Care & Maintenance

Every board that leaves this shop is hand-finished with mineral oil and beeswax. Good cutting board care keeps it that way for decades — and it takes about five minutes a month. The tin below is the same conditioner I work into every board before it ships.

Read the full care guide below ↓

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How cutting board care actually works

Think of hardwood as a bundle of straws. Mineral oil fills those straws so water can’t move in; beeswax seals the surface and gives the wood its low glow. As a result, a conditioned board sheds water, resists staining, and stays flat. A dry board drinks in moisture unevenly — and that is exactly where warps and cracks begin. So the whole job of cutting board care is really one thing: keep the fibres fed.

The routine I give every customer

First, the daily part. Wash by hand with warm soapy water, rinse, and stand the board to dry — never soak it, never lean it wet against a wall, and never run it through the dishwasher. Meanwhile, conditioning is monthly for the first season and quarterly after that: spread a thin coat of Board Butter with a cloth or your palm, leave it overnight, and buff off whatever is left in the morning. Five minutes, done. Plain food-grade mineral oil between butterings never hurts either.

Board rescue — and the lifetime promise

Chalky, pale, or rough to the touch? That is thirst, not damage — two heavy coats a day apart will bring the colour and feel right back. Light knife marks burnish out with use; deeper ones can be sanded back, because solid hardwood is resurfaceable by design. Most importantly, if a board from this shop ever fails under normal kitchen use — split joint, warped face, finish that won’t hold — I’ll repair or replace it. Heirloom means heirloom.

For the step-by-step washing and oiling walkthrough, read the full care instructions. Or browse the cutting boards and butcher blocks this care routine is built to protect.

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Handcrafted in Manitoba

Cut, glued, and hand-finished one at a time in Virden, Manitoba. Not a factory.

One of One

Every piece in the shop is unique. When one ships, it’s gone. No two boards are alike.

Built to be Passed Down

Solid hardwood. Resurfaceable. Designed to outlast the kitchens they live in.

A lifetime craftsmanship promise

Every piece built in this shop is meant to be passed down. If a board ever fails under normal kitchen use — split joint, warped face, finish that won’t hold — I’ll repair or replace it. Heirloom means heirloom.

Custom commissions

Specific dimensions, wood species, or inlays? Most pieces in the shop started as a request.

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Northern Prairie Woodworks is a one-person shop in Virden, Manitoba
Making heirloom cutting boards and handcrafted wood goods
Ships across Canada and the US. Made to be Passed Down.

© 2026 Northern Prairie Woodworks. All rights reserved.