Here's the finished product:

It was a gorgeous day on Friday, so I cut up some limes on the board. I feel a little bit bad about it. I'm a big fan of seasonality when it comes to liquor. Scotch in the winter, and gin in the summer. That's the way it is. There may be some overlap, but usually when I make the switch - usually sometime between Tax Day and Memorial Day - there's no going back. This year I was weak. Damn. But it was a mighty tasty gin & tonic.

Anyway.  Take a look.  Walnut and maple.

It's about 16" x 20", 2" thick, and rests of 4 rubber feet. It has two handholds on either side to make it easy to pick up. For those who may be interested, it's assembled using food-safe Titebond III and sealed with Watco Butcher Block Finish.

I like it. I think it looks pretty hot. It is the first one. And there are flaws. Of course. And most of which only I notice, but so it goes. Version 2.0 will have improved handgrips as well as have the option of being reversible with a groove to catch tasty meat juices.  And it will be flawless.  There will also be a number of different finishes to choose from (oil, oil & beeswax, food-safe varnish).

There are a good number of cutting boards out there. Like this one - actually the brand used on the Food Network. Or - the perennial favorite - the John Boos cutting board.

But mine's better. It's made by me and personalized with your initials (though they do make great gifts...). There are also enough options so that I can make the exact board you want.

The layout of future boards will focus more on the dots and dashes of the Morse code. Here's an example of my initials PER on a cutting board. The R is more pronounced. Note the pattern at the bottom of the board.

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