News

Engraved hardwood Catan board detail, CNC-cut and hand-finished by Murray Industries
Personalized Catan Boards: What You Can Engrave and How the Proof Process Works
What actually gets engraved on a Heirloom Inlay Catan board, which file formats carve cleanly, and how the proof-before-cutting process works. Read more...
Murray Industries brand medallion detail on a finished Catan board
The Odie's Oil Finish: Why We Use It on Every Board
We finish every board with Odie's Oil, a food-safe hardwax finish that soaks into the wood instead of sitting on top. Here's why we chose it over lacquer, poly, or... Read more...
Shapeoko 5 Pro CNC router cutting hex inlay pockets into a hardwood Catan board
How We Machine Every Hex Pocket: The Shapeoko 5 Pro Behind the Boards
A look inside the workshop: the Shapeoko 5 Pro CNC router, the tolerances we hold on every hex pocket, and the hand-check step that happens before any board gets finished. Read more...
White oak wood grain close-up showing distinctive ray flecks and golden tan color
White Oak Catan Boards: Warm and Traditional
White oak is the classic choice for a Catan board that feels like an heirloom from day one. Discover why this warm, stable wood with distinctive ray flecks is perfect... Read more...
Cherry wood Catan board with CNC-cut hex pocket inlay
Cherry Catan Boards: The Wood That Ages With You
Cherry wood transforms beautifully with age, making it the perfect heirloom Catan board choice. This deep-dive explores why cherry is our species of choice for boards that develop patina and... Read more...
Creamy maple wood grain showing the subtle beauty of hard maple on a finished Catan board
Maple Catan Boards: The Classic Choice
Maple's clean grain, rock-solid stability, and food-safe finish make it the timeless choice for heirloom Catan boards. CNC-cut, hand-finished in Tulsa. Read more...
Dark brown and black walnut wood grain detail with CNC-cut hex inlay pattern
Walnut Catan Boards: The Formal Heirloom
Black walnut brings weight, stability, and quiet formality to a Catan board—the wood darkens over time into an authentic heirloom that carries decades of play. Read more...
Close-up of golden Osage orange wood grain on a finished Catan board
Pecan and Osage Orange: Oklahoma's Native Woods on the Catan Board
We source two Oklahoma-native hardwoods for our CNC-cut boards: pecan for its warmth and stability, Osage orange for its precision and unique character. Both tell a story that mass-produced boards... Read more...
Shapeoko 5 Pro CNC-cutting a hex tile pocket into hardwood — Murray Industries inlay Catan board
Wooden vs. Laser-Etched vs. Cardboard: The Catan Board Buyer's Comparison
A physics-first comparison of the three main Catan board formats — cardboard, laser-etched wood, and inlay hardwood — with guidance on which matches your play pattern. Read more...
Hex-grid macro of a Murray Industries Heirloom Inlay Catan board — patent-pending precision-carved tile pockets
Custom Catan Board Gift Guide
How to pick a wooden Catan board as a gift — species, engraving, sizes 2–4 and 5–6 players, and Tulsa-shop lead times. Read more...
Murray Industries brand medallion inlaid on curly maple — every board carries the shop mark
Six American Hardwoods for Custom Catan Boards: A Species Guide
A species-by-species guide to the six American hardwoods we use on custom Catan boards — Maple, White Oak, Cherry, Pecan, Walnut, and Osage Orange. Read more...