what kind of clear plastic to use in kitchen

[Pat Germain]

I will likely get flamed for saying so, but I say use the walnut countertop! Sure, use a cutting board. But if you cut or scuff the walnut, so what? You're a woodworker. If it starts looking rough, temporarily remove it, sand it down, refinish it and reinstall it. Life is short. Enjoy what you have while you have it. Remember Erma Bombeck's essay? If not, it's a good read:

Someone asked me the other day if I had my life to live over would I change anything.My answer was no, but then I thought about it and changed my mind.

If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I’d have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored.

I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television … and more while watching real life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.

I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.

I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn’t show soil/ guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more I love yous … more I’m sorrys … more I’m listenings … but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it … look at it and really see it … try it on … live it … exhaust it … and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.

[Keith Outten]

How about doing a test for us ?

Take your best, sharpest chisels and run their edges along a piece of corian you have lying about. Make a few chops with them for good measure too.

Then take them to a piece of wood for a test drive and report back to us. Please be very careful though.

Dave, I don't think that I have a chisel that is as sharp as you guys prefer them to be so my test wouldn't be a valuable comparison
I do have a Lansky knife sharpener that suits my requirement for knife sharpening but I don't feel the need to get them razor sharp. I still have the Big Buck knife that I carried daily for over ten years when I was a radiographer cutting tape and plenty of lead numbers and letters every shift when I wore a hard hat.
Good steel that is appropriately sharp I think would be a good test that represents most kitchen requirements but not all. Better yet I can just ask our server administrator Aaron Koehl how he feels about his Corian cutting board, he has been using one for many years. Aaron is not your average cook, he is closer to being a Chef and is very particular about his kitchen prep knives.

FWIW I never participate in any of the sharpening threads here, I am a major novice when it comes to sharpening so my opinion would naturally be near the bottom of the expertise pile but I do appreciate the time people spend sharing their very high levels of knowledge.

[Halgeir Wold]

As for cutting boards, most woods are aseptic, - i.e. inhibiting bacteria growth, but not antiseptic, meaning killing bacteria...

[Dave Sabo]

Dave, I don't think that I have a chisel that is as sharp as you guys prefer them to be so my test wouldn't be a valuable comparison
I do have a Lansky knife sharpener that suits my requirement for knife sharpening but I don't feel the need to get them razor sharp. I still have the Big Buck knife that I carried daily for over ten years when I was a radiographer cutting tape and plenty of lead numbers and letters every shift when I wore a hard hat.
Good steel that is appropriately sharp I think would be a good test that represents most kitchen requirements but not all. Better yet I can just ask our server administrator Aaron Koehl how he feels about his Corian cutting board, he has been using one for many years. Aaron is not your average cook, he is closer to being a Chef and is very particular about his kitchen prep knives.

FWIW I never participate in any of the sharpening threads here, I am a major novice when it comes to sharpening so my opinion would naturally be near the bottom of the expertise pile but I do appreciate the time people spend sharing their very high levels of knowledge.

If you have a sharp chisel - that’d be good enough. Doesn’t really matter if it’s honed with an Arkansas stone or latest micro diamond emulsion paste. AK’s thoughts would be interesting too.

[Randall J Cox]

I ended up making a large walnut cutting board (not in pics) with nice soft clear flexible feet. Now that it sits on the wooden counter top, I know the countertop is not walnut but some sort of really beautiful and probably expensive wood. Any ideas what kind of wood it is. Sorry pics sideways. Tx. Randy
IMG_6487.jpgIMG_6489.jpg

[Randall J Cox]

Any guesses as to counter top wood? Randy