Let’s talk about rectangles a bit more

[nhb22]

So I still haven’t found a rectangle that I click with, but I still haven’t given up! A few questions for people who use rectangles a lot:

1. Do you use it as a chopper? Close to straight up and down with force? Or do you push cut and use it like the back half of your gyuto?

2. Do you like it thin so it easily go through food or do you like it kinda thick so the edge is more robust for chopping?

3. Why do you like it better than gyuto? Or grab it over the gyutos you have on a regular basis?

4. Anything else you want to say to convince me I should try more rectangles because they are great.

5. What’s your preferred size and weight?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I have 10 or so eight nakiri spanning a variety of steels, grinds and sizes. The only one I didn't really like was pretty thick, especially around mid-blade. Just too wedgy.

I use my nakiri in all the same ways I use a gyuto or santoku. I rock, push cut, and to some extent tap chop though that isn't really my thing. For me, push cutting is what some call guillotine and glide and involves starting more in the front and ending toward the rear of the blade. Even a nakiri with a squarer nose (kaku) can do a fair bit of rock chopping. I also don't find the curved nose much of a detraction from a gyuto tip. They're sharp and work quite well. The main difference just being you have to be familiar with where the curve is as you can't see it as readily when looking down the spine. This is one reason why I do not like nakiri with sloped front faces.

I have very thin-edged nakiri and more robust ones. My favorites are both from Homi and are somewhat of an all rounder grind. Edge isn't delicate but nowhere near thick and that's sort of true through the overall grind.

I like knives. I like gyutos, santokus, and nakiris. They are all just different experiences. I don't get hung up on long blades so maybe that helps me take to nakiri. There's not a lot I can't accomplish for my wife and I with a 165 and very little with a 180. I'll go so far as to say a 210 gyuto offers no more benefit to me in length than a 180 nakiri. If I can't slice it with either of those, I grab my suji anyway. Oh, and on that note, yes, I routinely cut meat with nakiri.

Nakiri's feel really nice to me and are a joy to use. I just like how they feel in use. That flat blade is nice for product transfer too. I mean consider this, nakiri's are routinely called "vegetable knives". Okay, well, what do we spend the overwhelming majority of our time cutting? Vegetables. I don't see many people doing the pot roast cut test. So why not have a knife designed for the most common task?

Any specific questions I didn't touch on?

 

[namabrian]

Current rectangles = CCK 1303, unknown Shibazi with a western handle (175 x 85, 327g), Shindo nakiri. Though most of this will be in relation to the CCK.

1. I use the CCK for everything but that's also because I mainly cook Chinese food. Great as a slicer e.g. thin chicken breast strips for stir fry. Skinning salmon fillets. Smash + chop garlic and ginger too. I would say the most satisfying cleaver operation is to smash a coin of ginger, chop it, and then scoop it up off the board and then knock that directly into the wok. Cleaver is also great for doing the Chinese julienning technique (cut slices on the bias, fan them out and then julienne, video)

2. I like how thin and light the CCK is but it's still plenty robust for chopping through carrots or whatever - won't flex at all like my super thin behind the edge Yoshi / Shindo do. I have no problem rock chopping with the CCK (or even better, the Shibazi since it has a good bit of belly) when I avoid that entirely with the nicer knives.

3. I think biggest factor is the weight distribution and height, where you still have oomph but it's not too long and still very maneuverable. My 240 Yoshi is 175g vs. CCK's 263g, but the 245 edge length + long wa handle make it feel like a small sword compared to the CCK.

4. I do want to get a fancy western maker rectangle one day, but the best thing about the CCK is that it's $90 and comes completely beaten up from the factory so I have no hesitation banging it around, smashing garlic, letting people use it, etc. whereas I hide all the Japanese knives when people come over. Like it makes my Shindo and Kiwi f&f look fantastic in comparison. My biggest recommendation is to watch a bunch of Asian cooking videos + then cook a bunch of Asian food e.g. LaoFanGu (old school Beijing banquet chefs cooking together at home). Conversely I couldn't fully appreciate my Yoshi until I started cooking more normal Western food.

