FAQ

Our cherry is stunningly beautiful, with classic grain that turns redder over time withe exposure to ambient light. Recent batches including either "gum" cherry that shows dark streaks of natural hardened resin or "curly" grain that shows a wavy pattern with chatoyance. 

Cherry isn't as hard as white oak or hard maple, so it may show knife scratches more easily Overall cherry is better either for those with especially keen, hand sharpened knife edges they're seeking to preserve on a softer cutting board, or for jobs where chopping isn't as important & such as serving appetizers or cheese.

Yes.

No.

Our boards are all one piece, with the cutting surface on the "edge" of the board. (If you know anything about trees and wood you'll understand that it's impossible to make a large end-grain cutting board that's one piece--the trees aren't big enough and it would split in half with maple, oak and other familiar species.) Because we use hard maple and northern-grown white oak, our boards have similar hardness on the edge as other makers' on the end grain.

We will include full printed care instructions. The main thing is to keep water out of the wood grain, a goal aided by occasional application of our board balm or another oil or wax.  Never use baking soda or washing soda on your board, as this may turn the wood black.

For the best protection, board balm should be applied when the wood surface appears dull or “dry,” or when water tends to soak into the wood rather than being repelled. Your personal kitchen style and cleaning habits will determine how often the board reaches this state. Over time, the board's outer layers may become impregnated with oil , reducing the need to apply board balm as frequently .

For most people, applying board balm is the easiest since it's mostly linseed oil with a little carnauba wax. The oil can penetrate deeply into the wood, leaving a waxy coating to repel water (and excess wax can be rubbed off). For those who treat their boards frequently, pure linseed oil may be enough on its own, especially since repeated applications can impregnate the outer layers of the wood, protecting it from moisture ingress through a slowly polymerizing shield. Another good use for the pure oil is after sanding or renovating a board (we apply pure linseed oil before board balm when initially finishing your board).

Yes, please just leave a note in the order comments" section when checking out.

Eventually, perhaps after a year or so, the board balm in the changes texture, color or scent and should be replaced.

The latest dimensions are listed in the description for each product on the website .  The standard dimensions are about 8 inches by 10 inches for the smalls and 10 inches by 13 inches for the mediums of each species. Large oak and maple board are about 11½ inches by 23 inches.

We are constantly getting in new quality lumber and adjusting our boards to maximize value and performance. Here are the approximate weights as of Nov. 19. If a board listed has a weight range, then you may request a thicker (more durable) or a thinner (lighter) one in the order comments when checking out, and we'll do our best to honor your preference. The boards are smooth and rounded and in general easy to handle. The large boards come with feet by default, allowing you to slide hands under either end for easier lifting, and feet can be added to the small and medium boards for a fee via the checkbox. 

Sorry, in the current holiday period we're not really taking custom orders, but please check out our cutting boards page for some extra-large boards that we ruotinely put up for sale.. Outside the holiday season, we make custom boards if you buy a large-sized board.The best way is to order a large-sized cutting board and put the required dimensions in the “order comments" section during checkout. If we can make it, we'll send you an invoice by email for any custom fee or else notify you if we can't. Of course, your purchase will be refunded if we can't make the board or you don't agree to the custom fee. We rarely see one-piece slabs greater than 16 inches wide.

No, we prefer long-lasting, durable boards that our company can stand behind with little risk of warping or cracking. If you want a somewhat thinner board, please mention in the order comments, and we will send you the thinnest one we have, as sometimes they vary. Our cherry lumber is thinner, so that's also an option.

Yes, please see the “shipping and returns" tab above, which contains a link that allows you to generate a shipping label and return your cutting board or other product.

Yes.

Feet come by default on our large cutting boards, and we strongly recommend them on the big boards to allow for easy lifting, to help them sit flat and to keep them above moisture on your counter. For the small and medium boards, you will need to click a checkbox to request feet, which depend on use and personal preference. Large boards without feet may be requested via the “order comments" when checking out.

Treeboard has special relationships with lumber suppliers in the nearby Appalachian region, getting us access to a limited amount of wider, thicker lumber at reasonable prices. Other companies are pursuing higher volumes and profit margins but using smaller, thinner pieces of wood that are glued together in a factory.

Yes. Thanks to the repeat business of our loyal customers we are able to keep making our products here, ensuring fine craftsmanship.

Yes, our wood species are in the category of least threatened, and our supplier has the Appalachian Certified Legal and Sustainable certificate. In addition, for each order Treeboard makes a donation big enough to plant a tree to Green Forests Work, a non-profit organization that restores forests in the Appalachian region. We have already supported the planting of thousands of trees, and Green Forests Work has thanked us in its newsletter.

Yes, Treeboard uses re-cyclable paper and cardboard packaging and recyclable tin-coated steel containers for board balm. We recycle in our shop and seek fuel-saving shipping routes for our lumber and packages. Our durable products mean less lumber is needed in the long run

Yes! You are welcome to visit us most weekdays at 1131 Taft St., Rockville, Md. Please drop us a line before coming to help us know what you're interested in and to make sure that we're there and not covered in sawdust.

We have hundreds of customers in Canada and around the world. Please start checking out with one or more of our products to get a shipping quote

We appreciate your repeat business, which helps us stay in business. We really like Google reviews (which you can submit here) in addition to regular reviews with photos on our website (customers receive an email requesting a review). We also like to see your photos of our products posted on Instagram tagging @treeboard. Finally , please remember us during the holiday gift-giving season.

Read more here about Treeboard's founder Will, a longtime international journalist with a passion for wood.

Yes! In February 2026 we are up and running with engraving capability to make the perfect custom cutting board for your special occasion, for your special friend, for your special dietary needs or for yourself.

On each product's page there's a box to check for engraving (the current cost is $14) and another box where you can enter the text.

Many shops can only engrave on the top of a piece of wood, but most of our customers prefer the text on the edge, preserving the top for culinary masterpieces. So we have a special setup to engrave the edge, and by defaul we'll do it on the longer edge (the "length" measurement, or 13" for our medium boards for example). We'll engrave the long edge that doesn't have the Treeboard brand (the one on the opposite side).

If you want the engraving somewhere else, please make that clear in the order comments when cheking out. 

We have experimented with a few typefaces and are currently using the Bookos Bold or Bookos Bold Italic that comes with Windows because it produces good results with our equipment.

Yes, we can do Arial bold. Please note that in the order comments when checking out.

We think so. We have tried Cyrillic and Hebrew and playful characters from Windows Wingdings and Webdings. Send us a note in the order comments so we can make sure it goes through correctly.

*Note: The order comments for special instructions don't appear when using Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc., so you would need to do regular checkout and enter your address and other information.