Cutting boards まな板

Why does a softer surface protect a Japanese edge?

A knife edge is a delicate structure, and Wikipedia's entry on cutting boards is direct about the two ways it fails: a surface that's too abrasive blunts it, while a surface that's too hard chips it, so a good cutting board material has to be soft, easy to clean and non-abrasive. Hasegawa, whose boards make up most of what we stock, puts the same idea from the maker's side. Their own site states plainly that cutting boards are the key to maintaining a sharp blade on knives, and that conventional boards keep a hard surface to stay rigid while their own boards trade some of that hardness for a softer surface, suitable especially for Japanese knives with delicate blades. A separate article on their site explains the mechanism: what makes an edge dull is usually not the food but the board, and a board that's soft enough keeps that edge sharp for longer, since a harder surface destroys the performance of a delicate Japanese edge in a short time.

Wood, plastic or rubber and where hinoki fits in

Every cutting board material trades something for something else, and Hasegawa's own comparison of the three lays it out plainly. Wood looks good and some of it is knife friendly, but it's porous, so it absorbs water and can pick up mould or mildew. Most wood boards can't go in a dishwasher or be soaked in bleach. Plastic is the opposite trade: hygienic and bleach safe, but a hard plastic surface dulls a delicate edge quickly. It can also warp under a dishwasher's heat. Rubber is the most blade friendly surface of the three, cushioning a knife stroke well, but on its own it has to be thick and heavy to stay rigid enough to use. Hinoki is a Japanese cypress with lemon-scented wood, a straight grain and high rot resistance, long used for palaces, temples, shrines and baths. We don't currently stock a solid hinoki or other softwood board. What we stock instead is Hasegawa's answer to the wood versus plastic versus rubber trade-off: a soft plastic or rubber surface bonded over a rigid wood core, so the board gets a wood board's gentleness on the edge with a plastic board's hygiene.

What do we stock, by material?

Wood core PE. Our Hasegawa Wood Core PE Cutting Board FSB runs from 41 x 23cm up to 60 x 30cm, all 2cm thick. Our listing describes the FSB PE line as harder than Hasegawa's rubber and easier to keep looking clean, and it marks this board dishwasher safe. Double sided PE. Our Hasegawa Double-sided PE Cutting Board runs from 34 x 23cm up to 46 x 26cm, 1.5cm thick, with a different colour on each face so raw and cooked ingredients get separate sides. Wood core soft rubber. Our Hasegawa Wood Core Soft Rubber Cutting Board has a soft surface that cushions knife strokes and reduces blade wear. It runs from 34 x 23cm in household sizes up to 120 x 45cm in the professional lengths Hasegawa also makes. Pro-PE Lite, in black. Our Hasegawa Pro-PE Lite Black Cutting Board runs from 34 x 23cm up to 46 x 26cm, the same 2cm thickness as the standard PE line. Our Hasegawa Pro-PE Lite Black Cutting Board uses a dark surface that the live listing says gives food visual contrast. Solid rubber. Our Asahi Antibacterial Rubber Cutting Board runs from 38 x 21cm up to 42 x 25cm and is a single dense piece of rubber rather than a cored board, the construction the listing credits with a long working life. Soft mat. Our Hasegawa Anti-Bacterial Soft Cutting Mat runs from 34 x 23cm up to 90 x 45cm and gives under a knife edge rather than fighting it, suited to delicate work with a high grade knife. Across the wood core range, Hasegawa's own site puts the weight saving at 30 to 50% lighter than an equivalent solid plastic board. Every wood core board we stock carries the SIAA antibacterial certification Hasegawa builds its hygiene claims around.

Do you need a non-slip mat too?

A board that slides while you're cutting is its own hazard, so a non-slip mat underneath is worth pairing with a board rather than treating as an afterthought. Our Hasegawa Anti-Bacterial Non-slip Mat is a waterproof mat, sized from 25 x 12cm up to 60 x 30cm, that keeps gripping even when wet, flexible enough to wrap around a jar lid for grip and firm enough to stand on its own edge while it dries. It's a separate product from the boards above rather than something bundled with them.

How does this connect to knives and care?

A board is only half the pairing. Our Japanese kitchen knife guide covers the knives these boards are built to protect, our whetstone guide and sharpening guide cover keeping that edge sharp once a board has done its job, our kitchen tools guide covers the graters, peelers and shears that share the same bench, and our cutting board care guide covers washing, drying and sanitising the board itself, material by material.

Quick answers

These are the questions people ask us most often about choosing a cutting board, answered briefly.

Do you stock a solid wood or hinoki cutting board? Not currently. We stock Hasegawa's wood-core PE and rubber boards instead, which pair a softer surface with a hygienic, dishwasher-friendly build.

Why is a soft cutting board better for a Japanese knife? A hard cutting board can dull a delicate Japanese edge quickly, while a board that is soft enough helps it stay sharp for longer.

How does the wood-core FSB PE board compare with soft rubber? The FSB PE board is slightly harder than Hasegawa's rubber, easier to keep looking clean and dishwasher safe.

Are Hasegawa boards actually hygienic? Yes. They carry SIAA antibacterial certification, and the wood core construction makes them 30 to 50% lighter than an equivalent solid plastic board, which makes them easier to handle and wash.

Do I need a non-slip mat as well as a board? It's optional but worth having if your board tends to slide on the bench; our Hasegawa non-slip mat is a separate product sized to fit under a board or a bowl.