5. I would want to try a 200 x 100 cleaver with similar weight, but my 210 x 88 CCK is pretty nice.

 

[Danejah]

I know you like Toyama, have you tried one of those? I’ve got a 180 SS and every once in a while I think about letting it go but the grind on that knife is just something else. Maybe I got a good one but it always puts a smile on my face when I use it.

It’s the only one I’ve got and can’t say I use it for any particular reason to be honest. Interchangeable with a gyuto in the kitchen for me (unless a tip is required)

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Let's see if I do this right by memory. My nakiri...

1. Homi 165
2. Homi 180
3. Watanabe Pro 180
4. Moritaka 180
5. Tsunehisa Ginsan 165
6. Yashima 165
7. Sasaoka 165
8. Kiyohei Shindo 165

I also have a small cleaver that is pretty thick and I only use for tough jobs. I had a larger one and didn't gel with it.

 

[cooktocut]

1. I never chop with my cleavers. I used to, especially for things like duxelles, but it’s hard on the edge. Now I’d much rather just rock chop the hell out of it with one of my lesser cared for knives, and keep my cleaver edges fresher longer. I use deliberate, controlled push cutting about 99% of the time.

2. I have both. I love them both and they both have their place. I’ve never chipped an edge on a cleaver, though I have with gyutos.

3. It’s a lot more careless. I’ve always felt that it’s a lot easier to cut yourself with a gyuto than it is with a cleaver (I’ll almost certainly cut myself with the next cleaver I touch, I’m sure) Of course there’s the scooping aspect. However I think where cleavers really shine is when you’re doing large volume. With the exception of big slices (onions, potatoes, etc) nothing is really going to get over the spine to the guide hand side of the blade. This means my brunoise or juliennes don’t get mangled because some of the pieces are cut multiple times because they hopped the blade. I can just calmly keep cutting, sure the blade is getting heavy but that stuff will fall off soon.

4. Bigger canvas for a beautiful patina. Also I think for any of us that appreciate the time and energy that makers put into these knives, will also appreciate how much more time and skill go into making cleavers. To me, they’re a representation of a maker pushing themselves and challenging themselves. The extra time and energy make the knife more valuable to me. I certainly wouldn’t want to polish a big fat rectangle

5. 220-240, 100-110, and I like anywhere around 500 grams.

 

[tostadas]

This is a good read

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/discourse-on-why-i-love-chinese-cleavers-re-post.5319/

 

[cooktocut]

This is a good read

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/discourse-on-why-i-love-chinese-cleavers-re-post.5319/

Yeah he explains it way better, especially the analogy about seeing a bus coming very true, and also the first person I’ve seen describing how and why a cleaver feels safer because of finger placement.

 

[nhb22]

Thanks guys! A lot of good information! Gonna digest a bit and reply later. Also need to read the post @tostadas linked to.

I have tried 10-15 cleavers including the common suspects like CCK, Sugimoto #6, etc and probably 10-15 nakiris also including the usual suspects such as wat pro, toyama, etc. while some of them were not bad, I just kept going back to grabbing my gyutos…

 

[bill_zeng]

This is a piece from a knife manufacturer that I really like. They use 52100 steel with a heat treatment hardness of approximately 60 HRC.
The blade has a length of over 200mm.
As shown in the picture, you can feel how thin this knife is, yet it can still withstand relatively rough use. With its 200mm length, you can push cut, pull cut, and chop straight up and down.It's too strong. Bought it within six months. I haven't bought any other tools since. It's so strong that it's a bit boring.
And the price is so low that it feels like it was bought at a dollar store.
For me, the nakiri and the cleaver have completely overlapping functions. When cutting straight up and down with a cleaver, you can use its weight to increase the cutting impact.
The nakiri is very awkward for me.
Another important reason is that China has many excellent Chinese cleaver manufacturers. Chinese people understand the Chinese cleaver better than manufacturers from any other country. The market competition for Chinese cleavers in China is very fierce, so they are all very affordable, yet the quality is excellent.
The good aspect is that extreme competition has produced exceptional products. The bad aspect is that excessive competition has reduced the income of blacksmiths.

