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Exotic Woods and Long-term Color
The bright and vibrant color of the Purple Heart (purple) and Padauk (red/orange) will not last forever. Like all woods, they darken and change overtime with exposure to light (UV). Products containing some of these exotic woods need to be stored in a place that is not well lit by natural light.
If a board is placed in direct sunlight it can turn dark and lose its vibrant color fast, within months.
I have boards that are over 7 years old and look almost as good as the day they were made. Some of which have been out on display in the house for years, but in a dimly lit area.
I hope to offer refinishing services for a small cost in the future for those boards that need it.
Edge Grain vs End Grain
Edge grain is less of a process to make than an end grain board. The wood fibers standing on end in an end grain board give it a harder surface that will reduce the knife marks compared to an edge grain board.Edge grain boards can be very visually appealing because of the direction the grain runs. Edge grain boards soak up less oil/ conditioner and less liquid during the use of the board. End grain boards need more oil and care to keep water resistant because the fibers standing on end act as a straw to draw the moisture into the wood.
Both end grain and edge grain are great in their own ways. For heavy duty use, an end grain board will outperform an edge grain.
Disclaimer for the types of woods used.
Exotic woods used are primarily Padauk, Wenge and Purple Heart. Just like Walnut with its slight chance of a reaction for people with nut allergens, there is a very small chance for people to have some irritant issues with the Exotic woods. Plenty of domestic wood can cause similar irritant issues. Wood workers are exposed to the woods in the form of sawdust, which is exponentially more than using a cutting board. These woods are more porous than some of the domestic woods like Maple and therefore require more care. Use the board conditioner frequently to keep the board as water resistant as possible. The board conditioner also helps the wood from becoming dry and prevent splinters. This is needed for all woods but primarily Wenge which can be sharp if the board is not maintained.
C&G Custom Boards cutting boards as “Functional Art”
Most of the woods used are exotic woods, to aid in my artistic type designs. These woods are not “best case scenario” for heavy duty use. A full block of Maple, Walnut or even Cherry has been and is the standard in boards and blocks for commercial heavy-duty use. Most of my boards are not made for commercial type use. At some point I do plan on making some visually appealing end grain blocks that will be great for heavy duty/ commercial use without some of the exotic woods.