Wooden Cutting Boards - Face, Edge & End Grain

Face Grain, Edge Grain & End Grain Cutting Boards: What's The Difference?

Let's start with what are the three types of wood grains in a 2" X 4" piece of lumber, the 4-inch-wide side of the board is your face grain. The 2-inch-narrow side is your edge grain and the top and bottom of the board is your end grain. These three different grains offer special characteristics to cutting boards. Face grain cutting boards show the most striking view of the wood and is a favorite for kitchen decor. Face grain is the least porous, so it is not as friendly to kitchen knife blades as the other two grains. Edge grain offers the second striking view of the wood and is the most structurally sound. Edge grain boards have the least chance of warping and are somewhat better for knife blades. End grain is the best on kitchen knife blades. Let's go back to that 2 X 4. If you laid it down and tried to split it in half with an ax on either the 2-inch side or the 4-inch side you wouldn't be able to do it, chances are it will just bounce off. Now stand that board on end and try splitting it with an ax and it will split easily. The end grain allows the blade to enter the board, and that is what helps protect your kitchen knives. End grain cutting board are generally thicker than regular cutting boards because the exposed grain makes them more susceptible to warping. Their beauty comes from the patchwork of individual blocks that make up the board and why these boards are normally called Butcher block boards.

Why Wood Is a Safe and Environmentally Friendly Material for a Cutting Board

Wood has several advantages over other types of materials when it comes to antibacterial properties. Wood is a natural product of nature that is proven safe for humans and our environment. It is also biodegradable and renewable. It can be repurposed or composted instead of filling up our landfills.

A published study from the National Library of Medicine, on 9 different kinds of wood including our walnut and maple cutting boards. They naturally reduce the growth of bacteria faster and more completely than a plastic alternative.  This makes it a great board material for chopping raw meat and seafood. You’ll have to clean and maintain it, of course, but when you do, you’ll have a hygienic surface to always work with. Their study shows up to 99.8% protection against bacteria.

Features of All 3 Types of Grain for our Cutting Boards

Premium Walnut, Maple, and Teak 

We resource our Walnut and Maple wood here in the Northeastern part of the United States and our Teak wood from countries that have a sustainable supply. We buy premium grades to get nice grain patterns as well as being mostly knot free.

Thick Sturdy Planks

All our boards have a thickness of over 1 inch with most being at least 1 1/2 inches. We do this because our experience for a board to last multiple decades you need to start with a thickness that is less likely to warp overtime. With basic care and maintenance, chances are your kids and grandkids will probably be using your beautiful board(s) someday.

Reversible Boards, Juice Grooves & Side Finger Grips

All our cutting boards have Juice Grooves on one side. This side is best used for your juicy meats and vegetables. Flip it to the flat side using your side finger grips and it is perfect for cutting your vegetables and fruits. I like to cut on the juice groove side and use the other side for serving and display.

Food Grade Mineral Oil Finish

All our boards are shipped to us after being soaked in food grade mineral oil. My competitors tell you what to do before you use your new board but here at The Bamboo Guy I want you to start enjoying your board as soon as you get it. To be sure that your board is ready to go right out of the box, I personally hand oil and wax your board with Clark's cutting board products. I suggest adding some to your order, so you'll be ready the next time to oil or wax your board. They also make a great cutting board soap that helps clean and condition your board as well.

Face Grain Shows Off the Beauty of the Grain Patterns, Especially Walnut Face Grain Cutting Boards

Of the three types of grains face-grain, edge grain and end grain, Face grain cutting boards is where you see the most gorgeous part of the grain. They are made by gluing the edges of plank boards of wood together to create one large surface. We do not use narrow planks of wood we use wide planks to show off more of the beautiful grain.

Difference Between Edge Grain Vs Face Grain Cutting Boards

Difference in Durability & Stability

Face grain cutting boards like we say above shows off the face of the grain, whereas edge grain shows off the tighter pattern of the grain. Edge grain is still a beautiful grain but different from face grain. The benefit difference really comes down to durability and stability. The edge grain that runs vertically is the strongest direction for anti-warping whereas face grain with the vertical grain has less anti-warping qualities. Our boards start at 1' thick for the smallest board while the two larger sizes are 1-1/2". These are solid hefty boards, with some basic good practices for wood Products, like oil or wax it and don't put in the dishwasher, these boards will last many years. I still have some face grain cutting boards I made over 40 years ago and are still in great condition. If you would like to see our edge grain cutting boards click here

Differences in Edge Grain and Face Grain Cutting Boards Vs. End Grain Cutting Boards

You now know what to expect from edge grain and face grain cutting boards but what are the main differences between the edge grain and face grain cutting boards Vs. end grain? 

Face grain and edge grain cutting boards both have horizontal grains, while end grain cutting boards have vertical grains. The main difference between the two, is that horizontal grains tend to show cuts and marks quite clearly, while vertical grains don't. Both edge grain and face grain boards have long horizontal grains but end grain has short grains which make for a board that takes more care and maintenance to avoid warping. Check out our end grain cutting board care and cleaning blog article.

End Grain is generally considered the best option when it comes to cutting board quality and knife preservation, end grain cutting boards (remember the 2 X 4) are the only type with vertical grains. the knife cuts the vertical and horizontal grains, when it strikes the surface, but in the case of the end grain (made by gluing many blocks on end), the vertical grains snap back, protecting both the board and the knife. the vertical grains are gentler on knife blades, and it also means that you won't be left with long lasting cut marks as the vertical grains are able to self-repair. 

Here ae the links to our Rubber Cutting Boards, Face Grain Cutting Boards, Edge Grain Cutting Boards & End Grain Cutting Boards.

Cutting Boards Make a Wonderful Gift: 

Because of their usefulness and beauty: Given cutting boards to family and friends or clients and employees is a onetime event, but the benefits of these boards will continue every time they're used – and if they cook they will be used a lot! Cutting boards when treated right will be kept for years if not decades. If by chance the receiver would prefer a different size board or kind of wood, we always offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all of our products.

For our more in depth blog article on Face Grain, Edge Grain & End Grain Cutting Boards Click Here.