1）

I use it very casually. Sometimes I cut straight up and down, other times I use it like a chef's knife, depending on what I'm cutting.

2）Chinese cleavers come in many different sizes and options. There are thin ones as thin as paper, and there are ones that can chop through beef bones. I like them all.

3）Because Chinese cleavers are very convenient for transferring ingredients from the cutting board.And Chinese cleavers can be as sharp as chef's knives as well.

4）
I recommend trying some high-quality Chinese cleavers made in China. They are inexpensive and you can experience various blade types at a low cost. This doesn't include the CCK knives from Hong Kong.
Perhaps you'll find that for just $10, you can get a very good 52100 sanmai Chinese cleaver.
5）My favorite size is 200x100mm, weighing under 400g. It's a very standard Chinese cleaver size for cutting meat.

 

[Danejah]

Thanks guys! A lot of good information! Gonna digest a bit and reply later. Also need to read the post @tostadas linked to.

I have tried 10-15 cleavers including the common suspects like CCK, Sugimoto #6, etc and probably 10-15 nakiris also including the usual suspects such as wat pro, toyama, etc. while some of them were not bad, I just kept going back to grabbing my gyutos…

Perhaps Hoss can whip you up something that may be a keeper

 

[tostadas]

Nakiri and cleaver are not the same. Nakiri is like a sawed off gyuto, while a cleaver is totally different.

Some of the biggest benefits of a cleaver

• For thinner ones, you can get laser thin grind with the weight of a workhorse gyuto in similar size. The weight combined with grind results in effortless cutting of almost anything. Also allows for plenty of forward balance compared to many laser gyutos.
• For thicker ones, you get the benefit of superb food release with added force from the weight to reduce or eliminate getting stuck from wedging.
• Smash garlic without getting your fingers anywhere near the sharp edge.
• Scooper.
• For small spaces, you get more knife for the length. For gyutos I prefer 240-250mm, while I feel like 210mm is plenty when using a cleaver.
• 1 cleaver = 3 gyutos worth of surface area for patina

And for me cuz I like making handles

• You can use a fat comfy handle made of dense stabilized materials without ruining the forward balance.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Thanks guys! A lot of good information! Gonna digest a bit and reply later. Also need to read the post @tostadas linked to.

I have tried 10-15 cleavers including the common suspects like CCK, Sugimoto #6, etc and probably 10-15 nakiris also including the usual suspects such as wat pro, toyama, etc. while some of them were not bad, I just kept going back to grabbing my gyutos…

I would caution not to confuse cleavers and nakiris as being too related. I find them to be a very different experience and that I prefer nakiris.

I mean, this might be a case of just hammering on the rectangle peg in an effort to shave off the corners to fit in the round hole. You can do it but it will never be a true fit.

Nothing at all wrong with not liking rectangles. If you don't ya don't.

You could line up all my knives and hand them to me one by one to use and I'd find so much to enjoy about the one currently in my hand and feel almost sure it's perfect until you handed me the next one and I felt the same way about it and so on. We just like what we like.

 

[AT5760]

I’ve got 3. For whatever reason, I prefer a nakiri, (Wat or thinned Mazaki) for big veggie prep sessions. It just feels more effortless to do a ton of greens, onions, root vegetables, etc.

Almost purely G&G when I’m using a nakiri, though I’m not afraid to a little chop/rock on herbs.

 

[Absolute Buffoon]

Let's see if I do this right by memory. My nakiri...

1. Homi 165
2. Homi 180
3. Watanabe Pro 180
4. Moritaka 180
5. Tsunehisa Ginsan 165
6. Yashima 165
7. Sasaoka 165
8. Kiyohei Shindo 165

I also have a small cleaver that is pretty thick and I only use for tough jobs. I had a larger one and didn't gel with it.

