Ask for and follow manufacture's directions for conditioning/finishing. Personally,I think staining BB is a bad idea but then I wouldn't build from Birch either. Home Depot carry's two different conditioners that are as good as any.

Any ideas on how to get dark butcher block then without staining? And affordably? we originally went with butcher block because it's supposed to be affordable, but even getting the walnut color from Lumber Liquidators would be $800 for what we need. For another $300 we could have just done quartz...

Here's the thing: some stains and finishes are easier to repair than others. Generally, the harder (more durable) the finish, the harder it is to repair (e.g., if you try and patch polyurethane, you'll get witness lines). Stained wood is even worse. If you want to actually use the butcher block as a work surface (i.e., if you want to cut on it), then I would not stain it and treat it with Osmo counter top oil.

Stain is a colorant that is absorbed by wood. The closer grained the wood is, the less the stain is absorbed and just sits in the grain. When cutting/working on a stained surface, it is possible for minute particles of the stain to come loose. Not a huge problem, but I can verify stain does not taste good(Did not taste on purpose!).

As the previous poster said, the harder the finish, the more difficult to repair. Poly is basically plastic, is hard and chips. Not the optimum butcherblock finish.

You could dye(with wood dye) the wood dark. But, dye is a chemical. It is absorbed better by the wood, but is still not what I'd want on a cutting surface.

Another food safe option is shellac. Shellac comes in many colors. It is food safe(even edible---used on M&M's, for instance) and easily repaired.

Used on a cutting surface, it just needs a coat added to repair knife marks/scratches/etc. The new coat partially dissolves the material on the surface. It is moisture resistant(will water spot if water is left on the surface for long periods).

To get the dark color you want, you would need to order it in flake form(shelf life for mixed shellac is just a year or two) and mix it with denatured alcohol(which evaporates and disappears).

My shellac supplier

Return it and buy a wood that is dark to begin with. Birch does not take stain well. And you do not want to stain a surface that you will be using for food prep. That is mineral oil only.

Do the stone. The wood will not be what you want it to be.

The only way to use butcher block is with a non-toxic finish:

Watco Butcher Block Finish - Safe For Food Contact

I would get stone and be done with it.

I really appreciate everyone's input!

I'm curious... what if I did oak butcher block (which would take stain easier than birch) stained it dark, did a food-safe protectant on it (like Waterlox), and just didn't cut/chop on it (making sure we all use cutting boards)? Wouldn't this make it similar to the top of a kitchen table? Could I trust spreading dough out of it while baking?

I do really want the look of the wood, to add warmth to the kitchen. It's been my idea since the beginning. So I am bound determine to make this work with a dark butcher block.

If my above idea isn't doable.. can anyone recommend an affordable walnut butcher block (under $1200)? We are in need of a large piece - 74" x about 39"-42" depending on how much over hang we want off the back side for seating. The cabinets for the island are 72" long, so I'm assuming I'd want an inch over hang in the front and on both sides?

ETA We live in the middle of nowhere (Langdon, ND) so suppliers are limited here and we have to drive 2 hours or more to larger cities.

Not to be tacky - but there are 'premium laminates' - Wilsonart is one of them. It's durable, sanitary.

Butcher Block

Wilsonart Web Site

skmom - could I safely roll out dough a put food directly on the counter if it was stained and sealed with waterlox?

geoffery_b - I thought of this too. I am not thrilled about the idea though as the rest of the kitchen will be quartz countertops. Something to consider though..

"So I am bound determine to make this work with a dark butcher block."

I believe you but that doesn't change the facts and make staining a good choice. Either buy dark wood or choose different material.

Many high end furniture manufacturers used laminate for their top surfaces of hard wearing pieces like coffee tables and night stands. It makes a far better and easier to maintain work surface than does real wood. Real end grain butcher block is used for functional reasons, not decorative ones. Decorative plank wood counters can be gorgeous. But they are usually more expensive than stone, and far more difficult to maintain. Its a piece of furniture rather than a work surface. You’re putting grammas dresser in the kitchen to get red koolaid spilled on it

Wood counters are not a default cheap and easy choice. And it seems that is what you really want and need.

check out butcher block manufacturers on line - 12 years ago I had specific size (2 of them) counter tops made (Brazilian Cherry), a medium dark color, made for my kitchen (no longer own that home). I think I paid about $400 total for the tops, plus shipping from somewhere up North (Michigan maybe) to Texas. Tops were made to the exact size I specific, edge (on 3 sides) exactly what I specified. I loved them!

Virtually all finishes currently sold are "food safe" once they have dried.

