Personalised chopping boards: a maker's guide

Until recently, if somebody asked whether I could engrave a board, the answer was no.

A couple of years ago I tried laser engraving and wasn't happy with the quality, so I dropped the idea.

I've since bought my own laser. The result changed my mind. I'm really pleased with the engraving and now offer it on the boards I make.

In brief: A good personalised board starts with a board you'd buy plain. Keep the message short and place it outside the main cutting area, where it will take less knife wear and be easier to clean.

That's the basic decision. Then come the timber, the placement and the words.

Start with the board, not the name

I wouldn't put a name on a board I wouldn't sell plain. Engraving can't hide poor timber, loose joints or a board that won't stand up to everyday kitchen work.

Some people want a simple engraved gift and do not need a heavy handmade board. Fair enough. This guide is about the other sort: a board expected to do proper work in a kitchen.

I make each board individually from eight British-supplied hardwoods, using edge-grain or end-grain construction. Each one is finished with food-safe oil and wax. Engraving is one of the last steps; it doesn't determine the construction.

Personalised end-grain boards are less common because end-grain construction takes time. The Checkley butcher's block, for example, contains sixty individual blocks that have to be cut, turned, arranged and glued. The maker's guide to end-grain chopping boards shows how that construction works. The name may stand out first, but building the board took far longer.

Why I used to say no

A couple of years ago I tried laser engraving and didn't like the result. The lettering looked rough beside a board that had taken real time to make. It cheapened the whole piece, so I stopped.

Requests kept coming. The gift notes travelling with the boards made the appeal easy to understand: a wedding date, a new-home message, something that only makes sense inside one family. But I never objected to the meaning. It was the engraving quality.

I've now bought a laser of my own. The marks are much cleaner and more consistent, and I can test them on the timbers I actually use. I'm pleased with the result. That was the deciding factor.

I now offer personalisation across the range. The making process still does nearly all the work and the laser comes in near the end, but it no longer feels like a compromise.

What a laser actually does

A laser burns the top fibres of the wood in the shape of the letters. There's no ink, paint or transfer film involved.

The mark won't wash off, but it can wear. Years of cutting will mark the surface, and sanding or planing removes the engraving along with the wood.

For a standard order I engrave up to two lines, with no more than thirty characters on each. Names, dates and short messages all fit. Logos and artwork need a separate proof, so restaurants and businesses should send a trade enquiry.

After engraving, the board receives the same food-safe oil and wax finish as the rest of the range.

Where the engraving should go

The centre seems obvious because it offers the largest clear space. It's also where most of the chopping happens.

On a working board, I'd put the words near the face border, on a side edge or underneath. That keeps them away from most daily cutting. The centre can work well on a serving board, but it isn't my first choice for everyday prep.

A large central design makes sense on a cheese board or keepsake because it's there to be seen. A chopping board has a different job.

No position is guaranteed to survive every repair. The Refresh Service may involve planing a face, flattening the underside or re-cutting an edge. If the inscription matters, show it clearly in the assessment photographs. I'll tell you what can be preserved before I start.

Which woods show engraving best?

Pale wood usually shows a dark burn most clearly. That makes maple, beech and ash the strongest choices for contrast. Walnut and purpleheart are already dark, so the same mark is more discreet.

Maple, beech and ash suit lettering that needs to be read at a glance. Oak gives a clear but more textured mark because of its open grain. Cherry is warmer, and the timber itself deepens in colour as it ages.

Tulipwood varies more in background colour. Purpleheart and walnut are the subtle choices. On walnut in particular, dark lettering against chocolate-brown timber may only become obvious when the light catches it. Some people will dislike that. Others will choose it for exactly that reason.

Even two boards from the same species can differ in colour and grain. The preview shows the words, size and placement, but the final tone belongs to the timber itself.

The Timbermere wood guide covers the colour, hardness and character of all eight species. Choose the wood first; engraving contrast is secondary.

What is worth putting on it?

I usually stop at one line. The machine can fit more, but a chopping board isn't a greetings card.

These are the ideas that tend to work:

• A name and date for a wedding, anniversary or new home.
• A family name, perhaps with the year the family or household began.
• The title of a recipe everybody associates with one cook.
• A house name, town or other place that matters.
• A phrase or private joke that would mean nothing to anybody outside the family. Those are often the best ones.

Weddings are an obvious occasion, and wood is the traditional fifth-anniversary gift. New homes work well too, especially when there's a date or house name involved. It doesn't have to be grand. Something a person always says while cooking may mean more than a formal dedication.

I'd avoid long messages in small type, jokes that will be stale by next Christmas, and fashionable fonts doing all the work. I'd also leave song lyrics alone unless a short quotation genuinely matters to the recipient. A name and date rarely need explaining later.

Be careful with full addresses and map coordinates. Boards often appear in family photographs, so a house name, town or meaningful date may be personal enough without revealing an exact location.

My slightly unscientific test is this: if it would look daft on a well-used board in twenty years, do not burn it into the wood now.

Ordering a personalised board from Timbermere

Pick any board in the shop, whether it's ready to ship or made to order. On the product page, choose Compose the engraving, add up to two lines and arrange them on the board. Select Add personalisation when you're happy with the layout, then add the board to your bag as usual.

The preview shows the wording, letter size, alignment and position. It can't reproduce the exact burn colour of an individual board.

The product page shows one flat engraving fee. Engraving doesn't add its own wait: ready-to-ship boards keep their listed dispatch time, and made-to-order boards keep their normal lead time. In December, trust the date shown on the product page.

A board engraved with your wording is genuinely personalised, so the usual 14-day change-of-mind cancellation right doesn't apply. Faulty or misdescribed goods remain covered; the returns page explains the distinction.

The box contains no prices, and gift notes are welcome.

Caring for the engraving

You don't need a special routine. Wash the board by hand with warm water and a little washing-up liquid, towel it dry, stand it on edge so both faces can air, and re-oil it when the timber looks dry. The full routine is in the care guide.

You can oil and wax straight over the engraving. Don't put the board in a dishwasher or leave it soaking.

Engraving won't clean the board for you. The Food Standards Agency's chopping-board guidance recommends separate boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods, or a thorough wash between tasks. That applies whether the board has a name on it or not.

If the board needs a Refresh, send a clear photograph of the engraving and say whether it should be preserved. I'll assess the wear and tell you what's possible. An edge or underside can still need machining, so I won't promise otherwise.

So, would I engrave one?

Yes. The engraving I tried a couple of years ago was not good enough. The engraving I can produce now is.

I'd choose the board I wanted anyway, keep the words short and place them away from where I cut. For bold lettering I'd pick a pale timber. For a private message I'd use the underside, or choose walnut and let the words sit quietly in the grain.

A board has to earn its place. I don't see good engraving as a distraction; done properly, it belongs.

If you already know the words, choose the board. If not, there's no need to force it.