Cleaver and Mental Help!

For whatever reason I have this anxious want for my first cleaver. Most of my knives are carbon, I slice backwards and basically slide the tip of the knife back and forth, rarely do I ever chop, unless I'm cutting something firm. I would want this cleaver for slicing vegetables, perhaps proteins and more finesse work than bone chopping.

Guess I just feel like learning a new technique, or it's retail therapy. :tongue: Recommendations please!?!

Suien VC is usually recommended as a an entry good quality slicing cleaver at about $160. If your budget reaches $300, there are quite a few more options, sugimoto, mizuno, gesshin ginga, ashi hamono and many more.

CCK 1303 is a cheap, carbon starter cleaver. I say start there and then after a few weeks you will better know what you want(other than better steel and F&F, because the CCK ain't got that!).

A Cck is a good cheap starting point to see if cleavers are for you

+1 on the CCK. I started with a 1303 (20cm x 9cm) before moving on to bigger and better things. In hindsight though, I think it would be better to start with the large CCK (22cm x 11cm I think) as it will give you a better idea of what you're in for should you fall in love with cleavers. My second cleaver was a Sugimoto #6 and it really was like going back to square one trying to get comfortable using it; I reckon it's down to getting use to the weight of a cleaver, I think my CCK is about 260g, the Sugimoto 410g and my Hattori FH 510g and they all feel completely different. I think the 1303 kinda lacks the weight to really do alot of the work compared to the full size range. Having said that, if lighter cleavers do turn out to be your thing, Takeda and DT's (and many more I'm sure) cleavers are full size and I think are around the 350g mark and they seem to get nothing but praise.

All the best whatever you decide to go for.

Josh

I have been planning on getting the large CCK just to play around with. If my budget was a bit better I would probably get the Suien; and I could deal with JKI that way, which is always a great experience.

How is the steel performance-wise on the CCK, will it at least take a decent edge?

Mine did this at work today.


That was after I wiped it off on my pants. Which I did way to early in the morning, and this happened:



It takes a decent-ish edge. I mean, nothing to write home about...I doubt there is a carbon steel that takes a worse edge out there. It is very reactive and takes a FUGLY orange/brown/yellow/black patina, because of impurities in the steel. It's roughly finished. The pluses? It's thin as hell for quite some time behind the edge(as all cleavers should be), and it is a cleaver. It's not a great cleaver, but it is one and it's cheap.

The appeal of the CCK 1303 is that it's like buying a cheap nip of a style of liquor you've never had. It won't be the best, but it'll get you in the neighborhood and see if you like where's it's headed at all. Either way, you are only set back a few bucks.

GlassEye said:

I have been planning on getting the large CCK just to play around with. If my budget was a bit better I would probably get the Suien; and I could deal with JKI that way, which is always a great experience.

How is the steel performance-wise on the CCK, will it at least take a decent edge?

Click to expand...

I've been playing with a 1303 for over a year now(in a pro kitchen), and it's one of my faves. really fun knife. Super thin, fairly sharp OOTB, and surprisingly light considering it's size- which granted is small compared to other cleavers out there. I think dollar for dollar it's one of the best knife deals. Holds an edge fairly well, and my amateurish, hamfisted sharpening attempts have yielded decent rewards- so I imagine somebody who actually knew what they were doing could make it sing. the F&F are quite crude, but sturdy. The spine is on the thin side which confused my knife caullus for a couple days. And as weird as it sounds- I experienced a little cramping in my thumb due the lack of girth in the spine/mid-blade area there's more blade but less to pinch if that makes any sense. Regardless, once you adjust your grif and get used to it- you can use that to your advantage. I rarely ever grab my gyuto by the blade alone to do random fine work. but the CCk's blad is so tall it"s safe and fairly comfortable. Hell- I've supremed oranges with it before! I think it's a great, inexpensive starter cleaver. And they look cool if nothing else

BurkeCutlery said:

Mine did this at work today.

That was after I wiped it off on my pants. Which I did way to early in the morning, and this happened:

It takes a decent-ish edge. I mean, nothing to write home about...I doubt there is a carbon steel that takes a worse edge out there. It is very reactive and takes a FUGLY orange/brown/yellow/black patina, because of impurities in the steel. It's roughly finished. The pluses? It's thin as hell for quite some time behind the edge(as all cleavers should be), and it is a cleaver. It's not a great cleaver, but it is one and it's cheap.

The appeal of the CCK 1303 is that it's like buying a cheap nip of a style of liquor you've never had. It won't be the best, but it'll get you in the neighborhood and see if you like where's it's headed at all. Either way, you are only set back a few bucks.

Click to expand...

+1 one on the reactivity- not a good idea for shallots, onions etc.

The Dexter chinese cleaver is also a good starter cleaver. It is pretty easy to find/order. I know my local Ace Mart carries them. I started with that, I now have around ten chinese cleavers, although my two custom Moritakas are my go too cleavers.

Right on sw2geeks; the Dexter was my first cleaver 30 years ago. Lumo, I submit that as you get used to using a chukabocho and find out how much safer and faster they can be, you will start chopping more! One word of caution; be careful transitioning from a cleaver back and forth to a regular french knife as your fingertips are closer to the actual cutting with the latter. Be forwarned, the more you use the cleaver the more you will use the cleaver!

Hax CLEAVERS RULE!!!

I do a lot of work with onions, (French, Italian and American kitchens) so maybe the CCK is a bad idea. How does the Suien VC reactivity hold up?