We divide wooden cutting boards into three distinct categories – serving/charcuterie boards, edge grain and end grain (butcher block).
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Our edge grain boards are created from several strips of wood which are glued together. The wood grain is oriented horizontally.
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Our serving/charcuterie/live edge boards are generally made from one piece of wood. The wood grain is oriented horizontally. Live Edge boards feature the natural profile of the tree.
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Our end grain (butcher block) boards are assembled from many pieces of wood. In these boards the wood grain is oriented vertically.
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In edge grain boards, which may be made of one solid piece of wood, or strips of wood glued together to make a larger piece, the grain of the wood runs across the surface of the board. When a tree is growing, water and nutrients are transported through tube-like cells that run in the same direction. (Think of a fistful of drinking straws.)
In an end grain board these cells run perpendicular to the cutting surface of the board. End grain, or "butcher block" boards are generally more resistant to repeated cutting and chopping and, since one's cooking knives are not slicing through the wood fibers, they are more likely to hold their edge longer. While we wouldn't go so far declare end grain boards as "self-healing", many chefs opt for these boards.
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While La Collina's live edge "Charcuterie" boards - by this definition "edge grain boards" – may be used as cutting boards, we consider them more as serving platters. We apply six coats of our custom finish to these boards and allow thirty days of curing between each coat (yes, that's six months!) to create a durable finish which both accentuates and protects the natural beauty of these exceptional pieces of wood.