Cutting surface question

[Dusty Britches]

I'm trying to design and eventually build a center/ island in my kitchen that I can use to cut up deer and hogs, but it has to look nice the rest of the year.

I was thinking about going with granite or marble top because it is also easy to clean and isn't porous, but someone told me those are very bad for knives and I should go with wood top.

His design looks like it easily catches water and dirt - ie, it will be hard to keep clean. I'd like to be able to wipe over the edges.

Also, if anyone has a design they like, I'd love to see it.

[TallTexan]

I was thinking about going with granite or marble top because it is also easy to clean and isn't porous, but someone told me those are very bad for knives and I should go with wood top.

Granite and marble are absolutely porous material, and some are more than others.

Marble is actually a very brittle material, and acids can actually etch the surface. Some as simple as OJ.

Granite porosity is base on the color/minerals that are in it, and some are just a brittle as marble.

Any sealer you put on natural stone will only slow down how fast things are absorbed. Natural stone has to breathe, and any wax type sealer would prevent this.

IMHO if you want a non porous working station, go with a Quartz, Acrylic, or stainless.

This a basic color Quartz, this is her mobile work station.

[dustoffer]

Put down whatever you like, and then get a large sheet of the high molecular weight poly that cutting boards are made of--clean it up after use and stash it back in the garage. Bring it out next time you need it. Won't dull knives like natural stone.

[TallTexan]

Put down whatever you like, and then get a large sheet of the high molecular weight poly that cutting boards are made of--clean it up after use and stash it back in the garage. Bring it out next time you need it. Won't dull knives like natural stone.

This was going to be my other suggestion.

You could also try finding a countertop company that installs both stone and acrylic, and see if they can make you cutting boards out of scrap acrylic.