I would not stain a working wood surface in the kitchen. Even if you never cut on it it will accumulate dings, scrapes, and spots that you will eventually want to touch up. If the wood has been stained that process becomes hard. Similarly for any film-forming finish from shellac to epoxy. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a butcher block counter. If you want wood, choose a wood that is the color you want and don't mess with staining it.

I've used a variety of oils on ours, ranging from boiled linseed oil, pure tung oil ("tung oil finishes" from the Borg are thin varnish, not tung oil!), walnut oil, and mineral oil. Unlike the others mineral oil doesn't polymerize and provides essentially no protection to the surface. It was a flat fail. I currently prefer the pure tung oil. I refresh it when I think of it, once or twice a year. Every three to five years I plane the surface of the counter to remove accumulated stains and dings.

Thank you all for your input!!

I found a place online that will do a 74" x 36" piece of walnut butcher block for $995, with shipping. My only concern is that this only gives me a 10 11/16" over hang on the back side of my island for seating. Is that enough room?

It's another $300 for just 2 more inches...I'm already not looking forward to spending the $995, but know it's worth it.

There are multiple custom cabinet shops within a 2 hour drive most any where in the civilized world. I recommend contacting one or two with your measurments to see what they will build a top for. If they aren't interested,contact the local woodworker's guild or club. There are many talented hobbiests that will be all over $1k for a 20 sq ft walnut glue up and you don't have to worry with cutting to fit.

skmom - I do believe this is for end grain, but I am glad you mentioned this so I can verify that!

Another question for everyone - Is 72" long big for the average island? Every countertop place I find has standard sizes, and it's always 72" which would not leave any room for an over hang on either end of the island? Or is an over hang not needed on the ends, just the front and back? Seems to me that would look funny...

We did oak on our island and stained it dark (Early American mixed with a little Jacobean from Minwax) and then wiped on several coats of Old Masters finish. It looked great - for years. We ate at it, rolled dough on it and generally used it the same as a table top (because essentially that is what it was).

We are also in the middle of nowhere (just north of you) and had a carpenter make it for us. I think it cost $500 but that was 12 years ago. Our recent island is made with maple butcherblock and I didn't want it stained so I left it natural but finished it in Osmos instead. I might sand it down and do the Old Master's again as I prefer that finish but the Osmos was easier to do.

ETA: We thought we would not finish the new maple top at all and just oil it periodically. That turned out to be a PIA and so we did the Osmos after a few months of trying the oiling.

Also, when we bought our 100 year old house 20 years ago, we had no money, few skills and no tools. What we did have was the desire to learn and figure out a way to turn it into our (modest) dream home. We sourced materials we could afford, figured out ways to do things ourselves or cajole more capable people into doing things for us with our charming personalities. Luckily, I stumbled onto GardenWeb forums where members encouraged me and provided me with just enough info and good karma to keep my spirits up when I may have otherwise quit. I hope you are able to source the same positive energy.

Just a FYI, most prefab counters sold as "butcher block" are not in fact butcher block, but more accurately called a "wood work top". True butcher block is end grain wood, as it will self heal when cut with a knife. Edge grain and face grain tops will show the cut across the grain as damage.

Never mind what others say, birch is just fine and it stains out beautifully. We used HD birch BB and stained with General Finishes brown mahogany to go in the galley of our vintage Chris Craft. Two coats of stain and 4 coats of GF satin clear and it has been awesome for 4 years now.

Mellisa - Home Depot is now carrying 74x39 walnut butcher block https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardwood-Reflections-74-in-L-x-39-in-D-x-1-5-in-T-Butcher-Block-Countertop-in-Unfinished-European-Walnut-153974HDBW-74/304632217

We purchased our own butcher block and stained it dark walnut and sealed with Waterlox...4 years ago. Still holding up very nicely (and it is on our island where my boys eat, do homework, artwork). The secret was not cutting corners and rushing the process. Wait the full time between coats. It says sanding is not necessary between coats of Waterlox but we DID do this.

The best way is to remove.

I use mineral oil. the natural color just comes out. it Does go back to natural color and I just apply again. I do this around 3-4 times/year. If the there is a stubborn stain, you can sand it out and apply mineral oil. You can get a bottle at the grocery store and cost about $3.00

Mineral oil will not go rancid over time but it is not healthy to eat. There are bees wax products that are safe and easy to use.

I did a maple butcher block at our cottage because I wanted the look. I stained it, but it doesn’t take much stain, and I put polyurethane on it. I don’t cut on it or put hot things on it. It looks fantastic. I’ve had it 18 years. I did sand and put a new coat on it a few years ago. It was a quick and easy job.