What’s the deal with OAK cutting boards?

[@rerawho]

Before I started making cutting boards a friend gave me a white oak side grain board. We’ve been using it for 6 years. During that time I treated it once with mineral oil. Yeah, we pretty much abused the cutting board. It looks a bit dry but nothing has happened to it. Either myself or my wife cut on it almost everyday and it gets washed and wiped dry. I’m here to say white oak is a great wood for cutting boards. I agree, never use red oak.

[@AKSawdust]

Thank you for posting this. Great experiential evidence.

[@budgillett9627]

Very good info and to the point. I very much appreciate concise point focused videos not two minute videos that are 20 minutes IMO.

[@AKSawdust]

Thank you! I appreciate the positive feedback.

[@garethcollins8201]

Good video. I think that more research is needed as I have been using oak for chopping boards for years and have never had any issues. White oak has been used for butcher blocks for over 200 years and some of those butcher blocks are still around. My biggest questions are 1. Why not use danish oil that creates a water resistant seal and closes up end grain with the imbedded resin? And 2. Chopping boards are not supposed to left to soak in water. Every board that I have ever made or physically seen says wipe down after use. Leaving your board in water for 12 hours is just asking for trouble. But great video, I did find it very useful. P.s use Iroko, no need to oil it every and will never rot, the grain is tight and it's easy to work.

[@AKSawdust]

Thanks. I appreciate the thoughts and support. I agree, people have been using oak in cutting boards for a long time, but that doesn’t mean that it is best. And I know plenty of people who use it. My point is if you have the option of using white oak instead of red oak or cherry, walnut, etc. that might be a better option. Thanks for the idea of danish oil. I’ll keep that in my craw for another experiment and video. As for the 12 hour issue, I would never advocate for a board to be soaked - Boards should always be dried immediately after they are washed. I just figured that I had the material cut and in the liquid, might as well add a longer soak to the experiment. Never had the chance to work with iroko, but someday I’d like to.

[@fouroakscrafts7240]

Nice video and I really like your experiments. For the reasons you show I've always steered clear of red oak as a cutting board. I have used it for a bread board which doesn't involve much liquid or moisture. But even as a bread board, I've noticed that the red oak grain tears quite a bit so then I might worry about small splinters. I normally stick to maple or cherry for the cutting boards I've made and they hold up pretty well. Thanks for sharing and just subscribed.

[@AKSawdust]

Thank you for the support and for sharing your experience. I appreciate the thought on splintering. I hadn’t thought of that aspect, but now that you mention it, completely makes sense.

[@zoltan2728]

I was told that oak is a bad cuttingboard material because the tannins. I finished with foodsafe hard oil and beeswax and i have no problem… In the other hand tannin is antibacterial…

[@AKSawdust]

Pretty divided concept in the cutting board community. Studies have shown oak to have antibacterial properties (many woods actually, not just oak) and therein, the argument to use oak in food applications… but it also has a very fast absorption rate and this the argument against it. I too was taught that red oak is a forbidden material for cutting boards, but have eased up my stance on it after reading the research on its antibacterial properties - still don’t use it much, but that is mainly a aesthetic preference.

[@zoltan2728]

@@AKSawdust I live in Hungary, the salary is not too high here about 7-900$ is the big average so if you are a hobbyst you need to take big care on the prices. In my area pine, oak, red oak, (not black) walnut and beech available. I mainly use construction pine/sprouce because the prices. Recently I needed to make some shelves for myself then I bought some red oak for it. I made the shelves and made some cutting boards from the leftovers. The cutting boards are in use without problems. Yet buying beech for home use cuttingboards would be a bit overkill.

[@brendan1516]

Wow thanks! Quick and straight to the point!

[@AKSawdust]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the support.

[@jessehidalgo963]

I would enjoy a video comparing the difference between Maple, Walnut etc. Nice video.

[@AKSawdust]

Thanks for the support. That video is in the works. Hopefully it will be out shortly.

[@neildsilva-px3tx]

Is the comparison video out yet ?

[@AKSawdust]

I wish I could say it was - had some family and life circumstances change and have not gotten to it since.

[@PointManify]

I would like to see what white oak looks like compared to maple, cherry, and walnut. If the others are significantly more resistant to absorption, then I would want to use them. In terms of hardness and workability, all four are similar.

[@allenhess6583]

Thanks ,very informative. Greetings from Maine.

[@AKSawdust]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for the support!

[@cairns38]

Good Video, thanks, Video Idea. If anyone has time and access to the tools it would be interesting to use a closed grain cutting board and red oak. Wash both the same amount of time and take a bacterial sample. Too bad mythbusters is no longer on tv.

[@AKSawdust]

That would definitely be interesting! I’ve done something similar with my classes using wood vs plastic boards. I might just have to make a red oak board and use it for this purpose. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@curtisasher9011]

Waiting on the newest video!!!!

[@AKSawdust]

Me too! Seems like I had a lot more free time during the Rona years…

[@jacobschweitzer2954]

This is a great video. Very informative!

[@AKSawdust]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful.

[@claib4]

Did you make the second video yet? I would like to see how walnut, maple and cherry compare

[@DCWoodWorking]

Great information!

[@AKSawdust]

Thank you. I appreciate the support.

[@NoLumberLeftBehind]

Thanks, very helpful

[@AKSawdust]

Absolutely! Glad it was helpful!

[@drippiemikk]

Fantastic video, I enjoyed this the whole way through! Keep putting stuff like this out, hence a subscription and a new fan on your channel - wish I could make this. How do you have so little subscribers, the algorithm will treat you right ASAP! Greetings from Denmark my friend! 😀

[@AKSawdust]

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words and support!

[@GumriRN]

Oh GREAT! All I did was ask my kitchen contractor to make a nice cutting board on an extra cabinet I didn't expect we'd have. So if I'm right, he made it in Oak! Now what can I do? I'm not sure what type of Oak this is! It's actually the countertop for this cabinet so removing it is not a great option. Any suggestions? We haven't treated it or used it yet. ANY HELP?

[@AKSawdust]

Truthfully, people have been making cutting boards and butcher blocks from oak for a long time and many people still use oak. I personally don’t make boards from oak for because of the pores, but i don’t think I’d fret too much. Keep it well oiled and clean. I am working on a couple of follow up videos to this one that might help. Hope to get them out soon.

[@Cuchulainn42]

I saw a documentary on the oak that was used on the USS Constitution. A type of oak called “live oak.” Which was so dense and heavy that cannon balls would bounce off of her sides which gave her the nickname “Old Ironsides.” Have you tried this type of oak? I know it is heavier. I’m only curious.

[@AKSawdust]

I believe live oak is one of the white oak subspecies. I’ve not personally used it (although my local lumber shop just sells generic white oak), but my understanding is that live oak is very dense and hard on your tools.

[@Cuchulainn42]

Live oak is hard on mechanical tools. When they built the USS Constitution, they didn't have any. However, I wasn't sure if it was a subspecies of white oak; that is good to know. I did enjoy your experiment and totally agree with your findings regarding red oak. I like American walnut or hickory. Thank-you@@AKSawdust

[@nicmc3077]

Why not try the same experiment with beeswax

[@AKSawdust]

When I unit made this video I planned a whole series, just never got to it. It’s great idea though. Thanks!

[@JojenPaste]

Same here. I wanted to know if clogging up those pores with beeswax would essentially eliminate them.