Search for the first cleaver!

So Ive always wanted to try cleaver and now im planning to lose my virginity.
Whats best bang for the buck? I Prefer using around 100$, but if I cant get anything good with it, im willing to go up to 350$, which would get me sugimoto #6, which is the one ive been eyeing.
Recommendations?


What country are you in? Finland

Are you right or left handed? Right

Use for the new knife? Vegetable destruction

Are you interested in a Western handle or Japanese handle? Japanese

Do you require a stainless knife? No

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? Around 350 $,

Do you intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Both

Edge Retention: as long as its not poor, Im fine with sharpening it more often, if its otherwise good.

Do you sharpen your own knives? Yes

I like the Suien VC a lot

Anyone else? Recommendations?
Something that nobody should never ever lay his hands on?

this doesnt look like but it is very decent, despite the handle. good project knive.

For a first cleaver a smaller vegetable blade is good. The Sujimoto CM 4030 is a quality starter and quite capable for vegetable destruction. Do not be fooled by the chromium molybdenum it is workhorse steel, can make it very sharp, has a nice grind, and good edge retention for a CM cleaver. I think must have excellent heat treatment. Like the Sujimoto handle as well.

For home use I use this cleaver quite a bit and it does not rust on my mag bloc.

Do not be fooled by the chromium molybdenum it is workhorse steel, can make it very sharp, has a nice grind, and good edge retention for a CM cleaver.

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+1

Another fan of the Suien. I'm not a cleaver guy and don't use one a lot but when I do this one works for me. Itinomonn is on my list to try but the cleaver gods have denied me so far.

Anyone have tried both suien and sugimoto #30? Pros and cons against each other?Seems to be almost same price. Both look good.

I've had the smaller CCK, the Wokshop "vegetable cleaver", the Suien VC, and a custom Ashi Hamono in white #2. I liked the CCK, but preferred the full-sized cleavers, and also enjoyed the lesser reactivity and longer edge retention of the Ashi and Suien over the CCK, although it was more the size than the steel that made the most difference. I didn't care for the profile of the Suien, though- too much belly for me (ones from a few years back were much more flat, apparently). I also wasn't crazy about the handle on the Suien; it seemed a little small. The steel on the Suien was great, though. I didn't have it for too long, but it seemed right up there with the white #2 of the Ashi.

I asked Koki (japanesechefsknife.com) if he could get me sugimoto cm #30, and he quickly answered that yes, ofcourse. Price is good and comes with fast free shipping. I think that's the one I'm going to get. Thanks for your input Guys!

I used the suien at work. Took out some of the belly put on a custom handle have large hands. The carbon steel is good quality better than CCK's. It is a tall cleaver. It is strictly a vegetable blade not meant for hard objects. I sold all my carbon cleavers when retired. I feel the Sugimoto will work for you, know a couple guys that use them at work. Also going from a gyuto to a cleaver the learning curve works well with a smaller blade. Some guys who have never used a cleaver go out & buy full sized blades & then figure cleaver is not for them.

The Sugimoto 30 is a small but quality blade with a very nice grind.

This is mine, it came with a custom handle. A friend liked it well enough he ordered a new one from Jon. He's gotten used to the stock handle but I find it too small.