My DH made me an end grain BB board with walnut, teak, and maple as a gift. I use it for anything and everything. I just wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it right after. No problems and no wear. It'll be very pricey but I'd check out using endgrain (if you can) to avoid wear.

I have an island with a maple butcher block counter. We are not gentle with it and it gets used and abused. I use mineral oil on it. When it gets too 'patinaed' (is that a word?) hubby sands it down and it looks good as new.
Danni (long time lurker)

So it sounds like I would have to do research on what type of oil (depending on my wood) and then determine how often I would I need to oil the wood. Is this like living with Soapstone in terms of the maintenance?

I don't mind oiling a wood, especially if it is an island where I wouldn't have to move a thousand small appliances.

I'm really glad to hear that I could knead dough and do my other cooking easily on a butcher block. My husband could make this possibly and save us a lot of money (and get a beautiful look.)

Thanks for all of the input.

It is like soapstone, though I guess it requires a bit more maintenance at first. One big difference: soapstone will not crack if it is neglected. Butcher block needs to be oiled, (or otherwise sealed - oiled is best for using directly with food) or it can crack if it dries out. You also need to be careful how it is attached to the island base, as you need to allow it to expand and contract. Wood will move a little over time and you need to let it by how you install it.

Also, is oak dark enough? Ikea sells butcher block very reasonably, but oak is their darkest. Also, Lumber Liquidators has Cherry for a good price, though their customer service can stink. I remember someone on the board had a problem with their board having a different wood on the inside. Others have not had that problem, but the customer service was dicey at best. We didn't want oak, so went with the Ikea beech.

Here is a link that might be useful: cherry butcher block

I've had edge grain hard maple in my basement kitchen (now an apartment) for 20 years & my new kitchen for 6; basically, it's the only counter space so both have gotten a lot of use & I cut on it & set hot pots on it. I use mineral oil but after the 'new' wore off, I became lazy & oiled maybe twice a year without any bad side effects. The 2 big no-nos are letting water stand & using a serrated knife. Stains like beet juice or crushed raspberries can be a problem if not cleaned up immediately but maybe it's because I don't oil enough. For dough, I use a large cutting board (actually it is the sink cutout) on a table because it's lower & more comfortable for kneading but there's no problem with sticking. Usually I use flour or sometimes, EVOO but if I oiled more, I could probably do without anything.

Personally, I'm not a fan of end grain blocks because they're too absorbant no matter how much they've been oiled & tend to pick up odors that linger for days. Shallots are the worst, LOL!

I've never had a dark block so I don't really know how they would look after a while with heavy use but I would question how vibrant the wood will look if it isn't oiled regularly. I have a sneaky suspician it will be dull & faded like unfinished wood if the main use areas are not oiled every day or so. I could be wrong but it's something you probably should research before sinking a fortune in a piece of furniture quality wood.

Another question you might ask if you're considering some of the dark woods that aren't naturally dark , i.e. oak. Has it been stained & if so, with what? Oak is very hard to stain using penetrating stains (I've refinished a lot of furniture) & the finish tends to set on top so I'd question if I wanted to cut food on it. Even if it's been treated somehow to age it, I suspect it will show knife marks.

Whatever you decide, enjoy it. BB are very forgiving & can hold their own regardless of the abuse - just no wet feet!