i never realized my old cutting boards contributed so much to dulling my kitchen knives. after i upgraded my knives and sharpening tools, i read about Hasegawa cutting boards and ordered them. so happy i did! the sound (or lack) of the knives hitting the board was so satisfying! i love knowing it isn't DESTROYING my knive's edges, either. the only CON is that the boards may take some elbow grease to clean because of the textured surface. a sponge may not be enough; a brush may be needed to clean it throughly