Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are your boards non-toxic and food safe?
Yes completely.
Every Timber Traditions board is finished with Odie's Oil hard wax no synthetic coatings, no chemical sealers, no plastic layers. The finish is food safe from the first cut and stays that way through years of daily use.
Hardwood itself is naturally antimicrobial. Walnut and maple contain natural compounds that inhibit bacterial growth without any synthetic treatment. Unlike plastic, hardwood doesn't develop deep knife grooves that harbor bacteria over time. With regular conditioning using our All Natural Wood Conditioner, the surface stays sealed, clean, and safe for your family's food.
No shortcuts. No compromises. Built to the same standard your kitchen deserves.
2. How do I care for my board?
Caring for your board is straightforward:
- Hand wash only with mild soap and warm water. Never put it in the dishwasher.
- Towel dry immediately after washing. Don't leave it sitting in water.
- Oil monthly with Timber Traditions All Natural Wood Conditioner food safe mineral oil and pure beeswax. Apply a light coat, let it absorb overnight, wipe away the excess.
- Never soak your board in water. Prolonged moisture exposure can cause warping and splitting.
- For a natural refresh, scrub the surface with coarse salt and half a lemon, rinse, and dry immediately.
A well conditioned board lasts for years. The conditioning takes five minutes. It's worth doing.
3. Do you guarantee your boards?
Yes. Every Timber Traditions board is covered by a 1 year guarantee against manufacturing defects and damage on arrival. If your board arrives damaged or fails under normal kitchen use within the first year, we'll repair or replace it no questions asked.
We build boards that are meant to outlast the guarantee. But we want you to buy with complete confidence, and that means standing behind every board we ship.
If something isn't right, contact us directly. We'll make it right.
4. Why choose a hardwood board over a cheaper one?
Cheap boards are designed to be replaced. Ours aren't.
Plastic boards develop deep knife grooves that trap bacteria and shed microplastics into your food with every cut. Cheap wood boards warp, split, and break down within a year. Bamboo is harder than most knife steel and destroys blade edges fast.
Solid hardwood works differently. Naturally antimicrobial surface that doesn't require synthetic treatment. Knife friendly construction that preserves your blade edges. Edge grain or end grain builds that resist warping and hold up through years of daily washing and heavy prep. Finished with Odie's Oil hard wax no coatings that leach, no plastic layers, nothing that doesn't belong near your food.
The price difference is real. So is the difference in what you're putting your family's food on.
5. How are your boards better than bamboo?
Bamboo is technically a grass, not a wood and it performs like one.
Bamboo is harder than most domestic hardwoods, which means it dulls knife edges faster than almost any other cutting surface. Most bamboo boards are mass produced from compressed strips glued together with formaldehyde-based adhesives. The surface looks clean but performs poorly over time hard on knives, prone to splintering, and difficult to condition properly.
Timber Traditions boards are solid hardwood walnut or maple with no composite construction, no synthetic glues, and no coatings that leach into food. Naturally antimicrobial. Knife friendly. Finished with Odie's Oil hard wax and built to last for years of daily use.
If you've been using bamboo, the difference will be immediate.
6. How do I pick the right board?
Start with how you cook:
Edge grain cutting boards Solid walnut or maple, edge grain construction. The working board for daily prep. Stable, knife friendly, and built for years of heavy use. Best for home cooks who prep multiple times a week.
End grain cutting boards The most demanding construction. Wood fibers run vertically so the knife parts the fibers rather than cutting across them. Self healing surface. Best for serious home cooks who do heavy daily chopping and want a board that gets better with use.
Charcuterie boards Face grain serving boards in a range of shapes and sizes. Built for serving, not heavy prep. Best for everyday meals, shared plates, and casual use.
Not sure? Contact us and we'll point you in the right direction.
7. Will my board show knife marks?
Yes and that's exactly what's supposed to happen.
Knife marks mean your board is doing its job. Every mark on the surface is a mark that didn't go into your knife edge. That's the point of a knife friendly cutting surface.
End grain boards handle this best the wood fibers run vertically, so the knife parts them and they close back around the cut over time. With regular conditioning, end grain boards genuinely self heal minor surface marks.
Edge grain boards will show marks too, but they stay on the surface rather than cutting deep. A well conditioned edge grain board handles years of daily prep without breaking down.
If you want a surface that stays visually clean, use a charcuterie board for serving and a dedicated cutting board for prep.
8. What's a juice groove, and do I need one?
A juice groove is a precision carved channel around the perimeter of the board that captures liquids meat juices, fruit runoff, sauces before they reach your counter.
You need one if you regularly cut proteins, large fruits, or anything that releases liquid during prep. It keeps your counter clean and your prep area contained without any extra effort.
You don't need one if your board is primarily for dry prep vegetables, bread, cheese or if you're using a charcuterie board for serving only.
It's a practical upgrade, not a decorative one. If you cook proteins regularly, it's worth it.
9. Will foods like beets or berries stain my board?
Sometimes but it's rarely permanent.
Most surface stains from high pigment foods like beets, berries, and turmeric fade on their own over time. Fresh stains respond well to a scrub with coarse salt and half a lemon, followed by an immediate rinse and dry.
Regular conditioning with Timber Traditions All Natural Wood Conditioner is your best prevention. A well oiled surface is less porous, which means pigments sit on the surface rather than absorbing into the wood.
If a stain persists, light sanding followed by reconditioning will restore the surface. That's a repair option plastic boards simply don't have.
10. Why do people love Timber Traditions boards?
Because a good board shows up every day.
Not just for special occasions. Not just when company's coming. It's there on Tuesday night when you're throwing together dinner after a long day. It's there Saturday morning when the kids want pancakes. It becomes part of the rhythm of your kitchen the surface you reach for without thinking, the one that's always clean, always ready, always holding up.
People don't talk about their plastic boards. They talk about the ones that last. The ones with a little history in the grain. The ones they'll eventually hand down.
That's what we build.
Have more questions?
We're here to help. Whether you're choosing your first hardwood board or adding to your kitchen, contact us directly and we'll point you in the right direction.