If you own both a Shindo and a Watanabe and the homis are still your favorite, that's quite the impactful amount of praise for them. Guess that doubles down on a homi being at the top of my list.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

If you own both a Shindo and a Watanabe and the homis are still your favorite, that's quite the impactful amount of praise for them. Guess that doubles down on a homi being at the top of my list.

Well, for sure take that with a grain of salt.

I got the Wat pretty early on. An excellent knife for sure. Has that Sanjo profile that is weighty and comfortable and, uh hum, cuts like a dream. I totally get the admiration and loyal following and there is a reason why me and many others frequently recommend them. I will say the stainless cladding kinda turns me off and the dubious smith origins adds to it but as just a cutting tool, there's something just a smidge off for my personal tastes.

It's much the same with the Shindo, minus the cladding and origin influence. It's a tall, wider spine knife that is a crazy good cutter. A little too flexible maybe for me? And maybe an edge that just feels a little delicate to me, even if it actually isn't it. But it's a really good knife and an awesome value.

This is all strictly personal preference. Others can and do have strong allegiances to both knives and rightfully so. I honestly like my Moritaka over both of the aforementioned but again, all slim margins and personal preference.

 

[bsfsu]

I have a couple of nakiri, they are great for vegies but IMO are limited in their scope of use.
eg

* Vegetables



* Meat (proper meat, primal cuts not "prime, I've already been taken off the bone, meat")



*Fush (with cartilage)

1/ Non rocker
2/ Thin
3/ No
4/ No
5/ 170mm light but not too light

 

[azn_knives_4l]

I grew up using Chinese cleavers and even then I prefer western profiles for my chef knives Cooks in China aren't monolithic either and there are plenty that prefer gyutos despite the deep tradition so it's all good.

 

[SwampDonkey]

1) @HumbleHomeCook pretty much nailed it for me. I cut with the same slicing-push-cut/g&g motion.

2) I've got a variety of grinds, no real difference in taste over gyuto

3/5) I like my smaller knives in rectangle format over a similarly sized gyuto up until about 215 mm length. To me, the sweet spot feels bigger and the contact edge feels effectively larger than an equivalent gyuto. I like a hint of curve to mine, not necessarily dead flat.

The knives I reach for the most on a daily basis are the Eddworks 185x75 and Okubo 180x63, even though I love my 250s. The tall nakiri/nakleaver is really comfortable for me: plenty of edge length for daily tasks/2 person meal preps, more weight per edge mm so it feels like a bigger knife and does more work for you, and more scoopability to transfer product.

All of these things could be extrapolated to a full cleaver too, but the nakleaver retains a nimbleness in-hand that I don't have with full cleavers yet, but I'd been saving that rabbit hole till I got my 240/250 game perfectly dialed, which now I'm about there. ARM made me realize how versatile cleavers really are.

1) Shindo 170x52
2) Wat Pro 176x60
3) Tall Shindo 172x75
4) Okubo 180x63
5) Eddworks AU 185x75
6) Chopper King 204x90 (cleaver)
7) Sugimoto #6 220x110 (cleaver)
8* Okubo 210x90 on order

 

[timebard]

For unclear reasons I like big nakiri and small cleavers, but not the reverse. The three I own and have clicked with are a 190 Okubo (thick and workhorsey), 195 Eddworks 195 S-grind, and a CCK1303. Mostly push cut with them and IMO the key features are a) getting a laser or S-grind with the weight of a heavy workhorse and b) utility for smashing and scooping stuff. Small nakiri don't really hit the first and big cleavers are a little unwieldy for the second, I guess.

What I tried and didn't keep (including PAs I wouldn't have kept if for sale):

-Anryu 165: great cutter, too small
-Knot 170: great cutter, too small
-Wat 180: oddly disappointing cutter relative to it's reputation, still a little small
-Toyama 210: great cutter, nice length but felt proportionally too short at the heel, also too much overlap with my Wat 270 gyuto
-Raquin 185ish?: passaround, OK size but short at heel, not my preference grind wise.
-Kono FM #6 cleaver: generally awesome but too heavy for my liking sadly.
-Henry Hyde big cleaver: passaround, awkwardly large and weirdly thin for a high end knife.

