I picked up this knife for $22. Spine is thick, edge is super thin. Not as thin as cck 1303, but real close. The thicker spine gives you something to hold on to and some needed weight in a cleaver IMO. Carbon steel no frills small cleaver. At this price point I recommend it without reservation if you feel like trying out chinese cleavers.
Delivery took about 3 weeks but it was free shipping so I can't complain
trot down to your local Chinatown, and check out the hot food vendors
You know, those guys who take a roast duck or chicken off the meat hook behind the display window and chop it up into bite sized pieces (albeit with bone splinters...) in 23.045 seconds. (What? you think they are going to take out the bones, they charge by weight...) Or Char Siew, or roast baby pig-- bones and all, and when they think no one is looking they take the cleaver to the butcher station and whack out pork chops--cutting through the chine. These cleavers behave like a cheap Timex watch: Takes a licking and keeps on ticking...
These things are pretty serious, the carbon steel takes a wicked edge, and the blade is heavy enough to power through a chicken carcass in one whack. Lord knows how many "Banquet chickens" I did, chopping out the spine and splitting the bird into two. Great for whacking out lamb chops, pork chops, pulls duty as a "Schnitzel kloepfer" and has been known to beat stubborn bolts into submission with the spine.
Thanks for that. I don't currently have a sub 200mm cleaver. How do you find this size? I have a few nakiri/santoku/bunka around 165mm that length feel quite petite, so wondering what a short cleaver equates to in comparison.
I *could* do jsut about everythign that a full sized cleaver can, with a bit more effort and slower. Length is rarely a problem, the bigger problem is it lacks weight. Letting the weight do the work is the only way with these things.
There's no reason to own one if you have a full sized cleaver. I reach for Suien VC 99% of the time. Small cleaver is fun for shallots, ginger, garlic, scallions, onions, but not necessary at all you can do all of those things better with a full size 220mm cleaver IMO.
I bought this as a rehandle project to gift out and proselytize and evangelize the good word of the cleaver. Practice before I go and rehandle my sugimoto.
^ I like this.
Have you tried any of the cheaper stainless cleavers? Anything good to be had under $100? I've found that when trying to get friends some knives they don't already have that it has to be stainless otherwise I'll be worrying about it rusting from lax maintenance habits.
Unfortunately my experiences with chinese stainless have all been terrible. Hard to sharpen, bad edge retention. Not worth the headache. Carbon if you have chinese made. Stainless cleavers - maybe sugimoto #30 but that's at $130 so over your budget
I'd seen the Shibazi or Double Lions brand for cheaper stuff but have no experience with it. Had JCK chuka as well as Gesshin Small Cleaver on the list until I realized the Gesshin is only stainless clad which wouldn't work for the folks I had in mind. The budget cut off is in case I get asked how much X costs... don't know too many people right now who want to spend $ on their kitchen knives.
I've been using this DENG cleaver a bit more and it is a GREAT cutter! Real thin behind the edge. The handle is too large and oddly shaped. I always planned this to be a rehandle project knife and the uncomfortable handle is forcing that issue. If you're looking for a cheap project, this is it!
I bought one of the same cleavers but mine took close to 3 months to arrive even after the website said 10-15 days. Its a nice small cleaver now that I actually have it in my hands.
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