Hi, eleena. I guess I would want to know why your DH didn't like the previous BB, and what he generally does like. When you say it was "too soft," does that mean he didn't like cuts and dings? Or did it stain? Does he prefer a shiny surface? You can still have the BB look with a good sealer and a high-polish finish (many GW threads on that). For us, we want a warm, natural, usable surface, so we are using edge-grain hard rock maple (recycled bowling alley), and we will only lightly finish it so we can cut right on the surface. The nicks, dings and stains will be a part of the living surface. But many people don't like this look, so BB may not be a good choice for them, or a more highly-sealed BB might work. Good luck!

A lot depends on the finish on the wood (even when it is untinted, it still has some color) and the exact species of wood, both for oak and maple. Red oak tends to have a bit more of a peach tone than white oak. Maples can range from quite pale with just a bit of gold undertone to an almost peachy undertone, but are usually paler in color than oak and so will show more of the finish color than oak. Oak has a different texture than maple, and I would be looking at the materials in the area of the house where you want to use it to see whether they look better with the stronger oak grain or the finer-textured maple grain.

We *almost* ordered from perfect plank - had been in contact with them many times as we were approaching the point where we needed the product. They strongly advise to not order until you are ready to receive and immediately begin your finishing project. We followed their advise, and unfortunately, when it was time to order, they then had an issue with their supplier and couldn't manufacture what we wanted/needed. I was disappointed, but I also respect and understand that it's just one of those things that can happen. I heard about them from GW and we live close enough that we could have gone and picked it up to save ourselves on the delivery charges. Please share with us if you order from them - would love to know the outcome.

I have an thick end-grain square butcherblock that sits next to the sink and is the non-meat cutting/chopping worksurface we use on an almost daily basis. It gets wiped off several times and then gets a more vigorous cleaning at the end. I have another thinner board I use for cutting meat that is easier to scrub clean in the sink. When I first got the block I drenched it in pure tung oil thinned with citrus solvent. Let it soak in. Put more on. Repeat, repeat. Let it dry until it didn't smell. What happens over time is that the center area where I work the most starts to look "dry" like untreated wood. There's enough tung oil in it that I don't worry about it drying out or splitting but aesthetically it looks like a well-used block. Maybe twice a year I apply a coat of thinned tung oil over the whole thing to keep it sealed. I much prefer the soaked-in protection that the tung oil gives than the surface protection that frequently-applied mineral oil does. So to me there are two considerations: how well sealed is it to protect it from splitting and how does it look. The tung oil will give the best long-term protection but if you use it it will look used. If you want it to look "wet", then mineral oil and/or wax will give that look on the surface.