Review on John Boos Square Chinese Chopping by Byron Howell

My kitchen is a simple U-shaped structure with little countertop or food prep space. Because of this, I've trawled through many cutting boards over the past few years trying to find something that will last a lifetime, that fits well in my limited cooking space, and suits my cooking style. I prefer classic French style kitchen utensils and often use French chef's knives. I recently bought a new set of Damascus steel knives and a 10" Sabatier French Chef knife, so I needed a quality cutting board that would protect my blades. a little soft, just enough not to injure the blades of my knife, but definitely hard enough to be sure it will be something to pass down to my heirs. At three inches thick, it would be hard to imagine that anyone could ever wear out this beautiful piece of wood, even after several generations. Just don't take a huge cleaver and it should last forever. When the block arrived it was well packaged and had no damage in transit. I read in other reviews that many Ordered cutting boards from Revain that arrived chipped or dented. Well I am pleased to report that this was not the case with my order. I recommend buying Boos Mystery Mineral Oil and Block Board Cream. Even before I used it for the first time. Wash the board thoroughly with warm soapy water, being careful not to submerge the board in water. Then I immediately dried it with paper towels. When it was dry I ran to the local hardware store and bought four non-slip rubber feet with screws. I installed the legs on the four corners and now I have an even better board. Since I have the non-slip type, it doesn't slide on the granite countertop, and the bottom of the board is now raised about 1/8 inch off the countertop, so the bottom never gets caught in a puddle of water. I know it sacrifices one side of this turning board significantly, but due to the sheer thickness of this board, it didn't bother me. I'd rather have a solid and durable cutting surface that doesn't slip than an additional alternate side. After adding the rubber feet, I went to town with board cream. I squeezed a large spoonful of cream onto the board and vigorously rubbed it into the surface of the board from all sides. When I was done there was still a thin layer of beeswax cream on the board. I left it like that for the night. The next morning I wiped off a small amount of excess (the board soaked up a lot of this cream) and then applied a heavy coat of Mystery Oil. I also let it sit for a few hours and then wiped off the excess. Now the plate is polished, cured and ready for use. This is such a beautiful thing that, of course, with my wife's permission, it now sits proudly on my shelf. This board will never be relegated to a dark corner in our closets. It deserves to be shown. It is my understanding that cherry wood darkens to a rich and deep mahogany reddish color when exposed to air and light. As good as he is now, I can't wait to see how he will be in a year or two. I took a picture of it just to compare the color a year later. I've used the board several times and I can't tell you how much fun it is to use. The bottom of the wood gently supports my knife blade and provides a soft surface without feeling spongy or porous. I understand some people may think cherry is too soft and prefer harder woods, but I also have a rock maple end board which I really like too, but I find it almost looks like cut stone. I definitely prefer the cherry feel. The three inch thickness of this board is also a huge benefit, well, maybe only for those of us who are 6 feet tall and taller. I see that this could be a problem for a lower person. But for me it's a message from God. No more back pain after preparing vegetables for a delicious gumbo or Chinese roast. The increased surface reduces the strain on the back in a targeted manner. Bottom line, this device works great and I don't regret this purchase one iota. There is a very small bug that I think is easy to fix. The surface of the board is a bit rough and rough. Now I'll see if it flattens out on its own with regular use. If things don't improve in the next two months or so, I'll try a light wet sanding (always sand with oil, in this case I use Boos Mystery Oil) with 300 or 600 grit sandpaper. I've been using Board for a few weeks now and still think it's a great board. I will definitely keep this tool for the rest of my life. When you get it, just take care of it, don't abuse it or neglect it (it's a tree after all) and it will bring you years of joy and satisfaction. I recently sanded the cut surface and sides of the board with 320 grit wet and dry sandpaper with some mineral oil as a lubricant. I wasn't very happy with the factory finish of the board and it helped a lot. I pointed this out in my original review. Well, a few minutes with 320 grit turned it into a very soft, smooth, semi-gloss finish. Just make sure you use a sanding block. DO NOT GRIND without. The sanding block ensures a smooth surface throughout the panel. Sanding with the sandpaper you are holding will create bumps and indentations in the surface.