Catskill Craftsmen Super Island Kitchen

This product is an interesting combination of overall excellent wood products and so-so hardware and joinery techniques. The piece appears to have been wash-coated, so you will have to sand with 200+ grit and then apply a food-safe finish. (The shipped finish has the feel of a rubbing a cat the wrong way.) When you wash-coat, the wood pores stand up, and so it needs to be actually finished. This is not accidental by manufacturing as this allows you to also stain to match your decor. Since this is a review, some gripes/issues you may want to consider: The butcher-top should be at least twice as thick. It has a cheap feel with a 1" top. It weakens an overall high-quality effort IMO. For a butcher top, the table top should be squared and chamfered and not rounded, and the mounting technique should include a more positive attachment other than 1"screws. Hence, although there is a knife mount, this is simply not a butcher-top, but only a top. If you are thinking of using this item for chopping frozen meat, you will be disappointed. The top drawer hardware is substandard, and the drawer "racks" because a drawer this width needs to have center-runner. The dividers and cabinet doors and most joinery are placed using steel pins of varying lengths, which is very unconventional cabinet-making, but allow for some customization. Time will tell if this technique is long-lasting. I am a woodworker, and this piece was a challenge to assemble because the instructions are not entirely clear at each assembly point. Took me over two hours working smartly.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? no issue - unfinished
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. overall high quality
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? good

Nice quality. Labeling of parts and screws would have been helpful in assembly process to minimize assembly time. Once cart was completed I examined it and am 100% satisfied with the quality and apppearance.

The price seemed a little high but when I saw the great review I decided to try it. The hardwood is beautiful and the unit is sturdy even the caster wheels are very durable and lock very securely. I just wish the drawer was a little deeper to fit all my utensils.

This island is perfect in my new kitchen. It was a lot of work to put together. One technique is to read the instructions thoroughly, spread everything out in order of assembly, and go slowly and patiently. I love the storage and the beautiful top. It would fit well in many styles of kitchens. I will be sanding the top - it is very rough. The drawer is very wide and doesn't always open square, but I don't mind as I would rather have the storage than 2 smaller drawers. Overall, it is a very functional and handsome island. It was more than I wanted to spend, but I figured that it will be one of the most used items in my kitchen, and its true!