Definitely too busy for me😵‍💫, but I’m sure there’s appeal for some. Focal point, for sure!

Cutting boards are utilitarian for me, not a work of art. I wouldn't want to use it because it would mess it up.

To be horribly practical, I think cleaning would be a pain with the wood grain going in all different directions.

I don't get why that would make cleaning hard, and I assume it's machine sanded. End grain doesn't show knife marks as much as other boards, which can make it practical. But, again, I like the looks, for decor but wouldn't want to use it, and it would clash with my alredy very busy kitchen.

I think lots of people use decorative "cutting" boards as serving trays for things like appetizers and charcuterie. They never see a knife.

Interesting, they call it a cutting board but none of the pics accompanying it are being used as a cutting board....they all show it being used as a serving board. I could see serving a large roast on it for the holidays, but cut and transferred to it for serving, not actually cut on it. eta: check out the one star reviews.

Lars, it's 16"x20"x1.5". and 10.36 lbs. The one Chloebud found is even bigger: 24"x18"x1.5" and 15.2 lbs. Not super small, not light, and way too busy to make charcuterie look good, and whitish cheeses would be so much negative space, but I think it would still be too busy. I remember your countertop, or at least a countertop since you've been in the desert, with the red cabinets, I think? I don't think it would show well against such a dark counter. I was thinking more plain white or pewter or stainless. There are side grooves to lift it, but it would be awkward as a tray. Your gift board is much nicer for your purpose, IMHO.

I was looking for a review of this one. Most say which wood they were, and it was acacia or teak--I didn't find any of the purple heart. I didn't read all the one star reviews of these other two woods, but scanned most of them and the complaints seemed to be mostly damaged in transit (which is more about Amazon than the product) and too heavy, which goes with thick end grain boards.

While, from what I've read, there's no difference to your knife whether you're cutting on end grain, side grain or face grain, which is part of the reason in the past, they said to use end grain (so it would be easier on your knife), end grain is supposed to show cuts less, especially less than face grain. Me, I have a Boos board (gift) big enough for most meats, except maybe a giant turkey, which I don't use because it makes the cutting height too tall and it's a schlep to clean. And I have a very large commercial style nylon cutting board which is more than big enough for giant turkeys and with finesse can go in my dishwasher.

But, please remember, I was showing this is an alternative for my new knife. The knife is beautiful and functional, whereas this board would visually overpower the beautiful knife--and whatever you'd cut on it--and functionally, who wants end grain for a cheeseboard? It's a silly board except as a decorator piece. I just thought y'all would be amused, too.

Not appetizing:

I agree that is not appetizing, but it's not the board that makes it so. I could see using it like this, tho.

ROTFL!!! Yeah. Hiding it completely makes it look much better with food on it. :D

I agree that the pretzels on toast and similar in the picture I posted aren't yummy looking on their own, but it's the business of the pattern that makes them kind of disappear visually. Look at the photos with hunks of beef and knives. The pattern overwhelms those too. Which was my point. I love the pattern and colors of the board but not for actual use!

It's a work-of-art....LOVE it! Your knife was also a work-of-art. It made you happy! So worth the happiness level a cook gets from owning quality kitchen tools.

"ROTFL!!! Yeah. Hiding it completely makes it look much better with food on it. :D"

The point being, it's beautiful with no food, not attractive with unattractive food arrangement, and quite practical with food arranged nicely on it. I would think when more of it is revealed as the food gets served, it will still be beautiful.

There is a guy cooking on social media who uses one like that for all of his chopping. Doesn't seem to ever show wear or cut marks. It's quite beautiful in his videos.

It's end grain. There was a thought back when, often repeated, that end grain was easier on your knives. Testing has now been said to show that end, side or face are equal on the knives, but endgrain does, of course, show the cuts much less because you're cutting down between the fibers, rather than cutting across them. The lack of big cut marks is likely why it was thought to be easier on your edges. One supposes that the finers' direction is the reason cut marks don't show, but when a regular, face grain cutting board started to show marks, my father would sand and oil it. Presto! New board. Also, if the guy is sponsored, they may give him a new board each time, or each month, or whatever.

I'm highly unlikely to serve a piled high board like that, but I do take your point, Olychick. I'm sure some people's way of seeing would also not be bothered by the busyness of the design. I just found it shocking and very funny how bad it looked to me in their pix in use.

Nicole, that's me! I get pleasure from interesting gadgets and beautiful tools, though for cooking and sewing, more than fix-it/construction kinds of things. My favorite screwdriver was a freebie, with company advertising, which my father gave me--the kind with the four bits in one shaft. It's the right weight and grip for my small hands, never mind the (very handy) gimmick! So what if it's cheap dreck? It works. And I don't use it every day like I do my knives. ;) But actually owning the pretty board would annoy me more than pleasing me, so it's a hard pass. And I have plenty of good options if I actually do want to serve a loaded nibbles board, like in that picture. :)

So..............my father was a chef. Grew up with a GORGEOUS cutting board. Heavy skillet, huge chefs knife. Big mixing bowls. Lots of whisks in a jar. I was told this was ALL necessary to make cooking easier. I even wear a heavy black chefs apron when I do tile work...or paint a house. :0) So.....I in turn own a large wood custom-made cutting board, good knives, a jar of whisks. 👩‍🍳

Beautiful! The heartwood running in and out is lovely.

I don't have a jar of whisks, but I do have a balloon whisk, an open bottomed spring whisk, a closed bottom spring whisk, a ssteel ball whisk and a no-scratch’em plastc ball whisk. All necessary for their tasks. And a clever folding flat whisk which isn't at all necessary. ;)