end-grain discoloration?

[Roger Marty]

Tis the season for making end-grain cutting boards. My first attempts. I'm really noticing some discoloration after sanding. These are made of cherry, maple, and walnut. I've only gotten to 80-grit. Is this the nature of the wood or will it go away with more sanding?


374364

[Roger Marty]

Looks like others have noticed this in hard maple, and a response on this thread suggested it is a fungal discoloration

https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57020

[Yonak Hawkins]

I kind of like the look of it.

[William A Johnston]

It will look really good after you mineral oil the board.

Here is a pic of one I made a couple years ago. The maple almost looked like Poplar because it had a green tint.
But it looked unique after oiling the board. 374400