 

[Jville]

So I still haven’t found a rectangle that I click with, but I still haven’t given up! A few questions for people who use rectangles a lot:

1. Do you use it as a chopper? Close to straight up and down with force? Or do you push cut and use it like the back half of your gyuto?

2. Do you like it thin so it easily go through food or do you like it kinda thick so the edge is more robust for chopping?

3. Why do you like it better than gyuto? Or grab it over the gyutos you have on a regular basis?

4. Anything else you want to say to convince me I should try more rectangles because they are great.

5. What’s your preferred size and weight?

Yes

 

[Jville]

So I still haven’t found a rectangle that I click with, but I still haven’t given up! A few questions for people who use rectangles a lot:

1. Do you use it as a chopper? Close to straight up and down with force? Or do you push cut and use it like the back half of your gyuto?

2. Do you like it thin so it easily go through food or do you like it kinda thick so the edge is more robust for chopping?

3. Why do you like it better than gyuto? Or grab it over the gyutos you have on a regular basis?

4. Anything else you want to say to convince me I should try more rectangles because they are great.

5. What’s your preferred size and weight?

I think for starters you may just need to admit that you don't like or prefer cleavers at this point. It could all just end at that, but you seem to have be determined to like cleavers. That determination may lead you to prefer them.

I will start be relating my own experience since it relates somewhat. Years ago I bought a konosuke fujiyama white 2 cleaver, based on the idea of liking to use a cleaver and also I thought it was cool buy because there hadn't been any fujiyama cleavers at that point. (I may or may not of owned a large Moritaka cleaver at this time I can't remember.) Also the gyutos that were going to drop with it were going to go very fast and I felt I had a better chance just focusing on the cleaver. Of course, i was successful as there was time for the cleavers to be had.

That being said, when I went to use it, it was a lot. Alot of blade, alot of weight, alot of feeling overkill, alot of feeling clumsy, alot of feeling I would be better off cutting with my gyutos. I took the approach that the cleaver was a great cleaver, but that I just didn't like using cleavers at the time. But i was determined. So I forced myself to use it sometimes. And I became more comfortable. It was a processs and it had only begun. I still didn't like it more than my gyutos, but it was a little less clumsy, a little less overkill, etc.

Sometime later, I went and worked at an Asian fusion restaurant with an Asian Chef. All the cooks used cleavers just like him, dexters. Me being a knife nut, I took this oppurtunity to "need" a small cck. I got the stainless small cck and used it for just about everything. Now a small cleaver, like a small CCK, is more approachable than a large chuka like my fujiyama. I became very comfortable and enjoyed using the cck, not so much the steel. Using it day in a day out, I found myself suddenly preferring the construct of the small cleaver to gyutos. The small cck became so overwhelmingly practical that I couldn't help but like it in use, even though i despised it for crudeness of steel and lacking the finer qualities of my high end gyutos.

Now that I truly enjoyed using a cleaver I could begin to explore cleavers to satisfy those other aspects that my high end gyutos gave me. And explore i did. I began buying some "nicer" cleaver like sugimoto, takeda, got another fujiyama, and many more. I still had a much nicer gyuto collection than cleaver collection. But at some point something changed. I would rather use my small sugimoto over my kamon mass drop. I found myself drawn and craved using cleavers over my gyutos. I had acquired a preference of the construct of cleavers to the construct of gyutos.

At this time I still used gytuos quite a bit, even predominately. But it was because I was drawn to the gyutos I had. My nice gyutos were a deterrent to my growing relationship and desire to use cleavers. It felt wasteful to leave the nice gyutos in the drawer. Plus i was literally drawn to them just because they were great knives.

