Discourse on why I love Chinese Cleavers re-post

[Justin0505]

Always great to see you're still alive and cleavering! Thanks again for the post. It should really get a sticky or be filed away in the knowledge center as reference and for future generations of members.

Your point about the combination of thinness and weight is so true and important to realize. A cleaver just has soo much distance over which to thin out that even a cheap, roughly forged and ground cleaver like a CCK is going to embarrass a lot of very expensive and much more carefully made knives when it comes to falling though food.

[quantumcloud509]

What would you guys recommend for a chopping cleaver if I wanted one with an octagonal wa-style handle?

[jaybett]

What would you guys recommend for a chopping cleaver if I wanted one with an octagonal wa-style handle?

Do you want a cleaver for chopping through ribs or vegetables?

Most of the cleavers that Andy prefers are known as thin or slicing cleavers. The cleavers that I like are the medium or chopping cleaver. It would be the same difference between a laser and work horse gyuto.

Because of the weight of a cleaver, they are held more by the blade, with the thumb and finger extending down the blade. The ring finger and pinky are more for guiding the cleaver. A shorter handle is better for a cleaver. The two shapes that work the best are the round handles that taper down to the knife and the rectangular that also taper down. If the handle doesn't taper, then it can be uncomfortable on the ring finger.

The problem with Wa Handles on a cleaver is that they are too long. They have a tendency to get in the way.

Moritaka and Takeda put Wa Handles on their cleavers. I can't think of any other makers, right now of the top of my head, who are using Wa-Handles.

Another idea would be to try Jon at JKI, and see if he could have something custom made.

Jay

[JasonD]

Thank you for the repost! Time to give my Sugimoto a workout after reading this great thread. I must try your training routine with the potatoe and orange. As a home cook, I don't get nearly enough practice to really drill in that muscle memory with my knives that one acquires in a professional setting... But, it never hurts to try anyways!

[Tristan]

Now is a good time for anyone who has been wanting to pass on a cleaver to hit the B/S/T...

[heirkb]

Anyone know of a good stainless one? It seems Gesshin Ginga/Ashi is the only one I could find.

[Pensacola Tiger]

Anyone know of a good stainless one? It seems Gesshin Ginga/Ashi is the only one I could find.

Hattori FH-15 Chinese Cleaver (VG10 Stainless Steel Blade)
Hontanren Series Chinese Cleaver # 6 (Solid Pure Sweden Stainless Steel Blade, Ebony wood handle)
Misono 440 Series Chinese Cleaver
Misono Chinese Cleaver (Molybdenum steel)
all at
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ChineseCleaver.html

Tadatsuna makes one, but I can't find a link to a vendor.

[joec]

Still a great article Andy. Enjoyed it then and still do but then with me it was preaching to the choir.

[Cadillac J]

Suien VC was one of my earlier j-knives a few years ago after reading through this and your cleaver rating posts.

Just a shame that I could never get into them like I wanted to...even tried the Kagayaki later on for the same length but with a shorter blade height, but I just seem to like a gyuto or suji much better--I'm sorry to disappoint both Andy and JoeC

[malacara]

Thanks for the articles Andy. I found them few years ago and it was extremely useful.

I started cooking ten or more years ago and by that time I became interested in good cooking knives too. I firstly got myself a nice chef´s knife, then a Henckels and after that a Shun. Few years later I started watching Martin Yan cooking programs and I wanted to try a chinese cleaver, and when I did... bloody hell, after a few days using it I got hooked. I started reading kitchen knife forums just to know more about cleavers and it is then when I knew of Andy777 and his valuable posts. I have ended giving away all my chef knives and buying cleavers. Nowadays I have a bunch of cleavers and two pettys, and that´s it. And I can´t be happier.

Quote Originally Posted by heirkb View Post
Anyone know of a good stainless one? It seems Gesshin Ginga/Ashi is the only one I could find.
Hattori FH-15 Chinese Cleaver (VG10 Stainless Steel Blade)
Hontanren Series Chinese Cleaver # 6 (Solid Pure Sweden Stainless Steel Blade, Ebony wood handle)
Misono 440 Series Chinese Cleaver
Misono Chinese Cleaver (Molybdenum steel)
all at
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ChineseCleaver.html

Tadatsuna makes one, but I can't find a link to a vendor.

I bought mine from here: http://www.itkitchenknife.com (I was going to put a direct link of the cleaver I got but the web doesn´t seem to be working today) and very pleased with the transaction