Northern Prairie Woodworks

Shop / Cutting Boards

Cutting Boards

Every hardwood cutting board in this shop is cut, glued, and hand-finished in my Virden, Manitoba woodshop. Walnut, maple, cherry, ash, acacia, and exotic species — built one at a time, sized for the kitchen that actually cooks. Read the full buying guide below ↓ First, the structure. I work in three profiles: end grain (vertical wood fibres up to the knife, the kindest to the blade), edge grain (the side of the wood, lighter and more affordable), and round (the Compass Series — wedges that radiate from the centre). Because each construction serves a different cook, the shop carries all three. As a result, you can choose by use case rather than settling for what’s in stock. Looking for something heavier than a board? End grain butcher blocks use the same construction principles, scaled up — 1.5 inches and thicker, sized to sit still under a cleaver and survive a full beef breakdown. Same shop, same finish, same one-of-one approach. What makes a Northern Prairie hardwood cutting board different Most boards sold in big-box stores are flat grain or laminated softwood, built to a price. Meanwhile, every hardwood cutting board here is solid hardwood with mineral oil and beeswax finish — food-safe, repairable, built to be passed down. Most importantly, each board is a one-off when it ships. The pattern can be cut again, but the figure of that particular slab cannot. How to choose one Start with size. So a single cook leans Cabin (12×10) or Homestead (15×10.5); a working kitchen leans the full Homestead 18×12 or the Boreal 20×12 butcher block. Then choose the wood — walnut for depth, cherry for warmth, maple for the blank canvas, acacia for density. Either way, every board ships with care instructions and the assumption it will outlast the kitchen it lives in. Care, custom work, and shipping First, wash with warm soapy water and dry flat. Second, never soak. Finally, condition with butcher block oil monthly for the first season, then every quarter. Custom commissions welcome — engraving, alternate species, alternate sizes. Ships from Virden, Manitoba via Canada Post with tracking, typically arriving in 1–2 weeks across Canada.

Handmade in ManitobaOne pair of hands, every board
Free Canadian shippingOn orders over $300 · tracked via Canada Post
Built to be passed downLifetime craftsmanship guarantee
Free proof before I cutCustom work is approved by you first

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Memento boxes, shadow boxes, a board built around a shape, a custom-sized Compass block — most of what leaves this shop started as someone reaching out. Tell me what you have in mind and I'll come back with a plan and a price. No payment, no account.

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