I bake all our own bread and as such, I cut my own bread too. I've tried just about every slicer you can imagine. But still, always looking for the perfect slicer. Is this slicer perfect? Pretty close, made from bamboo it will last a good long while, can withstand dish soap and water and easily wipes dry. I love that each cut is fairly uniform and if you can cut right between the columns, you shouldn't have a problem with splintering wood. If you do, a light sandpapering will fix it right up.I gave this item 5 stars because I really like how it folds up (see photo, you can even see a loaf of bread and how nicely it cut inside of the breadbox), how it cleans, how it performs and the bonus here is the look of the unit and finish. I just keep it tucked on top of my breadbox and use when needed.Now for the nitty gritty... when cutting bread with a sharp knife, you "ARE" going to experience some knife cuts into the floor of the frame that holds the bread. I purchased some inexpensive hard silicone mats and cut one to fit the frame. Now only the mat experiences the knife cuts and saves the beautiful workmanship of the unit itself. (see photo). Just dump any residual bread crumbs into the tray and clean up.Did this unit comes with slight splinters on the cutting spaces, sure, not bad though. I took an emery board and lightly sanded them away. People... this is wood! Wood will do that. Have you ever seen a bamboo stalk, the very effort of getting this bread cutter to look as good as it does is mind boggling. Even after sanding, if you cut too close, you're going to experience light splintering. I have no trouble at all, avoiding those sides. Should I have to sand a unit brand new out of the box? No, but I'm not sure how it can be avoided. The splintering that occurs can be caused any number of reasons but certainly easy enough to resolve and not so many that one should be concerned. I think I saw 2... that's it! 2 small splinters and I had to look close to see them!The sizes of the slices are absolutely just right in thicknesses. One thing though that no one tells you, and I'll throw it out there... do NOT cut your bread while its warm or just out of the oven. Bread is tender and requires cooling off to maintain its shape during the cutting phase. Otherwise, it'll smush down and won't appear is lovely as just out of the oven.Now the knife that is provided with this unit is considered a Value Add. Most bread cutters don't offer this little jewel, and it is a little short ... BUT, it will do the job. I prefer a longer bread knife just so I can get the job done faster. This knife takes a little more effort but absolutely will clear the cutting area. I thought it was a nice touch to add the knife, though I don't really use it.Overall, would I purchase this product again? Absolutely! I'm already thinking Christmas Gifts since I've gotten most of my family into bread making. It really is a nice addition to my kitchen craft and I'm very grateful to have found it. My search is over!Oh yes, and as another added bonus, this seller has absolutely no problems with returns and constructive feedback. What more could a buyer want? In today's world, where too many shortcuts are taken far too often, this manufacturer really does step up to the plate. That saying "you get what you pay for...", in this case, you get much more than the actual cost of the unit, at least in my opinion.