The 1927 Difference

Every maker tries to fill a gap in the market, something unique no one else has!  I put a great deal of thought into these boards, let me give you a quick tour.

 

After studying everything I could find on what makes a great cutting board, I brought together as many elements as I could to build one of a kind, heirloom products.  It starts with the wood, only great wood makes great boards.  I am lucky to live in an area of the country rich in native hardwoods.  I get my wood direct from the saw mill.  The gentleman who runs this business is extremely particular about the quality of wood he buys, from logs he dries in his kilns or more exotic woods he get elsewhere.    Since I can select each board myself, I get the best figures, grains, and colors available.  Something that makes my boards look different, is, the wood in most boards comes from the same tree.  Saw mill boards are not ready for use from the mill.  I must put straight edges on the boards and plane them flat before making the cuts needed to construct a board. I never use dyes or stains to color wood.

 

Construction is done the best way I know how.  Once the pieces are cut, I use anywhere from 4 to 6 different species of wood to get the unique colors and contrasts.  My cutting boards are also edge grain, meaning, the board is cut and the “face” is actually the edge of the board.  This is commonly called butcher block and gives better knife feel, as well as better durability.  The emerald cut on the base gives the cutting board a “lighter” appearance and makes it easier to pick up.  In reading what “America’s Test Kitchen” thought was important, the board should be heavy enough to not move during cutting.  Boards from 2”-3” were preferred, my cutting boards are almost all 2".  (Most cutting boards on the market are 1” and usually face grain.) The different pieces are joined using waterproof and food safe glue (Titebond 3) with pipe clamps that exert about 200 lbs. of force.  After 24 hours the boards are ready for planning, sanding, more sanding, the emerald cut, and finally more sanding.  When all that is done, I spray the board with water.  During sanding wood fibers get broken and the first time they get wet they stand-up creating a rough surface.  By wetting them and letting it dry I can do a final sand to remove them so when you clean your board it doesn’t feel like a brillo pad the first time it gets wet!  Last, I apply food safe mineral oil, multiple times and FINALLY apply the wax to help seal the wood.  A car buffer removes the excess wax and it’s ready for its close up and the website.

 

Design is the really important part.  All this construction isn’t worth a darn if it’s an ugly design.  Designs are pretty simple, I lay out dozens of strips, of all colors and species, and assemble what I think is an attractive design.  Often, I need to cut strips into thinner ones to get just the right look.  But until I start, I have no idea what will come out.  On this website there is one and only one of each design, no two are exactly alike.  My production is limited, my design unique, it’s a one of one situation.