hardline_42
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- Dec 11, 2013
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My wife is not a knife person. She's never been one to fuss over kitchen tools, and special treatment of knives is beyond her comprehension. With a toddler and an infant under her care, it's tough enough for her to do anything more than throw a knife into the sink after use, let alone wash and dry it. When I saw her use my gyuto to draw cut a pizza directly on a metal baking sheet (it's just a Tojiro DP, but still) I figured it was time get some knives that she could grab when she knows she won't have the time or focus to treat them properly, but still nice enough for her to enjoy using them.
Currently, her most used knife is a Ronco Six Star Chop 'n Serve from a set I bought through an infomercial about ten years ago. Aside from being absolute garbage, it's also super-thin, feather-light with a tall profile and a rectangular shape most resembling a Chinese cleaver. It also has a handle shape that forces a grip over the blade, so I think a standard pinch-grip would be natural for her. I figured it wouldn't be too far a leap to get her an actual Chinese cleaver, so I'm looking for some recommendations. So far, I'm considering the following:
Dexter Russell Sofgrip Chinese Cleaver (basically, a synthetic-handled version of the S5198)
Victorinox Nylon Handle Chinese Cleaver
My concern is that neither of these is a lightweight cleaver and both are 8", which is almost twice as long as her crappy Chop 'n Serve. Are there any other choices out there that are...?
a) Affordable enough to replace easily if it gets damaged
b) All stainless/synthetic for the unavoidable trip through the dishwasher or left soaked in lemon juice for hours
c) Small enough and light enough for someone unaccustomed to using large/heavy knives
d) Easily hand-sharpened, taking a decent edge and holding it with regular honing
e) Useful for all-around meal prep tasks like slicing meat and dicing veggies and used in tandem with Vic paring knives for everything else
Thanks in advance.
Currently, her most used knife is a Ronco Six Star Chop 'n Serve from a set I bought through an infomercial about ten years ago. Aside from being absolute garbage, it's also super-thin, feather-light with a tall profile and a rectangular shape most resembling a Chinese cleaver. It also has a handle shape that forces a grip over the blade, so I think a standard pinch-grip would be natural for her. I figured it wouldn't be too far a leap to get her an actual Chinese cleaver, so I'm looking for some recommendations. So far, I'm considering the following:
Dexter Russell Sofgrip Chinese Cleaver (basically, a synthetic-handled version of the S5198)
Victorinox Nylon Handle Chinese Cleaver
My concern is that neither of these is a lightweight cleaver and both are 8", which is almost twice as long as her crappy Chop 'n Serve. Are there any other choices out there that are...?
a) Affordable enough to replace easily if it gets damaged
b) All stainless/synthetic for the unavoidable trip through the dishwasher or left soaked in lemon juice for hours
c) Small enough and light enough for someone unaccustomed to using large/heavy knives
d) Easily hand-sharpened, taking a decent edge and holding it with regular honing
e) Useful for all-around meal prep tasks like slicing meat and dicing veggies and used in tandem with Vic paring knives for everything else
Thanks in advance.