I’ve seen articles from time to time about the anti-microbial properties of wood. I use wood cutting boards exclusively - plastic gives me a serious case of aesthetic ickies. I don’t like how it looks, I don’t like how it feels. I scrub my wooden boards down even between tasks and I haven’t died yet. I understand that in a different environment I’d be compelled to use color coded boards, and knives, but as long as it’s just me, I just seriously clean as I go. There, I’ve admitted it!
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I think being overly fastidious about disinfecting things does no favors for the health of your gut and immune system or the environment. I usually clean my block and my cutting boards with hot water and maybe a squirt of Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap. Ditto for wooden spoons and the wood and tampico dish brush. I toss the natural, hence biodegradable, sponges and scrubbing pads in the D/W. The knives are usually cleaned only with hot water and a wipe. They get a drop of dish soap if they were cutting raw animal proteins.
Speaking of cutting boards, I tend to think of them as part of my knife battery. I just got a small one with a trough for drippings on one side, replacing a bamboo. I have two larger ones. All three boards are maple, but none is butcher block. I cannot understand why people seem to like plastic, bamboo, or Epicurean boards. You can find comparably priced maple with a little looking. My oldest board has, so far, lasted since 1976. It did split once but was easily repaired with JB Weld Woodweld.
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Hi Vecchiouomo,
I once did everything you did. Still, I threw my monster away in disgust: Knives don’t belong in slots–they contaminate and get contaminated–even when they fit like a saya–and they’re the cutting storage equivalent of a gas guzzler car.
I did just purchase OOU red–a slotted solution that gets around most of my earlier objections. It’s space efficient. It’s double action hold is in the top inch or so–with most of the blade not touching anything. It can be periodically taken apart for deep cleaning. And knives can be relocated or replaced at will with no slot size issues.
BTW, I could easily accommodate all your knives with just my two magnetic solutions–including your 12".
Hi Meekah,
I have four, three different wood boards that sometimes sit on top of a much larger wax like poly one next to the sink. I only use the poly one by itself for bloody meat that I can wash and clean immediately in the sink.
I share your attitude toward wood.
My most recent wood board–a Japanese Hinoki–has a very pleasant odor that I can smell throughout my kitchen.
Ray
I have that small one with a trough, too. And I think of my boards as co-partners with my knives. And I oil the when I remember too. Same goes with my huge wooden salad bowl. I’ve had two of my boards for more than 40 years and everything is doing fine. I believe everything is maple. I can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t use wood, unless health department regulations mandate otherwise. Just looking at them relaxes me.
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Except for while we’re traveling, all meals come out of our kitchen. We don’t dine out in town nor do take out or delivery. That means 3x7x24 meals constructed from scratch produce.
Here are my countertop knives.
And this guy who lives in a drawer and sees the light of day once a year at most.
I hate vegetable prep but love butchering, breaking down chickens, larger cuts of meat.
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Where is your cleaver? 
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I knew you have another knife.
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I did say “counttop”. In fact, I have several more cleavers but they seem to be in deeper storage than I feel like searching,
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For me, it’s the other way around 
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Hi Pilgrim,
Your batterie is just crying out for a nice (preferably wooden) magnetic strip to make them grabbable.
The cherry wood one I have would handle them all.
Ray
Thanks. They live in one of those dreaded cubes, except for the cleaver which hangs on a hook.
Good selection. #4 looks ready for retirement, or grinding down to a smaller shape. What did/do you use it for?
You are on target. That knife is probably older than I, and I am certainly candidate for retirement.
It is what household calls “the knife”. As in, “where is the knife?” Perhaps $1 at a garage sale, if that much. It takes a super edge and is forgiving. It is the abused stepchild. Ruthlessly draw though a knife sharpener. Ready in seconds for the next attack. Or more savagely sharpened on husband’s grindstone(s).
My knife skills would make a salable comedy video. But my knives perform albeit my abuse. And my cooking ain’t that bad.
In answer to your question, I use it for most veg prep, taking down a chicken, cleaning up a chop or steak. Husband uses it for cheese and salami.
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Good for most things but rocking.
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Actually, both your knife #3 and #4 are taking on unusual shape – and most certainly because the bolster is causing this. I cannot tell from the photo for that carbon steel Chef’s knife.
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What do you think about knives with half-bolsters? Is that a compromise worth considering. I know that many are made that way (and I have a couple) but what about removing a part of a bolster from a knife?
I have about a year ago helping a friend to sharpen two knives. Both knives have already been sharpened beyond the bolster. Not only a great deal of the knife section does not touch the cutting board, it also makes it difficult for me to sharpen because the bolster prevents me from sharpening at a steep angle. I then spent significant time to partially reduce the bolster.
Yeah, I think a half-bolster is a better design.
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Thank you. I wanted to know if anyone had experience with reducing a bolster- or having it done.
