# Is Sapele suitable for a chopping board?



## Shesho

Hello,

Does anyone know if this has been done before and how the wood copes?

I'm looking for a darker shade wood, the usual wood used seems to be Walnut but i'm looking for something a bit less expensive.

Thanks.


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## Dave Paine

I do not know if Sapele has been used for a chopping board, but it is was used, the person would have regretted the wood selection.

Sapele is too soft, rather open grain. In my opinion not a good selection to withstand the impact and cuts from knives.

Walnut will be a better selection. Hard maple would be better than walnut, although a light wood.

If you make these as end grain boards, they will both look darker as they absorb the mineral oil normally used for finishing cutting boards.


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## Shesho

Ah thank you, I thought it was quite a hard wood but perhaps not. I havent actually used it before.

Is there anything else I could use which has a dark shade as a cheaper alternative to walnut? Perhaps cherry endgrain can be quite dark in comparison to say maple?


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## Dave Paine

Shesho said:


> Ah thank you, I thought it was quite a hard wood but perhaps not. I havent actually used it before.
> 
> Is there anything else I could use which has a dark shade as a cheaper alternative to walnut? Perhaps cherry endgrain can be quite dark in comparison to say maple?


Sapele is part of the family of woods which includes the many mahogany species. Some call it an inexpensive mahogany.

Cherry can be more brown than maple, and will oxidize to a deeper brown colour over time, but it will not be as dark as walnut.

I would expect end grain to be a bit darker, after oil is applied, but not as dark as walnut.

Do you have chestnut available? I do not know about relative price.


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## Major_Wood2008

I've successfully used sapele in my cutting boards. Admittedly I use it as an accent wood, stripes & inlays, with maple as the primary wood. While It seems to be holding up well enough, I'm not sure I would use it as my primary. This is a good excuse to build a small one to validate one way or another.


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## nblasa

I've used maple and cherry together and in my opinion they make a pretty good contrast. Not as drastic as walnut, obviously, but it would still look nice. Maybe consider wide strips of cherry with thin strips of maple. I'll try to remember to post a pic later of a cherry frame that I did with a maple contrast strip.


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## nblasa

Here's a cherry/maple frame. I stole the design from a tutorial that Kenbo did


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## frankp

Suitable? Yes. The longest lasting option? No. Use woods that you like and make the board designs the way you like. Whether it's for you, for gifts, or for selling, it will be better if it's the wood you like than if you chose something else "more suitable".

I have soft(ish) wood cutting boards that have lasted for over 30 years even going through dishwashers. There's no reason not to use Sapele or any other wood you like unless it's toxic, which sapele is not.


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