Great for an Island. As your forever countertop with your primary sink in it - problematic. Especially with an under mount sink. Constant exposure to water will damage the tops over time. Yes they can be sanded, refinished etc but they are simply more appropriate for areas other than the primary sink area in a kitchen.

I agree with the above comments. I love having it in the cooking area of my kitchen but by the sink is a disaster in a house with people who don't understand that all water must be wiped down. If you don't want to turn into the wicked witch to your family, keep it away from the sink area and then you don't have to worry about the upkeep

I can be pretty witchy, so I will definitely take that into consideration!

I wouldn't do it. Just buy a nice thick chopping block to place on your counter. Then it can easily be replaced from time to time.

I am about to do butcher block (stained dark) for all our countertops. I've read the key is to seal all sides with Waterlox. Saw some that were beautiful with a satin finish.

All wood counter tops are quite the rage just now. Kitchen designers and wood fabricators swear by them...but here are three pros (and now a fourth) saying to keep the wood away from the water. I don't know the Waterlox product...it is a coating or sealer, I assume...thing is...nothing is perfect at keeping water from going where it wants. So the wood darkens, mildew stains appear, soft spots develop. Circle of life stuff on your counters.

Personally I like to have a detachable / separate butcher / cutting block so they can be replaced easily.

That the other issue. Butcher block can be beautiful but not if you cut on it. An island could still look OK if it was cut on and became distressed by use. The perimeter of the kitchen might look funny worn in some places and not others. So now you are fighting both water and someone mistakenly using your cutting block top to heaven forbid, cut on.

My heart was set on butcher block but I think I should listen to the professionals! I love the idea of a large cutting block. Seems obvious but didn't think of it. Thank you! Any ideas what I should use instead? My house is older and I want my new kitchen to look as if it evolved with the house. New cabinets will be white with a tile backsplash. I have dark hardwood floors.

Soapstone, or quartz with a traditional look like marble or dark slate. Also many beautiful laminates if those are out of the budget, look at the Formica FX series.

I think these kitchens with white cabinets are beautiful and both have very nice calm backsplash choices. You could get the light countertop with quartzite or quartz. I wouldn't choose marble. You could get a nice dark countertop with quartzite, quartz, soapstone or granite. Most of those can be leathered if you want a less shiny finish - I love leathered finishes. If you have an island, you could use a different material on the island.
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