Made to order in Interlochen, Michigan — most boards ship about 3 weeks after order.
All five Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario — carved in light maple across a dark walnut end-grain base. The board for the UP cabin, the lake-effect kitchen, the Great Lakes family.
This is a working cutting surface, not a display piece. End-grain construction means the knife cuts between the wood fibers instead of across them — easier on your blades, no visible cut marks, and the board lasts decades instead of years. But the inlay turns it into something you keep on the counter, not hidden in a cabinet. The brass feet lift it just enough to show off the profile.
Why this one
- Solid end-grain walnut, not edge-grain plywood. End-grain is the slow, expensive way to build a cutting board. The wood is cut into blocks and stood on end so the knife edge slides between the fibers instead of cutting across them.
- Carved maple inlay of all five Great Lakes. Each lake is routed into the walnut, fit-tested, glued in, sanded flush, and finished by hand. The shoreline contours are recognizable — Superior’s north shore, Michigan’s mitt, Huron’s thumb, Erie and Ontario’s eastern edges.
- Brass feet included. Solid brass cutting board feet. They lift the board about ⅜” off the counter so air flows underneath, and they make the board look like the heirloom piece it is.
- Two-step hand-applied finish. Food-safe mineral oil first, then our homemade board butter — locally sourced beeswax and natural oils, mixed in our shop, applied by hand. Not an off-the-shelf can from a big box store.
- Works for the whole Great Lakes region. Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York — anyone who lives on a Great Lakes shore.
- Made in Interlochen, Michigan. Built in our shop, one at a time, with regional hardwoods.
Specs
- Size: 12″ × 18″ × 1.7″ thick (plus ⅜” with brass feet)
- Base: Black walnut, end-grain construction
- Inlay: Hard maple, full Great Lakes map (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario)
- Feet: Solid brass cutting board feet. Four feet, screwed into the base, lift the board about ⅜” off the counter for airflow.
- Finish: Two-step process — food-safe mineral oil first, then a homemade board butter made from locally sourced beeswax and natural oils. Mixed in our shop, applied by hand.
- Lead time: About 3 weeks from order to ship
- Made in: Interlochen, Michigan
- Shipping: USPS Priority within the contiguous US
Best for
- The UP cabin, the lakehouse, the cottage on Lake Michigan
- A wedding gift for a couple who met on the lakeshore
- A housewarming for someone who moved away from Michigan (a piece of home on the counter)
- A retirement gift for the UP guide, the charter captain, the one who summers on the lake
- A housewarming or anniversary for the Great Lakes family — Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, anywhere along the shore
- A hostess gift for the lake-effect cook
- An anniversary of a first trip to the UP, the first sail across Superior, the first summer at the cottage
- A mantel or counter piece that says “we belong to the lakes”
What’s not in the box (so no surprises)
- A display stand is not included by default. Add a matching display stand for $40 at checkout. Hand-finished with the same board butter as the boards, holds 12″×18″ up to 2″ thick, folds flat for storage.
- Brass feet ARE included (screwed in, ready to use). No extra purchase needed.
- Hand Holds – Cut-in handles on the back are included too.
- No care kit included. Re-oil with food-safe mineral oil (Howard Food Grade or similar) once a year.
- No personalization on this design. The inlay IS the design. For a custom inlay (a specific lake, a family lake house, coordinates of “your” beach, a boat name), contact us for a quote.
Care
- Wipe the brass feet with a dry cloth occasionally. If they tarnish (they shouldn’t, but brass can), a quick polish with Brasso brings them back. Don’t get polish on the wood.
- Hand wash only. Warm water, mild soap, dry immediately. Don’t soak.
- Re-oil once a year (or whenever the wood looks dry). For the closest match to our factory finish, use our homemade board butter — Sleeping Bear Farms beeswax from Benzie County, MI + USP food-safe mineral oil. Any butcher-block oil also works fine.
- Don’t put it in the dishwasher. The heat and detergents will destroy the glue joints.
- Don’t leave it in direct sunlight for months — walnut will lighten slightly. It doesn’t hurt the wood, just changes the look.
- Both sides are working surfaces. Flip it occasionally so it wears evenly.
A note on the wood
Walnut is a domestic hardwood, dark chocolate brown with a tight, even grain. It’s the premium species for cutting boards — heavy, stable, gentle on knives, beautiful without being flashy.
Maple is the classic inlay wood — pale cream with subtle figure that contrasts cleanly against walnut. Both are food-safe, both are local to the Great Lakes region, both are what your grandparents would have called “real wood.”
Wood is wood. Each board has its own grain pattern, its own color variation, its own character. The lake outlines will look slightly different on every board because the maple figure is different on every board. That’s the wood, not a defect.
See the rest of the Custom Inlay Cutting Boards collection →
