I recently received the Kanso 6 piece knife set as a gift. Although the block set is a darker and different color than the cutting board, it does not impact how I feel about the performance of it. It's a lightweight board with a smooth finish. It also protects my Shun knives from destruction and dull. The board itself sits nicely on the counter and does not move around periodically like other boards when you are cutting. If this is your first time purchasing the board, please read the care instructions. It goes a long way in maintaining the board and prevents from stains. The board is high performance and great quality when it comes to slicing and dicing. This is truly a great investment piece.

A Must Have for a Cook!

This is a beautifully made cutting board, and the large size is perfect for all my slicing and dicing. Plenty of room for all my veggies which is nice since I don't have to repeatedly lift it to scoop my veggies into my pan. It's perfect in every way, and I'm very pleased with it. I've never had a cutting board this nice, and I appreciate it so much more. It washes and dries great, too. Super cutting board!

Decent cutting board

Good cutting board so far. I was expecting it to be a bit bigger, but still works fine. It’s light weight and has a cypress-pine smell, which I like. I think with any wooden board, oiling this one after a few washes is necessary to maintain longevity. I’ve been using it with my Shun knife, so, let’s see how it works out in the long run. For the price I paid I hope it gives me a couple of years.

Edges not uniform, section of board sticks out

The board is a nice size for a bar and the wood quality looks great. Unfortunately the corners of the board are not uniform. As the board appears to be made of three layers of wood, the top and bottom layers most likely have shrunk after the initial sanding of the edges. The middle layer of wood sticks out beyond the edges of the overall board by about 1-3mm depending on corner. While this isn't the biggest deal, one would most likely need to sand it back down themselves if they wanted uniform corners and the issue may become worse over time if unaddressed. Hopefully after use, oiling and wetting, the board layers align better. As I got this board during a sale, I would say it was decently priced but I would not get this board at full retail price.

Great board!

This is the second Hinoki board I've purchased. The medium size is perfect for my needs and the material is gentle on my very sharp knives. I use one side for meats, the other side for vegetables. Having a second board allows me the luxury of dedicating one to vegetables and the older one to meats and fish.

I am in the process

I am in the process of returning this cutting board. For 75.00 + SH, I really felt like a rube, for buying it!The weight and thickness were disapointing. I didn't even unwrap the board, to try it. Know it would move and slide around and that is dangerous!Had a questionable exchange with the C.S. rep., and on top of that, I have to pay SH again to return the board!Pretty cheesy and insulting for a "high end" product.

Lightweight and seems to spare my knives

I purchased this directly from Shun/Kai when on sale. They explain the strong foresty/piney odor (I call it aroma) that is part of hinoki wood, and I like the smell, although it is fading. I got the medium for cutting vegetables, the size is convenient for that. The board is light, a bit thin, but hasn’t warped, and I wash it and dry it immediately, as I do the knives, leaving it out to air dry completely. I wet it as suggested prior to use, and have only slight staining. They say it does not need oiling, I believe it doesn’t hurt, but have not oiled it The knife marks are present, but I accept those as protecting my expensive knives, which remain sharp!

Shun Hinoki Cutting Board

The Shun Hinoki cutting board is amazing. It’s thin, light and protects my Shun blades perfectly. It also smells nice, which is an added bonus. The design is benign, which was a big draw for me as well. No more thick, checkerboard cutting boards, thankfully!

Small, and nothing special

I bought this because it was Hinoki wood, a variety of cedar wood indigenous to Japan which is often used for wood soaking tubs and saunas. It has a wonderful smell. However, as with any fine wood cutting board, you will be treating the wood with mineral oil, wax, or something else, and this will render the Hinoki cutting board inert, removing the benefit of its cedar smell.Also, the cutting board is very small. I don't think a smaller sized is made.In any event, it seems durable enough like any other cutting board.YMMV, especially if you chose not to preserve your cutting board, in which case the Hinoki smell will be present for longer, although it will definitely fade with time. This is NOT a solid piece of Hinoki, however, and that is the biggest ... MoreI bought this because it was Hinoki wood, a variety of cedar wood indigenous to Japan which is often used for wood soaking tubs and saunas. It has a wonderful smell. However, as with any fine wood cutting board, you will be treating the wood with mineral oil, wax, or something else, and this will render the Hinoki cutting board inert, removing the benefit of its cedar smell.Also, the cutting board is very small. I don't think a smaller sized is made.In any event, it seems durable enough like any other cutting board.YMMV, especially if you chose not to preserve your cutting board, in which case the Hinoki smell will be present for longer, although it will definitely fade with time. This is NOT a solid piece of Hinoki, however, and that is the biggest disappointment. It is a veneer glued to an engineered center.

lightweight compact cutting board

This is a great board, but the edges are constructed in a way that make them prone to jutting out. For that I must take one star off. Aside from that it's a great product and I haven't found anything like it on the market. It's super lightweight and easy to maintain. You must be careful to follow the instructions -- wet the board thoroughly before use -- and even then it is prone to staining depending on what is being cut, e.g. beets and pomegranate. But the staining doesn't bother me.