get service from Boos, the board can be repaired by sawing the board in two along the crack, and regluing. If you do it carefully, there will be no need for resurfing...


If so, then I'd recommend taking the split board to a very competent cabinet maker who could do the job easily enough.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

I've considered sawing mine in half but I don't have access to a shop. Besides it would require two semi circular blocks to clamp it shut, or a flat blocking above and below to align the surface with multiple clamps to apply equal pressure along the perimeter. Either way, if a cabinet maker did it I'm sure it would cost money. So getting a new board might be the most cost effective?

As I said, mine has remained relatively stable. You might consider collecting saw dust from a local shop and mixing it with wood glue and filling the crack. Wood glue is non toxic iirc. Those cracks look really small.


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## mocoondo (Aug 20, 2012)

Just a quick followup...I never envisioned I could find myself involved in so much drama over a cutting board, but the bottom line is that it appears John Boos Mandy is doing the right thing by me and there is now a plan in place to replace our defective board within the next few weeks when a production cycle occurs. So for now, we patiently wait. It took almost two months(?) back and fourth, but I think we are all finally on the same page. Also, I would be remiss if I did not point out that were it not for Chef Talk, and Mandy, a delightfully helpful marketing rep., we would have been dead in the water as John Boos customer service for the end user seems virtually non-existent.

I feel that in the future, if I buy another John Boos product (and that's a big IF), I will only buy from a brick and mortar type store. I appreciate quality products, but even moreso, I appreciate a company that stands behind their products. We bought our board online through an internet website that is an authorized dealer, as they were the only source we could find that carried the particular board we wanted. As it turns out, presumably due to contamination concerns, they do not accept return of any product that has been used, such as a cutting board. The manufacturer in this case doesn't care to deal directly with their customers, so that, in turn, started this big back and fourth fiasco, compounded by the fact that (a) we failed to save our receipt, and (b) we have since closed the credit card account we used to make this purchase back in November of last year. Who saves a receipt from months ago on a product that is supposed to last forever? I bought this board as a Christmas gift for my wife. She was thrilled with her new kitchen gadget and that was supposed to be the end of it. The receipt was probably attached to the box that got thrown away, but in any case, valuable lesson learned.

Someone previously posted a question about how we care for our cutting board. Of course, we keep it oiled with a good quality food grade mineral oil. I am very careful to do this about once every 2-3 weeks. I like to rub the oil in and then let it soak down into the board over night. I noticed that the John Boos board we have that split open always seemed to be VERY thirsty, moreso than any other board we've had, so I don't know if maybe it was just bad wood or whatever, but I would put a fair amount of oil on the board and it would soak right in. For cleaning, we use a stainless steel ... what do you call those things? A dough cutter or scraper ... anyway... to gently gather up any loose items and then I wipe the board down with a damp sponge. If the board had any residual dampness left, we would immediately wipe it dry with a towel. Never did we leave any water on the board, and certainly no dishwasher or anything goofy like that. Despite that level of care, our board still cracked and split, so we may revisit how we care for the new one going forward. I would assume that with a product that is allegedly the highest of quality such as a John Boos, the end user would not have to overthink how to use the board, but I can assure you we will not take the next one for granted.

Anyway, I think we finally see some light at the end of the tunnel and I'm glad to hopefully be able to put this issue behind us.


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## johnboosmktng (Jan 29, 2014)

John Boos & Co. Customer Service Email Address

[email protected]


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## lennyd (Dec 3, 2010)

MikeLM said:


> That's interesting... nice response from Boos.
> 
> I wonder how many firms in the biz keep an eye on this site?
> 
> Mike


Judging by the ever increasing amount of adds and the serious work out the anti tracking programs on my computer are getting I would have to say more than a few lol.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Mocoondo said:


> ........................ Of course, we keep it oiled with a good quality food grade mineral oil. I am very careful to do this about once every 2-3 weeks. I like to rub the oil in and then let it soak down into the board over night. I noticed that the John Boos board we have that split open always seemed to be VERY thirsty, moreso ..............................


It sounds as if the board was extremely dry. As time goes on and treatment applied using mineral oil (and occasionally mixed with beeswax), my board drinks the oil (and wax) much slower and slower.


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## bbutcher (Apr 9, 2014)

Great customer service from John Boos, I've been thinking about buying one of their boards


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

BButcher said:


> Great customer service from John Boos, I've been thinking about buying one of their boards


Also take a look at the boards offered at BoardSmith in NC. Their offerings are of equally high quality and I love mine.


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## bbutcher (Apr 9, 2014)

I will Koko TY


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## nasigoreng (Feb 22, 2015)

About a week a go our large Boos block made a loud bang and split along the bottom, about 2/3 through the thickness of the board.  This board is about 18 months old and should not have failed like

this.  I have tried to submit a question to Boos but their website is useless. 

The board has never been soaked and has been oiled when it looked dry, a board of this quality, with modern manufacturing processes and materiel's, should not suffer a glue failure which is what this looks like.  I am frustrated, I thought we bought quality but it looks like we did not.

The lack of a response is galling, very annoying.

Nasi


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## nealc (Feb 26, 2015)

i have a Boos board that is splitting where the glue holds the individual blocks together and have contacted Boos.  i got a response, but continue to be told my board is out of warranty.  i even referred them to this thread where clearly someone with a similar circumstance got their board replaced, but they said they can't speak to another's circumstances.  i offered to send photos of my board, but they weren't interested.  LAST BOOS PRODUCT I WILL EVER OWN.  don't stand behind their products and provide inconsistent customer service.  it's a shame Mandy didn't get my original email apparently.


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