Another Ipe question...

[Todd Rich]

Would there be any problem with using Ipe as a cutting board? (Wondering due to it's resistance to insects.) Todd

[Thomas H. Bunetta]

[Leon]

Probably not a good idea and it would probably dull your knives prematurely. ;~) It is a relatively oily wood and would probably transfer that taste to your food.

[Todd Rich]

Well, my fiancee and I were working with it and neither of us seem to be reactive to it, and the samples we were working with were not that oily.

Maybe we should go with her first choice of bloodwood. Neither of us react to that wood either when working it. And in response to a post upthread, I've gotten enough bloodwood splinters without a single reaction that I'm not too worried about it.

Thanks for the comments. Todd

[patriarch]

Todd Rich wrote in news:c9j28p$agr$ [e-mail]:

So, you'll never cook for any guests? Just because YOU don't react poorly to it, does not mean it isn't toxic, at some level, to a significant portion of the population.

DAGS on wood toxicity, and someone who knows much more about this than I will have pointers to an excellent resource.

Some risks don't need to be taken, just for art sake.

Patriarch, who has in-laws with allergic reactions to turkey, of all things...

[Todd Rich]

Given that we already have about 4 boards, we'll use one of them when guests come over. Just like we have one board reserved for nuts that isn't used when we cook for our friend with the peanut allergy.

I did before I posted the question. Pretty much everything I found was talking about breathing and contact dermatitis risks.

I take risks, but I like to know what they are first. Heck I enamel using leaded enamels (along with other nice heavy metals like arsenic, antimony, cadmium and barium). I use procedures to minimize the risk and get my blood tested for heavy metals every year.

[Leon]

IIRC Bloodwood leaves its mark. You may not want the red staining what you cut on it.