Which Heavy Cleaver?

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Vegetables?

What are those? :scratchhead:

I have a santoku and a nakiri I can use for veg work. Although, honestly for garlic, ginger, and scallions (the only veg in laziji if you don't count the dried chilies) I much prefer to use a chukabocho. This is why I wanted to get a protein and bone specific cleaver, to prevent constantly ruining the chopper edge on something for which it was never intended to be used and then having to re-sharpen it.

However my plan kind of backfired, because now I'm in the market for a needless upgrade to my chopper. :rolleyes2: Looking very pointedly at a Sugimoto this week.
 
The factory edge on my Sugimoto No. 7 did poorly on chicken bones until I raised the sharpening angle a little bit. Works fine now but it is one heavy knife for fine cutting.
 
I have been eyeing the #6, purely for chopping and slicing veg and soft protein.

That #7 looks like a beast.
 
I have been eyeing the #6, purely for chopping and slicing veg and soft protein.

That #7 looks like a beast.


Dude, I had trouble with the #6...which is why I sold my custom Heiji chuka and commissioned one at half it's weight.

To the OP, if you're still looking for a heavy cleaver, I'd be happy to check out Chinatown (oakland) to find a very heavy meat cleaver.
It'll likely run about $20 or less, and I'll ship it to you at my cost.

however, I feel that this is something that is very personal.
I'd recommend you go to your local chinese community to hunt for a knife.
These are cheap---soft steel, made in bulk, poorly finished--can smash through bone.

You will definitely want a better cutting board however. Do you have any whole stumps here? I'd be afraid that your boardsmith won't be up to the task.
 
I think it'll be okay for me. The #6 is only 10g heavier than the chopper I've been using for 18 years. How did you get the weight down so much?

The one thing I would add is that while a cheap chopper will definitely get through chicken bones, a good edge is important to minimize splintering. I know some insist that because chicken bones are round you cannot avoid splintering, but in my experience a good edge makes a significant difference in this respect.

Awesome and generous offer mlau!


Definitely worth checking out your local Chinese or Vietnamese market for a cheap, thick cutting board you can dedicate to cleaving duty.
 
Look for used Ho Ching Kee Lee. Very similar to CCK, but the price is much more reasonable, similar to CCK before the name took off. This is mine. Also, I would never use this beast on a nice end grain board. asset.jpeg
 
I bought mine from a friend who goes to China and Hong Kong to replenish ingredients. He always buys extra knives that he resells to friends and students. He once travelled to a remote village in Szechuan to replenish his chili sauce.

Ironically, he is Caucasian, and doesn't speak a lick of Chinese.

I picked what felt good in the hand...which happens to be very light!
 
Also, the guys in Chinatown treat their knives as a disposable tool and sharpen constantly on cheap 80/240 grit stones.

They'll chop their order and resharpen during down time.
 
But yeah, offer still stands.
Just let me know what your cutting and how big a knife.

It may take a while though.
I may be going up to SF Chinatown sometime to help a friend get a cutting board.
 
Oh, just checked prices at the wok shop.

A decent cleaver will be $10-30. Just depends on what you plan to cut.

From my training, the heavy cleaver is a fairly cheap, disposable tool. The fine vegetable cleaver us where to spend the money
 
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