Dooley Wood Framed Chalk Board, 17 x 23 Inch, 1 Board (1824CH)

After reading all the reviews I opted to not purchase regular chalk to use with this board, which was the best idea for this board. It's a smooth almost dry erase board and I purchased these chalk pens which work great! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Y1SZY2/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1You have to drill the eye hooks into the board and it does not come with wire for hanging.I can't imagine using this board with chalk as I'm pretty sure the chalk wouldn't stick as many folks have experienced but love the look with the pens. Chalk pens wipe clean with wet cloth.

I bought this for a pregnancy announcement and for use throughout the pregnancy. Now we use it as a menu board. It's practical and decent sized for what I need it for, but when using chalk markers the only way to really get rid of the markings is to wash with soap and water. Actual chalk on the board will still show even after a washing. It's great though aside from that hiccup.

Love the size and the quality. This chalkboard is slate so if you use liquid chalk pens, it doesn’t erase all the way. It takes some scrubbing and leaves some ghosts behind.

We bought this chalk board for the kids because for some reason they love writing with chalk. I can't remember ever loving to write with chalk when I was a kid, but to each is own.Pros:It's under $12.00 (by one penny.The chalk seems to stick fine.It's under $12.00.Cons:It is kind of flimsy. Not like the old school chalk boards made of slate that click when the chalk hits the board.

I recently purchased this board to use as decoration at my wedding reception. The shipping was really fast. I must have received it within 3 days of ordering it and I live in Hawaii so stuff usually takes longer to get here. I was a little worried that it would be difficult to write on but it is actually very smooth and takes chalk well. It also erases relatively well. Something that surprised me though is that the board feels like it's made out of plastic. This isn't a problem for me because it makes it much lighter which I like but if you're looking for a really sturdy board you might need to pay a little more. Overall though this was a great purchase for the price.

I read All the mixed reviews about this Dooley chalkboard but it was the most affordable chalkboard that I could find online. So I bought two of them because I needed it to write for my save the date photo shoots for my upcoming wedding. I received it very fast which is so nice! Yes, when I tested the chalkboard with cheap chalk I bought for under 50 cents from Walmart it wrote very faintly, but because of one helpful tip from a thoughtful reviewer I borrowed their method of "seasoning" the entire chalkboard with the long side of the chalk and lo and behold it worked!!! After that experiment, everything I wrote was very clear just as good as a slate chalkboard! I am a happy customer!:)

This chalkboard works for the purpose I wanted it. However it is much more cheaply thrown together than I anticipated. The frame is not sturdy and the board wiggles around a lot within it. The board itself is not slate, rather it seems to be just a black piece of plastic. I 'seasoned' it a bit by scribbling chalk all over it and erasing it a few times, which seemed to help, but some chalks work better than others. All in all, like I said, it works for what I wanted it for - but I would not buy it again.

Original review - 3 starsI purchased this to hang in my kitchen, half for decoration, half for function. I wasn't looking to spend too much money, so this was the best value. For the price, it was worth it. It doesn't write as smoothly though as the slate chalkboards of elementary school. It feels rough when you write, and it doesn't erase cleanly with a chalkboard eraser. I just wipe it off with a damp washcloth when I want to clean it off thoroughly. No problem though, it looks great in the kitchen, and works well enough for me!Update June 2011I ended up liking my chalkboard so much I ordered another! To my dismay, the design and quality totally changed. The chalkboard material is now PLASTIC feeling, and chalk does not stick well at all...it more glides over the top leaving only a faint line. It is easily wiped off by a finger swipe. The frame design also changed so there is no longer a lip for the chalk to sit on.