Hinoki Japanese Cypress Wood Cutting Board, Large

Quite worth the money. It doesn't stain easily and smells divine—like there were trees outside!Update: it still looks great! It does not stain as easily as one might think being a soft wood.

See my review of the Apple cutting board. Make sure you clean it immediately and take care of it. Do not use bamboo or other hardwoods as cutting boards they ruin and dull your knives every time you use them. Invest in a softer wood like Hinoki wood which is. Japanese cypress. Has a wonderful scent.

Protects knives and it doesn’t hold odors. Wet it before using !

This cutting board is so pretty, very sturdy and thick but lightweight, smells amazing, feels good to use, and so far has been gentle on my knives. I haven't had problems with staining, chipping or warping (I've had it a few weeks). I got to the Amazon page via a link in the manufacturer's website (Kodai). Be careful searching for it directly on Amazon because the page I bought it from didn't show up at all (in multiple searches for hinoki cutting boards) and I came across a few with the Kodai name that were slightly to extremely different in the photos and had complaints in the reviews. It also seems like the reviews are shared across several sellers that claim to have the same product in the title even though they aren't the same in the photos. Go to the Kodai website and get the link to their Amazon seller (they have a thick version which is what I got and a thinner version). The real one is made of thick strips of wood that run lengthwise while some photos of possibly imitation products showed them as having a two thin surface layers on both faces with a middle layer sandwiched in between. The imitation ones are the ones that garner bad reviews.

This is my second Hinoki cypress cutting board in 10 year. My original board is still working great, I just wanted a thicker cutting board. The Japanese cypress smells so lovely. These boards "heal" themselves if you soak them in water. The knife marks disappear. If the board gets stains, pour boiling water on it and let it dry outside in the shade. Stains gone! They are so sturdy and light weight. Cypress is a natural germicide, so it sterilized itself. No worries about cutting raw chicken on the board. Just a rinse with warm soapy water and the wood takes care of any remaining germs. (Photo note: Chibi Totoro appeared just as the photo was snapped. He disappeared again but left behind a small pouch of acorns and nasturtium seeds.)

I have not really used the board yet, but it’s beautiful. I searched quite a while to find a hinoki cutting board to use with Shun knives and one that was thick, large enough for prep work, but not so large that it is difficult to store. This board seems to fit the bill. If it turns out otherwise I will update, but I expect it to work very well.

Love it.