Best Chinese vegetable cleaver?

[hipjoint]

hey kokopuff ...

this shop supplies lots of stuff to lots of chinese and other asian restaurants
in the area. great stuff, low prices every day. they also supply carbon
steel cleavers of the rusting kind in about four or five different sizes/styles
including some rather serious sizes intended to chop through bbq pork ribs.
whether it is 1095 carbon or not i have no way of telling.

btw: i don't know about this carbon=sharper and stainless=not as sharp
attitude that seems to be gospel around cooking circles. the japanese
have been alloying some reeeeeeeeeally incredible and incredibly sharp
stainless steels that i think can rival any 1095 ever made.

also ... have you checked out any of the japanese knife websites like
<<japanwoodworker.com>>?? they have "blue steel" knives for under $40.00
that will rust and are wickedly sharp. might be interesting to you.

[kokopuffs]

I do my own lapidary and gunsmithing by hand. So I use a lot of abrasives and have found 1095 carbon the easiest to sharpen and takes the sharpest and longest lasting edge, too.

I haven't, however, worked with real Japanese and Chinese cutlery but would like to try them at some point.

[AmbrosiaFood]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

Try using an old, old Sabatier that's just been properly sharpened and you'll see. The old type carbon steel, called 1095 carbon steel, sharpens to a much better cutting edge than any stainless blade that I've used. It sharpens more easily too but that does not mean that it dulls easier. Quite the contrary. As as to rust, all the blade requires is a quick wipe with a clean dry towel and its ready for storage.

The old carbon Sabatiers are the best knives imho.

[hipjoint]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

Try using an old, old Sabatier that's just been properly sharpened and you'll see. The old type carbon steel, called 1095 carbon steel, sharpens to a much better cutting edge than any stainless blade that I've used. It sharpens more easily too but that does not mean that it dulls easier. Quite the contrary. As as to rust, all the blade requires is a quick wipe with a clean dry towel and its ready for storage.

===== i wonder why no one has mentioned "old hickory" knives??
they are made of 1095 carbon steel and are available for (mostly)
under $10.00.

well, mebbe there is a reason ...

i bought three of these knives (the butcher, the slicer, and the
"french chef's") and have tried to sharpen them and i thot i was
pretty good with the japanese wetstones but these knives resisted
sharpening more than any other knife i own!! (and i own more than
150 knives!) even some cheap "kitchen collection" knives with
"hamilton beach" stamped on them (all under $12.99) got to get
scary sharp with the wetstone, but not the old hickory"s 1095
carbon steel. mebbe there's more to it than simply the 1095 steel??

[kokopuffs]

...don't think that Japanese waterstones are meant for sharpening western (hard) knives.

[hipjoint]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

...don't think that Japanese waterstones are meant for sharpening western (hard) knives.

but i use my waterstones on hard japanese knives and they sharpen
up scary sharp. these knives are hardened to 63rc. are those cheap
old hickory knives harder than 63rc??

[Kent Wang]

Just placed an order for the Kershaw cleaver. I'll post when I've received and used it for a bit. ****, it sure looks nice. The wood handle also looks like a better option than polycarbonate.

[kokopuffs]

What hickory knives? It seems that you're here just to see yourself in print. Go away.

[dano1]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

What hickory knives? It seems that you're here just to see yourself in print. Go away.

thats a surprise.... btw do any work on 1911's?

danny

[kokopuffs]

yes. Just by hand. No lathes or millwork.

[hipjoint]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

What hickory knives? It seems that you're here just to see yourself in print. Go away.

====== EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME!!
"old hickory" brand knives are knives made of 1095 carbon steel
and i believe made by ontario knife company. several posts were
made by those looking for knives made of 1095 carbon steel and
"old hickory" brand knives are made with 1095 carbon steel.
you have a computer ... type in "old hickory knives" in the search
and see what comes up. these knives all retail for under $15.00
for the most part.

and why do you have to write "it seems that you're here just to
see yourself in print. go away."??? what have i done to you??
has my advice or shared information been far off or inaccurate
or somehow offensive that you would have to write something
like that??

i have taught HUNDREDS of people proper knife skills. as mentioned
in other posts, i own OVER 150 kitchen knives from over 40 manufacturers.
other people posting have owned maybe three brands then declare this
brand or that brand (usually wusthof or henckles or sabatier) the BEST
knife when they haven't ever used a nenox or a masamoto or a aritsuga
or any of a hundred other knife brands. you have never been rude to
them. what have i done to you?

as for other members in the chef's forums ... have you told THEM that
they are here just to see themselves in print?? even the ones with
over 500 ... 600 ... 700 posts?? what have i done to YOU???