SolidMapleWoodworks

There is no standard width for hardwood lumber.
Most lumber produced at the sawmill is a random width, somewhere between 4" - 8".
Lumber that is 9" wide harder to come by.
Lumber that is 12" wide is harder still to find.
A solid, one piece cutting board is obviously limited to the width of the lumber that it comes from.
In order to produce a solid cutting board, many hours are devoted to scouring through stacks of lumber, hand selecting each board one at a time, to ensure it is wide enough and suitable for producing a solid board.
We covet any wide lumber we can find, and we try to produce as many wide cutting boards as possible, but we are simply limited by the scarcity of the stock.

One of the most common questions regarding cutting board care is can I cut raw meat on it?
According to the USDA, wood cutting boards are safe to use for raw meat with proper sanitation, and several experiments have shown that wood generally retains less bacteria than plastic, regardless of whether it is new or used, dry or oiled, largely dispelling the myth that plastic boards are safer.
Many people choose, and we recommend, two separate boards; one dedicated to raw meat or poultry, and one for all other chopping duties.
Two different wood species, walnut and maple for example, help to avoid mixing up the two boards.

Much of our wood is sourced from sustainably harvested, responsibly managed forests in the Pacific Northwest, and milled at small local sawmills.
This cuts down on environmental impacts related to transporting lumber across the country, supports local family businesses, and makes use of a renewable resource produced right in our backyard.

Even though the tree your cutting board came from is no longer alive, you can still think of the wood as a living, breathing thing. It responds to changes in temperature and humidity by expanding and contracting, moving with the seasons.
What does this mean for your board?
It means that, in response to these seasonal changes, your board has the potential to develop things like warping, cupping, or cracking.
These are usually minor when they occur, and do not impact the function or usability of the board.
The best defense is to keep your board oiled and waxed.
If some warping or cupping does occur, and the board begins to rock, or rest unevenly on the counter, simply place a dish towel or kitchen mat under the board when chopping.

In order to make the best use of our wood resources and minimize waste, each cutting board is individually sized according to the piece of lumber that it comes from.
Since hardwood lumber is not produced in any standard size, (see above question about wide boards) using approximate sizing allows us to produce more cutting boards using less lumber.

We are a very small operation and custom work takes a great deal of time. When we get caught up with our standard boards, and have a decent amount in stock, we will occasionally accept custom orders. When we are accepting custom orders, this will be noted in the announcement bar.

Not at this time.