Smurfmacaw
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 916
- Reaction score
- 7
Now that Ive owned my crazy board for a while now and used it daily I thought I would jot down a few thoughts for anyone wondering about Boardsmith products.
Production time: This is not an instant gratification product if John doesnt have one already in stock. That being said, they are produced and delivered very fast for the obvious amount of touch labor that goes in one of these boards. I think the first I got took about 2.5 weeks from order to delivery and the second batch was similar even with the Christmas holiday bearing down on us. How he makes these things so quickly, especially since they are certainly not the only things he has to work on, is beyond me. So while you cant get one overnight, the wait is by no means bad. It helps that his communication is excellent and he gives updates periodically on the status of the board(s). My latest order arrived just recently and they were obviously in time for Christmas presents. One to my mom and dad and the others for special people.
Communication: Excellent. Ive ordered things many times where you were always wondering if things were going well or even going at all. John is not that way. He kept me in the loop on expected delivery dates and I was extremely happy.
Quality: The board is constructed of end grain hardwoods and when it arrived it was smooth as a babys butt. All the glue ups are solid with no gaps or voids and the wood appears to be first quality lumber. The chamfer around the edge is perfectly even and the finish is perfect throughout. After the first oiling, I used mineral oil as recommended, there was some expansion of the wood fibers as expected but nothing that was visible, you could feel it with your fingers but as advertised, its starting to go away as we use the board more and more. Just a very slight roughness that is mostly gone now. I especially like the silicone feet he uses. They keep the board well above (maybe 3/8 but I didnt measure them exactly, just my eyeball estimate) above the surface its sitting on. This serves two purposes, to keep the wood from sitting in water and to provide an easy way to lift the board. The first is very important in my estimation since if you wash the board or get water on the counter, under the board can become unsanitary and of course sitting in water overnight repeatedly would damage the board. I often prep veg or whatever on the board and then just grab the whole board to transport to the pot or wherever were putting it so being able to pick it up easily is a plus. (Ive had boards with grooves in the side for this purpose but this is just as good or even better as that is one more place to have to clean.) My fingertips fit easily under the board so its the perfect solution.
So far, its proven extremely durable and even hacking at it with extremely sharp Japanese style knives has not deteriorated the board even slightly. It comes presoaked in mineral oil and board butter so there is not problem with it drying out. I oiled it once per week for the first month per instructions and it is still in perfect condition. Now Im hitting it once per month or if I get jiggy with the soap and water Ill rub in about a tablespoon of mineral oil. I expect this board to last a long long time.
Appearance: Well, cool is all I can say. My wife insisted our previous board by a well known maker, go into a drawer when not in use, in fact this board was sized to go in that drawer. This one is such a nice piece of artwork that she now insists it stay on the counter as it adds to the kitchen décor. Functional art and I cant really say anything better than that my wife likes it out where all can see.
Overall: I like it enough I bought two for myself, one for my parents and two more for very special gifts to people that I feel would appreciate and care for it properly. (Yes, they require care to stay in tip top condition so if you arent willing to keep it reasonably clean and put some mineral oil on it once a month then I hear a poly board calling your name.)
Price: Not the cheapest board Ive ever owned for sure; also not the most expensive. Considering the quality of the construction and materials, the value received is very high. Looks are amazing, performance is great and customer service is top notch. I most highly recommend Boardsmith cutting boards.
I honestly can't think of one thing I don't like about it.
Production time: This is not an instant gratification product if John doesnt have one already in stock. That being said, they are produced and delivered very fast for the obvious amount of touch labor that goes in one of these boards. I think the first I got took about 2.5 weeks from order to delivery and the second batch was similar even with the Christmas holiday bearing down on us. How he makes these things so quickly, especially since they are certainly not the only things he has to work on, is beyond me. So while you cant get one overnight, the wait is by no means bad. It helps that his communication is excellent and he gives updates periodically on the status of the board(s). My latest order arrived just recently and they were obviously in time for Christmas presents. One to my mom and dad and the others for special people.
Communication: Excellent. Ive ordered things many times where you were always wondering if things were going well or even going at all. John is not that way. He kept me in the loop on expected delivery dates and I was extremely happy.
Quality: The board is constructed of end grain hardwoods and when it arrived it was smooth as a babys butt. All the glue ups are solid with no gaps or voids and the wood appears to be first quality lumber. The chamfer around the edge is perfectly even and the finish is perfect throughout. After the first oiling, I used mineral oil as recommended, there was some expansion of the wood fibers as expected but nothing that was visible, you could feel it with your fingers but as advertised, its starting to go away as we use the board more and more. Just a very slight roughness that is mostly gone now. I especially like the silicone feet he uses. They keep the board well above (maybe 3/8 but I didnt measure them exactly, just my eyeball estimate) above the surface its sitting on. This serves two purposes, to keep the wood from sitting in water and to provide an easy way to lift the board. The first is very important in my estimation since if you wash the board or get water on the counter, under the board can become unsanitary and of course sitting in water overnight repeatedly would damage the board. I often prep veg or whatever on the board and then just grab the whole board to transport to the pot or wherever were putting it so being able to pick it up easily is a plus. (Ive had boards with grooves in the side for this purpose but this is just as good or even better as that is one more place to have to clean.) My fingertips fit easily under the board so its the perfect solution.
So far, its proven extremely durable and even hacking at it with extremely sharp Japanese style knives has not deteriorated the board even slightly. It comes presoaked in mineral oil and board butter so there is not problem with it drying out. I oiled it once per week for the first month per instructions and it is still in perfect condition. Now Im hitting it once per month or if I get jiggy with the soap and water Ill rub in about a tablespoon of mineral oil. I expect this board to last a long long time.
Appearance: Well, cool is all I can say. My wife insisted our previous board by a well known maker, go into a drawer when not in use, in fact this board was sized to go in that drawer. This one is such a nice piece of artwork that she now insists it stay on the counter as it adds to the kitchen décor. Functional art and I cant really say anything better than that my wife likes it out where all can see.
Overall: I like it enough I bought two for myself, one for my parents and two more for very special gifts to people that I feel would appreciate and care for it properly. (Yes, they require care to stay in tip top condition so if you arent willing to keep it reasonably clean and put some mineral oil on it once a month then I hear a poly board calling your name.)
Price: Not the cheapest board Ive ever owned for sure; also not the most expensive. Considering the quality of the construction and materials, the value received is very high. Looks are amazing, performance is great and customer service is top notch. I most highly recommend Boardsmith cutting boards.
I honestly can't think of one thing I don't like about it.
