Who says purely utilitarian items can’t be beautiful? Whatever you do, don’t try telling this to Buff Brown, maker of the sexiest wood slab, live edge, cutting boards I’ve ever seen (Available in various shapes and sizes, crafted from Walnut, Cherry and Maple).
Last week, after discovering Buff Brown’s work while looking for the perfect cutting board, I thought I might have to buy one. Not cheap, though, so I was a bit on the fence. Then I read the following excerpt from Buff’s website.
” I worked for a Pennsylvania furniture maker and designer who kept a basketful of small, organically shaped cutting boards on the floor of his office. They were made from choice hardwood scraps he couldn’t bear to chuck in the burn pile. I really liked them. They reminded me of the shapes Alexander Calder used for his mobiles and sculptures.
Later on, seeing the cutting boards Wharton Esherick made (he’s known as the “Dean of American Craftsmen”) the idea of making beautiful, one-of-a-kind objects out of something as basic and utilitarian as a cutting board hit home.
Many people who see our boards say they’re too pretty to cut on. Once they give in to doing so, a long-lasting relationship is formed. I love the look of a cutting board’s surface after years of use – an ingrained tool of daily ritual.”
After reading this, how could I not buy one? I bit the bullet and ordered a Mendecino in Walnut. I mean, who doesn’t want a long lasting relationship with a beautiful slab of wood?
Buff Brown, Mendocino Walnut Board
Posted by Jesse Gordon 
