The questionnaire answers:
I'm in the US.
I want a heavy cleaver, probably a CCK from Chef's Mall, I am leaning towards a 1603 bone chopper or a 1402 Kau Kong.
I am right handed.
Length appropriate for the job. I think that less than 180mm would be too short, anything over 240mm would be too long.
I prefer carbon.
Absolute max budget is $150. I don't want to spend too much on something that will take a beating, but I've been burned by going too cheap (see below).
Home use.
This knife will be for Chinese style chopping cooked chicken (chopping through flesh and bone in one hit) and chopping up crabs (blue or dungeness) through the shell. I might use the back to crack a coconut occasionally.
The closest thing that I have is a cheap Kau Kong chopper that I bought from an Asian grocery store. The thing looks like an axe but it deformed 2-3mm when I tried to chop through a chicken thigh bone. I think it might have been intended for Cutco salespeople so they can shave some filings off the scary looking knife before they use their "still sharp" Double-D edge to saw through a piece of rope.
I pinch grip mostly. I might finger point with my petty on a slice or draw.
As far as most used techniques (not sure how that matters here), I usually push or chop, sometimes slice or draw. I rarely walk; I suck at it and need to work on my skills. I suck at rocking too, but I never found it necessary. This knife is for chopping straight through bone-in chicken or shell-on shellfish.
Improvements - I am looking for something that can handle some heavy hacking without deforming (or chipping).
Aesthetics - Minimum 67 layers of Damascus steel (don't try to sell me on 45). Hammer finished and mirror polish. The handle must be made from baby elephant ivory carved in the image of the Great Cthulhu.
Comfort - Heavy with a handle.
Ease of use - I want it to repeatedly hack completely through bird bones and crustacean shells in one stroke without needing to re-forge the mangled steel.
Edge retention - Since I'm a home cook, I'll probably only hack up 1 or 2 chickens at a time or maybe 1 or 2 crabs at a time. It would be nice if the edge can last at least 5 or 6 sessions.
I have a Boardsmith end grain maple carolina slab.
I sharpen my own knives.
I know how to sharpen them, but I keep learning more.
I'm always interested in buying more sharpening products.
Other comments:
I saw a youtube video where this expert village woman was hacking through some carrots and crab legs with a really small cleaver. She needed a couple of whacks to get the job done, but I figure that I've got more upper body strength than her. Maybe I can get away with something like what she had. What do you think? :spin chair:
I'm in the US.
I want a heavy cleaver, probably a CCK from Chef's Mall, I am leaning towards a 1603 bone chopper or a 1402 Kau Kong.
I am right handed.
Length appropriate for the job. I think that less than 180mm would be too short, anything over 240mm would be too long.
I prefer carbon.
Absolute max budget is $150. I don't want to spend too much on something that will take a beating, but I've been burned by going too cheap (see below).
Home use.
This knife will be for Chinese style chopping cooked chicken (chopping through flesh and bone in one hit) and chopping up crabs (blue or dungeness) through the shell. I might use the back to crack a coconut occasionally.
The closest thing that I have is a cheap Kau Kong chopper that I bought from an Asian grocery store. The thing looks like an axe but it deformed 2-3mm when I tried to chop through a chicken thigh bone. I think it might have been intended for Cutco salespeople so they can shave some filings off the scary looking knife before they use their "still sharp" Double-D edge to saw through a piece of rope.
I pinch grip mostly. I might finger point with my petty on a slice or draw.
As far as most used techniques (not sure how that matters here), I usually push or chop, sometimes slice or draw. I rarely walk; I suck at it and need to work on my skills. I suck at rocking too, but I never found it necessary. This knife is for chopping straight through bone-in chicken or shell-on shellfish.
Improvements - I am looking for something that can handle some heavy hacking without deforming (or chipping).
Aesthetics - Minimum 67 layers of Damascus steel (don't try to sell me on 45). Hammer finished and mirror polish. The handle must be made from baby elephant ivory carved in the image of the Great Cthulhu.
Comfort - Heavy with a handle.
Ease of use - I want it to repeatedly hack completely through bird bones and crustacean shells in one stroke without needing to re-forge the mangled steel.
Edge retention - Since I'm a home cook, I'll probably only hack up 1 or 2 chickens at a time or maybe 1 or 2 crabs at a time. It would be nice if the edge can last at least 5 or 6 sessions.
I have a Boardsmith end grain maple carolina slab.
I sharpen my own knives.
I know how to sharpen them, but I keep learning more.
I'm always interested in buying more sharpening products.
Other comments:
I saw a youtube video where this expert village woman was hacking through some carrots and crab legs with a really small cleaver. She needed a couple of whacks to get the job done, but I figure that I've got more upper body strength than her. Maybe I can get away with something like what she had. What do you think? :spin chair:
