Butchers Block

[Rhystree]

I thought hornbeam and beech was what the pro blocks were made from. any how we have tons of beech at our yard in godalming, Surrey of that's any use??

[slack ma girdle]

sycamore do not taint, which is why it is used for food use.

[tommer9]

End-grain sycamore. It is naturally sterile, and the grain closed up after the meat cleaver strikes it. Sycamore was traditionally the wood used in kitchens, and in the worksurfaces of dairies too, for the same reason.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

try evergreen oak, rock hard and tiny pores!

[Rich Rule]

beech or hard maple is used u have to think of the pore size too so as it doesent absorb fluids and stuff to much and makes it difficult to cleen !

 

Not too sore if it common practice but the Chinese butchers take a sharp large cleaver and scrape the board clean. Old blocks are almost concave from what I have seen.

[twistedhicap]

i love the dished out look of old butchers blocks! they are just character in themselves

[tommer9]

And they are scrubbed with wire or super tough bristle brush etc too. When one side becomes too dished, they are turned.

[twistedhicap]

the buthchers block brushes are used by blacksmiths as there much much tougher and last so long on hot metal rather than a normal wire brush !

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.stalkersuk.com/images/014.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.stalkersuk.com/product_info.php%3Fproducts_id%3D401%26osCsid%3D6075e5dbbc4fcfb23c8c316d6bf5169c&usg=__Vfw1ZOx8dF3IR01U9c80FZwDy5I=&h=653&w=350&sz=98&hl=en&start=37&zoom=1&tbnid=dcbPnKhcwsvRzM:&tbnh=171&tbnw=90&ei=BYxlTeftEYGs4Qb7pqndBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbutchers%2Bblock%2Bbrush%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1415%26bih%3D648%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1082&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1008&vpy=246&dur=156&hovh=307&hovw=164&tx=92&ty=241&oei=2YtlTYGoD4uChQfH0NTyBQ&page=3&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:37&biw=1415&bih=648

[Pete Hart]

Always thought that Beech was used for chopping boards and butchers blocks traditionally....however some really interesting points posted about sycamore.

I made a series of 'cheeseboards' from oak which turned out really nicely and clean up well too.

I think you can't go wrong with beech or sycamore

[Luke Quenby]

Beech or Sycamore I always thought, for most of the reasons on here already.

 

I think Ash was used in some of the more 'decorative' butchers blocks found in pieces of funrniture for the kitchen, worktops and surfaces etc. Or breadboards made to look like butchers blocks.

 

 

I'm sure you couldn't go far wrong with Hornbeam either, having had quite a bit of experience working it, hard as iron. Used to be used for gears etc in mills back in the day, so well tough! I belive the name derives from old English for 'Hard Beam' or something, as it was always used as the yolk between working Oxen and in cultivation equipment.

 

Just out of interest, I wonder how often a Butcher needs a new block? I wonder if there is a small niche market for this sort of thing, or if a block lasts for years and years? I'm sure someone will have an idea if it's not to daft a question!