Custom Cutting Boards — From Glue-Up to Engraving
Cutting boards are one of those projects where the craftsmanship starts long before the laser ever fires. The engraving is the finishing touch — but the real work is in the wood selection, the glue-up, the sanding, and the finishing. By the time a board hits the laser bed, most of the hours are already behind it.
These are two different cutting board projects — one personal, one commercial — but they share the same bones. Same process, same attention to detail, same obsession with getting the material right before we ever think about what goes on the surface.
It Starts with the Glue-Up
Every board begins here: raw lumber, squared up, laid out in the order you want the grain and colour to flow, then glued and clamped. This is the part you can’t rush. The joints need to be tight, the alignment needs to be dead-on, and the glue needs time to cure properly before you can move on.
For this board, we went with maple on the outside, walnut flanking the center, and a strip of purple heart right down the middle. Three different species, three different colours, all working together. Maple brings the light, walnut brings the warmth, and purple heart brings that rich, unexpected pop of colour that makes people stop and look twice.
Once the glue sets, the board gets planed flat, squared to final dimensions, sanded through the grits, and finished with a food-safe oil. Only then does it go on the laser — because you need a perfectly flat, smooth surface for a clean engrave.
Shirley’s Kitchen
This board was a custom order — a gift for someone who clearly means a lot to the person who ordered it. “Shirley’s Kitchen — Cooked With Love In Every Bite.” That’s the kind of line you don’t write for just anyone.
The engraving sits on the maple section of the board, where the light wood gives the laser burn maximum contrast. The script up top keeps it personal, and the block lettering on “KITCHEN” gives it weight. You can see the walnut and purple heart stripes running through the top of the frame — a reminder that this isn’t a board you picked up at a big box store. Every piece of wood in it was chosen on purpose.
Three species of wood, one board, and a message that turns it from something you cook on into something you keep.
Carnivor Wines — Walnut Steak Boards
This one came out of nowhere — in the best way possible. The CEO of Carnivor Wines reached out to us cold after seeing our work online. They wanted branded walnut steak boards — something premium, something tactile, something that felt as intentional as the wine itself.
We were all in. Carnivor makes a Cabernet Sauvignon that’s built for steak — bold, dark, unapologetic. A walnut steak board with their logo laser-engraved into the end grain felt like a perfect pairing. The dark walnut and the dark label, the weight of the wood and the weight of the wine. It just made sense.
Each board was cut from solid walnut, sanded smooth, and engraved with the Carnivor Wines logo on the face. The subtlety of the engraving on walnut is part of what makes it work — it doesn’t scream at you. It’s branded without being loud. You notice it when you pick up the board, when the light catches the burn just right. That kind of restraint is what separates a premium piece from a promotional product.
Same Process, Different Stories
That’s the thing about cutting boards — the process is the same whether you’re making one for someone’s grandma or for a wine brand’s CEO. You pick the right wood, you take your time with the glue-up, you sand it until it feels right in your hands, and you engrave it with something that matters to the person receiving it.
The difference is never in the process. It’s in the story behind the board. And that’s the part we love most.
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We do custom work — and we love a good challenge.
Company swag, personalized gifts, one-of-a-kind keepsakes — if it can be engraved, cut, or poured, we're probably into it. Send us your idea and we'll figure out the rest.
