Show me your best cleaver

[EShin]

Good thread indeed! I have four keepers and am pretty much settled. Love my Migoto mini cleaver, such a fun knife, great performer and I really like blue 2. Super thin but still tough. Due to the low weight, it rather feels like a tall nakiri in use. Watanabe thin cleaver is really good as well, just wish it had a bit more curve but I’ll fix that once it needs some thinning which won’t be too soon as it’s really thin. The hatsukokoro nakagawa mini cleaver is a great little allrounder, such a good grind and the ginsan is great. Just wish it was a bit bigger. So if I had to choose one it would probably be the TF cleaver, especially now after some work on the bevels, it’s a really smooth cutting workhorse. Keeps an aggressive edge really long, is super tough but still feels very nice on the stones.

 

[EShin]

accidentally posted twice.

 

[JayS20]

A heavily pimped Chinese Cleaver by a hobby sharpener and occasionally hobby knife maker

I also like Martin Huber's Cleavers and the Tinker Tank like one he has from Merion.

 

[Alpine.knifeworks]

A heavily pimped Chinese Cleaver by a hobby sharpener and occasionally hobby knife maker
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I also like Martin Huber's Cleavers and the Tinker Tank like one he has from Merion.

This looks so fun. What steel?

 

[JayS20]

This looks so fun. What steel?

I have no idea what it is. Steel isn't super soft, quite reactive. Holds an edge alright, doesn't roll, no problem with micro chipping but an apprentice managed to ding it at one spot lightly. No problem there, will sharpen out sooner or later.
This is the box I got it in. Taobao link is useless though, not even close to the cleaver shown

 

[Luxman]

if I had to choose one and only one - it'll be my custom kojiro watanabe. Great balance, robust, cuts well, right size, edge lasts forever

 

[blokey]

I have no idea what it is. Steel isn't super soft, quite reactive. Holds an edge alright, doesn't roll, no problem with micro chipping but an apprentice managed to ding it at one spot lightly. No problem there, will sharpen out sooner or later.
This is the box I got it in. Taobao link is useless though, not even close to the cleaver shown
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It's a classic Dazu knife from Chongqing, Dengjia is from there too, their stuff is more rustic and usually have the T shaped spine, steel is likely 65Mn, the most common in rustic carbon steel knives in China, tho 45Mn is possible

 

[krichbaum]

Really hard for me to nail down one cleaver that I prefer. Some are just better suited for certain tasks, and one has such a sentimental hold over me that even if it cut like a brick I'd still love it.

From a pure performance standpoint, I think my Nguyen would be my choice. It’s a superb all around knife, does very well with both food release and dealing with tall dense produce.

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For large recipes with lots of ingredients, I’d choose my Laseur. Someone dubbed it “kitchen plate” in messages, which is very appropriate. Cuts extremely well, core steel holds a great edge, and this makes a bench scraper look like a child’s toy. Also, it’s the only knife I have that has a very lovely “ring”. If you tap it with your nail or other hard surface, it sings to you in a way that no other knife in my collection does. It’s a special one


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Finally, my first cleaver custom, my first love. Might try and talk @KAMON Knives into thinning it soon, though shipping my beloved so far away makes me nervous. Well, she’s a beast. The front half thins out quite a bit so it just does everything I throw at it really, really well. What it lacks in thinness behind the edge in the back half for denser produce, it more than makes up for with weight behind the cut. The etch makes it a lot less fussy than a lot of my other cleavers, and this s-grind is my go to for any large volume prep that requires consistent, even slices. I love the handle so much… never seen another solid Timascus milled handle, and since I played a part in sourcing the material, it means that much more to me. Working with Ben and seeing this knife come to life will be one of my core memories when I’m old and feeble.

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Thats just a ridiculous lineup man IF i could choose just one, it would be the hardest decision ever.
Great collection

 

[cooktocut]

Thats just a ridiculous lineup man IF i could choose just one, it would be the hardest decision ever.
Great collection

Thank you sir yeah I know I look like a mad man sometimes when I stare quietly at my knives before starting a recipe, weighing all number of variables that are largely intangible... I just wish I could use them all