Thread: cypress ok ?

Cypress would probably be a bit too brittle for a butchers block

Thanks,
but I meant to ask is Cypress ok to use with food as a cutting block.

I don't know with any certainty, but my guess would be that it's not foodsafe. I base this on the following:
Termites generally won't eat it, so it must contain chemicals that are very nasty, at least to termites.
If you get a splinter of cypress it will get irritated, and infected very quickly.
Unless someone came up with compelling evidence that it was food safe I wouldn't use it for cutting boards.

Mick

Thanks very much for your help journeyman and djstimber.
What would you suggest as timbers to use.

I would suggest any type of Euc, a timber that is dense and has a tight endgrain as that is what the knife will be entering. If I was making one I would try to get some different coloured timbers for some contrast ie Redgum and Blackbutt come to mind.

Thanks for the advice Bleedin Thumb Ive got plenty of redgum and other contrasting timber to play with.

Be careful of woods that contain tanin's as when wet they leach out and stain nearly everything...

Butcher's blocks used to be made of paper bark (melaleuca leucadendron) pinkish to tan colour, naturally antiseptic properties.

Mick

Thanks for the advice fellas.