About Us

Loftis Family

Our Story

David Smith founded the Boardsmith in High Point, North Carolina in 2005. He steadily built a reputation for building some of the finest butcher block in the world. John Loftis took over the Boardsmith upon David’s retirement in 2015. Having crafted thousands of cutting boards prior to assuming the mantle of The Boardsmith, John was a great fit to carry on the tradition of excellence of the brand.

A true ‘Mom and Pop’ operation, John is married to the Shipping Department/Accounting Department/CFO/Boss. John is allowed to maintain delusions of grandeur so long as those delusions are constrained to his 1,500 square foot shop in Dallas, Texas. All three kids participate in the business, frequently helping their mom and dad ship orders and help out in the shop.

Our Process 

For the last two decades, The Boardsmith has been one of the most admired makers of butcher block in the world. Our reputation has been hard-built, beginning with an uncompromising approach to craftsmanship.

In butcher’s block, you really do ‘get what you pay for,’ and we’d like to spend a few minutes explaining what makes our butcher’s block exceptional.

It all starts with the wood

We spend a jaw-dropping amount of money on top quality hardwoods. To make a beautiful, lasting butcher’s block, we use only the highest grade (FAS) hardwoods, sourced from sawmills who use sustainable forestry practices (FSC). We only use the three best species for butcher block: Hard Maple, Black Cherry, and Black Walnut. The quality of the hardwoods we use costs us twice as much as the cheaper stuff costs the other guys, but the results speak for themselves.

Uncompromising craftsmanship

Crafting butcher block is an exercise in precision. Tools must be dialed in carefully and techniques must be honed over decades to ensure that the butcher’s block is built to last. Unlike the big, nameless factories that churn out thousands of ‘units’ per day, we are a small shop and make each butcher block by hand, paying careful attention to details like wood grain direction and seamless joinery. We have also invested in high-end industrial tools such as Felder and Festool to help give you the best quality product. Being small also means that we can easily customize, catering to your specifications and desires. Want something unique? Just ask us!

The little things that make a big difference

We only use Titebond III glue, which is EPA approved as food safe and waterproof. We hand chamfer each butcher’s block and hand craft matching wood ‘escutcheons’ that our silicone feet nest into. We dip each board into pharmacy grade, food safe mineral oil to give it water resistance and we hand buff each board with beeswax to give it luster and additional protection. We use a unique ‘Carolina slab’ pattern of wide sections of hardwood to minimize the number of glue joints and to stagger the glue lines. We don’t skip the details, because they really help make our products exceptional pieces of functional art.

In short, a Boardsmith board is built to be beautiful, and built to last. If your kids are arguing over who gets to keep it when you’re gone, then we’ve done our job. 

Kind Words

"We bought the hard maple cutting board over 3 years ago and still love it as much as the day we received it. Our knives love it too, they glide right through the grain. We use it 4-5x/week; it’s gotten abused by all sorts of food from fatty ribeyes to strawberry stains (a little lemon & salt got them right out!) With gentle washing and fairly regular oiling I imagine we’ll have this for many more years. I couldn’t be happier. – Taylor, April 12, 2020

I just received my butchers block (hard maple board with feet) in the mail and have to say it is the most beautiful of its kind that I have ever seen. This piece was clearly crafted with utmost care and oiled and buffed to perfection. – Rachel D, January 31, 2020

Great board. Looks great in the kitchen. Solid feel against knife. More spacious than any other board I’ve owned. I don’t regret getting this large size at all. The feet are rubberized and nice on the counter so they don’t scratch. I ordered the board butter with it to season it and keep it well oiled. You won’t regret getting this board. – Andrew Janian, May 30, 2020

 

Press Mentions

We've been fortunate enough to be highlighted in a variety of publications! View our Press page here