So I decided to basically sell them all and buy some more cleavers. And that's what I did. I only own one nice gyuto currently and it barely ever gets used (like never.) Granted it was a process of selling them all. I didn't do it all at the same time. But as I sold more gyutos, I used my cleavers more and more. Now, all I use is cleavers. And I approach them the same way I did my gyutos. I grab different sizes, or choose stainless or carbon, or perhaps i choose higher edge retention, etc based on the situation.

To me ccks and sugimoto are great gateways. CCK a great example of chinese cleaver and sugimoto a great example of a chuka. It is important to make sure you are using cleavers that are good cutter imho. I wouldn't try to see if you like cleavers by using something with a crude grind. That's like learning how to sharpen by using crappy steel. It doesn't make sense. All the things people mentioned why they prefer cleavers are also why I like them, so I won't repeat them all. But at the end of the day it is still what you prefer to actually use that is going to make the biggest impact on your experience. I will say that I most definitely chop and it is one of the biggest factors why I enjoy cleavers. If I didn't chop with my cleavers i would prefer to return to gyutos and chop with them. It is essential to me personally.

 

[Matt Jacobs]

I have tried multiple cleavers and none have worked out for me. They were all fun for things like French onion soup and picking up food but ultimately I have to force myself to reach for them and honestly when I tried to sell here I had to drop my pricing to much to try again. I do however enjoy Nakiri's a lot. In 2 flavors, either roughly 165 x 50 and laser thin or around 175 x 60 with a little more substantial grind. I cant really say why I like those and not a cleaver but I think its because I can use it like a gyuto.

 

[OkayMode]

So I still haven’t found a rectangle that I click with, but I still haven’t given up! A few questions for people who use rectangles a lot:

1. Do you use it as a chopper? Close to straight up and down with force? Or do you push cut and use it like the back half of your gyuto?

2. Do you like it thin so it easily go through food or do you like it kinda thick so the edge is more robust for chopping?

3. Why do you like it better than gyuto? Or grab it over the gyutos you have on a regular basis?

4. Anything else you want to say to convince me I should try more rectangles because they are great.

5. What’s your preferred size and weight?

After trying a few rectangles and not gelling with most of them, I now have one which I quite like (180x56) and don’t see myself getting rid of anytime soon.

1. Push cut most of the time, but unlike a gyuto I start the cut from close to the very front of the knife so my pinch doesn't get in the way. I like a squared tip (sorry @SwampDonkey) so I can make accurate draw cuts too. A rounded tip works fine but I just don’t love them.

2. I suppose it depends on individual preferences, but I prefer the kind of grind where the edge and bte is nail flexing, but the knife carries some meat down the blade before a more pronounced convex. That gives you a good balance of robust and confident cutting feel, and high performance. A well done low bevel knife with forged geometry and subtle shinogi is my current preference, but you can do the same thing with a full convex or wide bevel grind. If I wanted something robust enough for chopping, I'd probably get a full sized cleaver versus something nakiri-adjacent.

3. I don't, I just grab it when I feel like it - typically for meals with a lower volume of ingredients requiring chopping, and usually vegetarian.

4. In my experience, small details can make or break whether you get on with them or not, and it's worth persevering until you have tried a few different flavours of rectangle.

5. I have realised I don't like anything less than 180mm in length and 55mm-ish tall, otherwise I feel too cramped up. I want to try something around 200mm x 60-65mm next to see if I like it more or less. I’m not so fussy about weight.

Really enjoying reading the different perspectives here - good thread @nhb22

 

[oolor13]

I have two nakiri that I use mostly for cutting vegetables and really like the additional height compared to most of my gyutos. One is a Jiro 180mm and the other is a Vachon 210mm monster nakiri that is the perfect blade length and height to easily take down a couple heads of cabbage.

