These are kinda new in the US... I bought one 6-12 months ago, and have
really enjoyed it.
Here's some info I gathered online about them:
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good things about bamboo
(though some may refer only to _Totally Bamboo_ brand of bamboo
products?):
....16% harder than maple wood (so fewer scratches and nicks)
.....1/3 lighter in weight than oak
.....from the Moso bamboo...this type of bamboo absorbs very little
moisture (and dries quickly), and so does not shrink or swell as much
as other wooden products even with heat, so also has less tendency to
warp
.....environmentally friendly because bamboo is a grass, not a tree
.....stain-free... easier to care for
.....formaldehyde-free, food-safe glue used in assembly
They were (first in the US?) "created by the California-based company,
Totally Bamboo..."
Totally Bamboo products are best for a variety of reasons.
They only use premium select grade 'Moso' bamboo which increases
durability. Unlike some other companies, Totally Bamboo uses a
proprietary formula, approved food-grade glue.
some negatives from two commenters re *one bamboo product* at amazon (I
left out the positives):
"The hard surface means fewer nicks and slices that harbor bacteria."
....Harder may sound good at first, but on second thought, it dulls your
knives and has no shock absorption (*but I haven't noticed this at
all*)
.....it has more tendency to crack, splinter, and for the glues to fail
- this is because of how it's made. It's many, many pieces of a grass
product all glued together - not like wood which is several "chunks"
glued together. (*haven't noticed anything like this either, but it was
mentioned in ref. to another brand I think*)
....Bamboo is not dishwasher safe, unless if it's extremely sealed (*I
never put wood-type cutting boards in the dishwasher anyway*)...
I'd suggest to others to consider buying from a different manufacturer
(not Totally Bamboo). When I got this cutting board, it had many tiny
splinters, and I had to sand it with fine sandpaper. It still has a few
splinters, though, and I am worried that new ones will surface each
time I wash it. (*if mine had any fine splinters when I got it, I
certainly haven't seen them since I started using it---may have rubbed
it down a bit back then?... can't be sure who the manufacturer was,
though it looks like the Totally Bamboo one in the link above*)
some sites:
http://www.wmboundsltd.com/bamboo-cutting-board.asp
http://sharpknives.com/gourmets_toolbox_pages/bamboo_cutting_board.htm
http://www.epinions.com/content_175048920708
The prices seem to be all over the place (even for the same board)
http://tinyurl.com/eruej
just Catalina boards (from Totally Bamboo) http://tinyurl.com/e7sf8
Diane B.