Is Hinoki wood cutting boards okay for knives?

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the reason bamboo is bad for knives is that it's really hard and will mess up your edge extremely quickly.

Hinoki is the exact opposite. It's very soft, which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you do and how you cut (you will have deep gauges if you whack it too hard).

My understanding is that hinoki is a bit more tolerable of water.

The one in the photo seems to be made from a single piece of wood, which shouldn't crack if you look after it.

Separately, stains will show because it's very light. It's very easy to sand it though.

Lastly, I like the cedar smell of hinoki when it's wet.
 
How does it compare to say a maple board? I've only ever tried a boardsmith maple board before so that's my only reference for wooden boards.
 
khashy said:
the reason bamboo is bad for knives is that it's really hard and will mess up your edge extremely quickly.

Hinoki is the exact opposite. It's very soft, which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you do and how you cut (you will have deep gauges if you whack it too hard).

My understanding is that hinoki is a bit more tolerable of water.

The one in the photo seems to be made from a single piece of wood, which shouldn't crack if you look after it.

Separately, stains will show because it's very light. It's very easy to sand it though.

Lastly, I like the cedar smell of hinoki when it's wet.
Click to expand...

Khashy is right. Hinoki boards are very easy on your knives and are soft to the point where digging your nails into it will dent it. They're definitely tolerant of water, you typically wet it before use, it helps to keep it from absorbing anything unwanted. Sanding is easy and will get rid of most things you don't want as well.

Maple blocks are a completely different animal.
 
Jordanp said:
How does it compare to say a maple board? I've only ever tried a boardsmith maple board before so that's my only reference for wooden boards.
Click to expand...

I have not tried maple, so others will need to chime in. Compared to walnut, it's softer. Mine actually feels pretty good in terms of feedback but it's thicker than the one you are looking at. It also looks nicer than walnut imho.

Full disclosure btw, my board is Aomori Hiba but it's similar enough to hinoki for me to be able to comment.
 
I use hinoki boards and agree with what others have said here. Definitely very edge friendly.

While I haven't tried maple boards, I understand they are fairly heavier/sturdier. Hinoki boards are usually light.
 
Thanks guys for your opinions helps making a decision on one a little easier!
 
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