Ordering Guide—General Information
Anything below can be customized based on your preference.
End Grain, Edge Grain, or Face Grain?
Most cutting boards are made from end grain or edge grain. If the board will get a lot of use, choose one of these. End grain is the most expensive but also will give you a more durable and better quality board that is friendlier on your knives. Edge grain is the most common for a regular-use cutting board.
We recommend End Grain for heavy usage boards; chefs prefer end grain because it is friendlier to knives. The wood is self-healing because the fibers in the wood are vertical—meaning that when the knife cuts down into it, the fibers separate, and when the knife lifts back up, the fibers fuse back together. End grain boards are more expensive because they are twice the work to create. They end up with a checkerboard look, and are very striking, especially with several types of wood.
Edge grain is the most common for a good quality cutting board. It is a lower cost than end grain, and still quite durable. With heavy and prolonged use, it will tend to dull your knives after a time, and start to leave cut marks, damaging the aesthetics of the board. However, with proper cleaning and maintenance of your board, (dry immediately after washing, and apply beeswax or mineral oil on a regular basis) you can minimize the wear and tear and it will still last for a good 20+ years.
Face grain is more for aesthetics, and is best for serving trays or boards that won’t see a lot of knife usage, as the knife marks tend to show up more and don’t repair themselves.
It’s not a good idea to mix end grain with edge or face grain, because the wood expands in different directions and could cause warping or splitting.
Edge grain and face grain can be combined.
Types of Wood
For cutting boards, we use hard woods such as Jatoba, Tiger Wood, American Cherry, African Mahogany, Yellowheart, Walnut, Purpleheart, Padauk, Sapele, Jarrah and Hard Maple. If you’d like a different type of wood, let us know and we’ll see if we can source it from our local supplier.
Cost
Final price will vary, depending on the type(s) of wood used and the size of the item you’re ordering, as well as the cut of the wood.
See related galleries for sizing and pricing.
Custom Pyrography (Wood Burning) and Engraving
Any order can be customized by with professional pyrography (wood burning) or engraving for an additional fee. This can be your name, logo, or a custom design. Pricing starts at $35 with one name or initials. Longer names or small graphic requests are $65. Logos or more complex images will be quoted prior to payment.
Handcrafted Custom Cutting Boards, Meal Prep Boards, Butcher Blocks, Serving Trays, Cheese Boards, Pastry Trays
Do you want a small, medium, large, or extra large board? (Think of width x length x thickness – match the size of the board to the size of your counter top or wherever you want to use the board.)
Considerations
- How often will you use the board? Everyday, few times a week, couple times a week, or only on the weekend? (this really matters with regard to choosing what’s right for your home)
- Are you purchasing for aesthetics AND functionality?
- What type of wood do you prefer? All the woods we use for these products have a Janka hardness rating of 900 or better, which means that they will last a lifetime as long as the proper care is given.
- Do you want one board for meat and another for fruits and veggies? (This is recommended to prevent cross contamination.)
- Do you want a board specifically for cookouts/outdoor use?
Cutting boards, meal prep boards, and butcher blocks should only use the hard woods listed above.
For serving trays, cheese dishes, and pastry boards, any soft wood will suffice, as well as the woods above.
See galleries and pricing for food-related items.
Wine-Related—Floating Wine Holders, Wine Display Boards, Wine Serving Trays
Wow your guests with a unique way to display and serve your wine! Floating wine holders, wine display boards, and wine serving trays are made with a variety of woods, and can be made to match your cutting board.
See galleries and pricing for wine-related items.
Other Kitchen Items—Wooden Knives, Spoons, Mortar and Pestle
Please request a quote via the order form.
For the Bath—Bath Caddies, Soap Dishes, TAZ Soap
Time to relax in the bath! Bath caddies are made with cedar, with either walnut, cherry, or maple edges. The current TAZ soap is Sweet Ember, a combination of burnt caramel, honey almond, and coconut, with other natural ingredients. Soap dishes are either all cedar, or multi-wood. If multi-wood, it is wood-worker’s choice unless you are getting a soap dish that matches another part of your order.
See galleries and pricing for bath-related items.
Ordering Process
- Use the form here to submit your request to Tudo Azul. Please use the same email address throughout the process.
- Once we receive your request, we will contact you to make sure everything is clear, and let you know the total cost.
- After we receive confirmation from you, we will add you to our queue.
- We will contact you again when we are ready to cut the wood for your order. At that time, half payment is due via PayPal. We do not accept personal or cashier’s checks at this time. Other types of electronic payment may be considered.
- When we receive half of the payment, we will continue making your order.
- Once your item is finished, we will contact you and request payment in full, which will include the shipping cost. We will also send you a picture of your product.
- After we receive full payment, we will ship your order and send you the tracking number. We always insure our work when shipping to be able to recoup any cost with regard to damage. However, if it is damaged in any way, it will be your responsibility to seek repayment.
Time Frame
We are not fast, but we produce high-quality custom work, and we are communicative with you about the status of your order. Upon request, we can usually meet a deadline, but expect approximately a 30-45 day turn-around time after first payment is made. We are moving as fast as we can and will get your items to you as soon as possible. Please note that work will only be started after we ask for, and receive initial half payment.
Payment
As outlined above, we will confirm the cost of your order prior to any work being done. Half payment is due via PayPal when we are ready to cut the wood for your order. The remaining balance, including shipping cost and pyrography or engraving (if applicable) is due prior to shipping.