[pirendeus]

I'd like to venture into the cleaver jungle, and obviously prefer to keep the investment as low as possible. Basically, I'm a light-use home cook. I cut up whole chicken carcasses about once every 6 weeks, and i'd like to have a bit of fun when i do so, as well as prepping some vegetables. I'm not going to be Rambo when dismantling bones in the birds. I dont really foresee myself using a cleaver predominantly, but I'd like the cleaver to last for a long time, too. With this pattern of usage, is a cck a proper purchase, or will a no-name cleaver match my needs better? Can yall suggest a good model? (Im not adverse to buying used cleaver, especially from a forum member who has maintained it well.)

 

[millionsknives]

CCK makes different sizes of cleavers.  Everything from vegetable slicers to pork bone choppers.  If you're looking for something to rip through chicken carcasses,  any heavy meat cleaver will do.  I have a carbon steel one from thailand that's like $30 for this purpose.  

 

[pirendeus]

Can you suggest a specific model thats versatile enough to do light work on chicken carcasses and some vegetable prep, too, and hopefully around $50? I dont plan to "rip" through boned meat, but having potential power is still a plus.

 

[foody518]

http://www.chefsmall.net/chinese-cleavers

Or maybe on the small cleaver/kitchen slicer categories, something that has a thickness of at least 3mm/0.3cm, to be safe. Worst case you just take a thinner chinese cleaver and put a moderately obtuse edge on it, and sharpen out what small chips may occur.

 

[chefwriter]

If  you have an asian market near you, they should have inexpensive cleavers of various kinds. I've gotten them for as low as $10. Different sizes and weights. I have a tank killer I bought for about $20 and a more typical one for about the same.