This is a very old thread, but it's one that I bookmarked for my own kitchen renovation nearly two years ago. This thread is mixed with positive and negative reviews of butcher blocks for countertops in kitchens, and as a result of the negative reviews in this thread, I passed on the idea of a butcher block countertop at the time. However, after more reading since my countertop decision was made, I have learned that an end-grain butcher block countertop is more durable than an edge-grain one and could make the difference in how a butcher block countertop is experienced. The posters above who had negative experiences didn't specify which type theirs were. Also, maple is more reactive with moisture than other species like cherry which is more stable against moisture, so you would see more cracking from the expansion, contraction, and warping due to moisture exposure with maple than with other woods commonly used for butcher blocks, and at least one of the posters above with a negative butcher block experience had maple. There is also a concept of open-grain and closed-grain woods. Oak and walnut are considered to be open-grained woods, so not as suitable for butcher block even though butcher block is still made in these species, particularly walnut. Maple, cherry, and hickory are closed-grain woods and more suitable for a working countertop. Of these three woods in order of hardness, cherry is softest, "hard maple" is harder ("soft maple" is also available and is closer to cherry in hardness), and hickory is hardest. The harder woods like hickory are more dense and could possibly crack more easily with moisture exposure, but they also bear up against knife marks better. Since sanding a butcher block top is something owners often choose to do about once per year, it shouldn't make a difference really if choosing among cherry, maple, or hickory for the hardness alone. Caution should be exercised in terms of spot-sanding, as doing so over a long period could cause the top to become uneven. It is better to sand the entire top at once. Mineral oil is the standard for countertops frequently used as work surfaces including chopping, and the oil really should be applied regularly, like once per week, throughout the life of the butcher block to provide the best protection. A wax plus oil conditioner is also a possibility. If I had the option, I would definitely re-consider putting at minimum an end-grain cherry butcher block inset into my kitchen after the information I've found since first bookmarking this thread. John Boos is one of the biggest suppliers of end-grain maple and cherry butcher blocks in all different sizes and thicknesses, and the best prices on these can be found by shopping around online at kitchen and restaurant supply websites. A thickness of three inches is usually recommended as the minimum to make a butcher block inset look its very best, but that thickness could decrease for logistical needs if the entire countertop were being done in butcher block. If an inset is chosen, one of the better ideas I have seen is to let the inset sit higher than the surrounding countertop and do only a minimal silicone seal or nothing at all so the inset could be removed for cleaning and re-surfacing if needed. One last item I'll mention is that the separation and cracking sometimes seen with end-grain butcher blocks could be almost completely avoided by using a dovetailed configuration, but this is so rare among manufacturers today that it's essentially impossible to find without a custom build by a manufacturer who specializes in this. Below are two photos of dovetailed butcher block.

I just checked the John Boos site. The 72x36 (6'x3') block of 1.5'' maple top is $576. We bought all our Boos countertop from Old World Butcher Block for the exact same price as that on the Boos site, plus a "crating" fee that was worth every penny. I know you said you don't want to cut on it, so I looked at the "varnished" finish as opposed to the oil. (oil is less expensive) We went with (are going with? what is it when the island isn;t installed yet?) Boos maple butcherblock on the island (almost 13 linear feet, in an "l" shape) I LOVE the way it looks. I am so looking forward to using the island as a working space, but I understand your wishes for a clean, non-cut upon space. Still, $3200 for a tabletop is an outrage. Here is a link that might be useful: old world butcher block

We redid our kitchen a few years back and did most of the work ourselves. Also have hardwood (oak) floors throughout house. We eneded up covering the linoleum kitchen floor with engineered hardwood and it looks great. We did not try to match the tones of the hardwood floors adjacent to the kitchen and went with something very different in tones and grain. As for mixing countertop materials, I think it can look great! We did mostly soapstone and then light maple butcherblock and they look so nice together. I like the way the wood softens the overall look of the kitchen, and it is also a really pleasant (and quiet) work surface.

I'd plane the surface because it's so much faster and more pleasant than sanding; but if you don't have a good smooth plane that you know how to sharpen then sanding with a random orbit sander--preferably one with a vacuum attachment to contain the dust. Use one of your better N95 masks while sanding either way. If there are deep stains that you need to remove start with 80, then 120, 180, 220, 320 grit. (I'd do one farther than Klem, but his suggestion will work too, it comes down to personal preference) If the damage is superficial you can start at 120. Don't try to skip grits as it will end up taking forever. (and use your sandpaper as if someone else is paying for it!) Be sure to sand with each grit untill all of the sanding marks from the previous grit are gone. Check by wetting the surface with denatured alcohol or water; if you see swirls keep sanding. When you get to the last grit dampen the entire surface, let it dry and then sand very lightly with fresh paper at the same grit to knock off the "fuzzies" that will pop up -- better than than when you apply a water-based finish if you go that route. This is a long, unpleasant task, expect to spend many hours sanding. An alternative is to take it to a cabinet shop who has a wide belt sander to do all the initial work. You'll still want to do the finer sanding steps by hand. Finish will depend on intended use. For a durable utilitarian finish I'd use polyurethane or a traditional varnish like Waterlox. I prefer oil-based, but that will give you an amber tone like the table has currently. Target Coatings and General Finishes make water-based poly's and conversion varnishes that look a whole lot better than the big box store brands; some can be brushed on some need to be sprayed. Not staining is a really good choice on maple! Klem-- I use a card scraper when I want the surface to look perfect!