End grain means the board is built from the ends of the boards rather than their faces — the wood fibres stand up vertically, like the bristles of a brush. Your knife slips between them instead of cutting across them.
Two things follow. Your knives stay sharp far longer. And the board heals itself: the fibres close back up, so it doesn't scar the way a face-grain board does.
It costs more because it's far more work. Every one of those squares is a separate piece of wood, cut, turned and glued.
Honest notes
Buy this if you cook seriously and care about your knives. If you chop a tomato twice a week, the classic board is the honest recommendation.
Heavier than it looks — 14 lb.
End grain absorbs more readily than face grain. Never let it sit wet, and re-oil more often.
Hand wash only, never the dishwasher, and never leave it standing wet.
Specifications
Medium
W 11" × L 15"
Large
W 14" × L 21"
Thickness
1½" or 2"
Wood
Solid maple or walnut, end grain
Finish
Odie's Universal Oil — food safe
Weight
14 lb
Engraving
Five designs available, or none
Made in
New Braunfels, Texas
Care
Finished in Odie's Universal Oil — a food-safe hardwax oil with no solvents or heavy metals. It bonds into the wood rather than sitting on top, so it can't peel or flake, and it's repairable in place: re-oil the spot rather than stripping the whole piece.
Made to order and shipped within ten business days, by hand, in New Braunfels, Texas.
