The Knotty Year‑End Scrapstravaganza

Dec 13

“A year ends. The scraps remain.”

A year moves by faster than it should. The jobs behind us are gone now, living their best lives in new homes, continuing their stories in peace. But here in the shop, the scraps stay behind like dust in the bin. Offcuts, ends, edited bits that didn’t make the final cut. And if I don’t deal with them, I’ll need storage just to keep the scraps from taking over. It must be November. Time for the annual cleanup. Time to reclaim the space. Time for the Scrapstravaganza. This is when I drag out the pile of leftovers, oak (white and red), walnut, maple, elm, poplar, maybe some cherry if the year was kind. None of them were placed there with love. We just can’t throw anything out. Paid good money for that lumber, and I’ll reclaim every ounce of value I can. These scraps could’ve been firewood. But they’ll make far better cutting boards. And let me tell you something: I’ve never once had someone look at a Knotty Dave’s cutting board and say, “You know what? I prefer the dollar‑store ones.” These boards are stories, reclaimed, glued up, sanded smooth, and elevated to something people cherish. I know folks who refuse to use theirs because they don’t want to scratch it. Buddy… it was almost firewood. Scratch the hell out of it. That’s the point. That’s the story. I’ve never gotten a call saying, “My cutting board is worn out, I need a new one.” Hell no. These things are lifetime pieces. You’ll hand that sucker down. It’s wood, actual hardwood, the definition of resilience. It belongs beside your cast iron, proudly, as part of the lifetime all‑star team in any kitchen. Ready every day. Built for the long game. Buy a cutting board once. Use it forever.