News — knife sharpness

Are bamboo chopping boards good for knife sharpness?

If you want to keep your knives sharper for longer, a well made moso bamboo chopping board is usually kinder to the edge than glass or ceramic, and broadly comparable to quality hardwood, helping most home cooks go 20–30% longer between sharpenings when used and cared for correctly. Are bamboo chopping boards good for knife sharpness? Yes, bamboo chopping boards can be good for knife sharpness, as long as you choose the right type of bamboo and use the board correctly. High quality moso bamboo, such as the boards used in Deer & Oak products, has a Janka hardness in...

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are end grain boards best for knife sharpness

If your main goal is knife sharpness, then yes: high quality end grain wooden boards are usually the best option, keeping a well cared chef's knife sharper for around 20 to 30 percent longer than a similar knife used on plastic or glass. That said, a well made edge grain bamboo or acacia board, looked after properly, will still protect your knives for 5 to 10 years of regular home cooking. End grain vs other boards for knife sharpness End grain boards are made so the fibres of the wood stand upright, a bit like a bundle of drinking straws....

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Best wooden chopping boards for knife sharpness?

If you want to keep your knives sharper for longer, the best wooden chopping boards are medium hardness boards made from bamboo or acacia, around 38x28cm to 45x35cm and 1.2kg to 2.1kg in weight. In practical terms, a board like the Deer & Oak Large Acacia Board (45x35cm, 2.1kg) or Large Bamboo Board (45x35cm, 1.8kg) will noticeably slow down how often you need to sharpen your knives compared with glass, marble or very hard plastic. Why wooden chopping boards protect knife sharpness Knife sharpness is lost every time the edge hits something harder than the steel itself. That is why...

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Why do end grain boards preserve knife sharpness?

If you want the best board for keeping knives sharp for longer, an end grain wooden board is usually the top choice because its upright fibres gently part around the blade instead of scraping against it. In side by side tests, chefs often see up to 30 to 40 percent longer edge life on quality end grain boards compared with hard plastic or glass. So if your question is “what's the best board for preserving knife sharpness?”, the honest answer is: a thick, well cared for end grain board made from a forgiving timber such as bamboo or acacia. Why...

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