 

[blokey]

View attachment 328055This is a piece from a knife manufacturer that I really like. They use 52100 steel with a heat treatment hardness of approximately 60 HRC.
The blade has a length of over 200mm.
As shown in the picture, you can feel how thin this knife is, yet it can still withstand relatively rough use. With its 200mm length, you can push cut, pull cut, and chop straight up and down.It's too strong. Bought it within six months. I haven't bought any other tools since. It's so strong that it's a bit boring.
And the price is so low that it feels like it was bought at a dollar store.
For me, the nakiri and the cleaver have completely overlapping functions. When cutting straight up and down with a cleaver, you can use its weight to increase the cutting impact.
The nakiri is very awkward for me.
Another important reason is that China has many excellent Chinese cleaver manufacturers. Chinese people understand the Chinese cleaver better than manufacturers from any other country. The market competition for Chinese cleavers in China is very fierce, so they are all very affordable, yet the quality is excellent.
The good aspect is that extreme competition has produced exceptional products. The bad aspect is that excessive competition has reduced the income of blacksmiths.

1）

I use it very casually. Sometimes I cut straight up and down, other times I use it like a chef's knife, depending on what I'm cutting.

2）Chinese cleavers come in many different sizes and options. There are thin ones as thin as paper, and there are ones that can chop through beef bones. I like them all.

3）Because Chinese cleavers are very convenient for transferring ingredients from the cutting board.And Chinese cleavers can be as sharp as chef's knives as well.

4）
I recommend trying some high-quality Chinese cleavers made in China. They are inexpensive and you can experience various blade types at a low cost. This doesn't include the CCK knives from Hong Kong.
Perhaps you'll find that for just $10, you can get a very good 52100 sanmai Chinese cleaver.
5）My favorite size is 200x100mm, weighing under 400g. It's a very standard Chinese cleaver size for cutting meat.

It’s that from 曦公子？ I thought it is 石字刀 but mine wasn’t that thin, another one I really like is 傅一刀

 

[blokey]

Some of the profile I really enjoy, also CCK 1302

 

[blokey]

I grew up using Chinese cleavers and even then I prefer western profiles for my chef knives Cooks in China aren't monolithic either and there are plenty that prefer gyutos despite the deep tradition so it's all good.

It also worth mentioning before majority of kitchen knife production moved to Guangdong province, particular Yangjiang, cleavers varied alot in different regions, I always found old cleavers from north bit interesting

 

[azn_knives_4l]

It also worth mentioning before majority of kitchen knife production moved to Guangdong province, particular Yangjiang, cleavers varied alot in different regions, I always found old cleavers from north bit interesting
View attachment 328275
View attachment 328276

Til. Both sides of my family are from the south. Thanks for the info!

 

[chanloklun]

So I still haven’t found a rectangle that I click with, but I still haven’t given up! A few questions for people who use rectangles a lot:

1. Do you use it as a chopper? Close to straight up and down with force? Or do you push cut and use it like the back half of your gyuto?

2. Do you like it thin so it easily go through food or do you like it kinda thick so the edge is more robust for chopping?

3. Why do you like it better than gyuto? Or grab it over the gyutos you have on a regular basis?

4. Anything else you want to say to convince me I should try more rectangles because they are great.

5. What’s your preferred size and weight?

Born in Hong Kong, the Chinese cleaver was the only kitchen knife I knew about. I hated it because it's too heavy. That's why I've always used western chef knives, until I discovered the nakiri when I got into Japanese knives earlier this year. I was just curious and dived right in and bought the Yoshikane white#2 nakiri. I immediately fell in love with it. Recently I've bought another one by Shiro Kamo and am also waiting for my Shindo blue#2 nakiri to arrive. I never thought I'd like my nakiri because I hated the Chinese cleaver. It's been a self-discovery journey.

1. I use push pull. I feel that chopping requires too much force and it hurts my wrist. I am very clumsy with rock chop.
2. I love my Yoshikane so I guess that's considered a mid-weight.
3. I like nakiri better than gyuto. I feel like gravitating towards nakiri every time I pick up a knife.
4. Just try it. Go to a local knife shop.
5. I've only used 165mm-170mm. I'd be open to try a 180mm. As for weight, I'd say not too heavy and not too light. Can't say exactly.