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Chinese Cleavers...


SG-

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After buying a whole lot of western style knives the past couple of years, I've recently come to realize that my $25 chinese cleaver is I reluctantly admit the most versatile of the lot.

The wide flat surface is extremely useful for bashing garlic and other semi soft items and transporting chopped foods. The height of the knife allows cutting with a single stroke and also chopping up large stacks of vegetables, unlike chef knives where I often find myself "running out" of steel. The almost 90 degree corners allow for delicate cuts when needed. Almost like having a chef, paring and cleaver all in one.

And probably the most useless in mind has been a 6" utility knife.

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Couldn't agree more. Also useful for flattening cutlets and cutting up poultry. I've also used it to turn pork loin into chops (otherwise I think you'd have to own a meat saw) and to finish opening a tin of tomatoes when a shitty can opener missed a few sections. And if you put a sharp edge on it, you can use it to bone chicken breasts.

Someone should sell these on late night television: "It slices, it dices...wait, there's more!"

Arthur Johnson, aka "fresco"
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Someone should sell these on late night television: "It slices, it dices...wait, there's more!"

~~~~~And wait ---- If you order in the next 10 minutes, you will also receive~~~~~~!!!!!LOLOL!

I'm with you on cleavers! I have a million dollar set of Cutgo which I never use. My cleavers are -----as they say ----- my Chinese food processors!

Aside from the cutting and flat edges, the blunt end of the handle will mascerate things like garlic and salt or beans. The blunt edge pof the actual knife blade will tenderize and flatten that last piece of chunky meat, and the whole blade will scoop everything up all at once.

I have quite a few cleavers, both wide and thin blades and I can't even think of cooking without them. I don't mind the stained appearance of the carbon steel ones, but my Dexter, with the carbon inside and coated with stainless is my favorite. Next is my fruit knife, (a cleaver with a thinner blade) which I reach for constantly.

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actually most asian cooks wouldn't be able to live without their trusty do-it-all cleaver.

i'm being a snob but i'm just waiting till i see that perfect cleaver before i get it.

it will call my name and tug at my heart and i will get it.

i'm waiting for that epiphany.

i tend to keep my favourite knives for just about FOREVER so when i get it, it has to be that perfect knife.

my friends say: come on, it's just a knife, not a wife.

but i'm like, if i dont get the perfect knife, i'll just waste money buying second best.

Do not expect INTJs to actually care about how you view them. They already know that they are arrogant bastards with a morbid sense of humor. Telling them the obvious accomplishes nothing.

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My cleaver is the cheapest but most used knife in my arsenal. However, I would not dream of using it to hack through bones so a heavy-duty cleaver is high on my wish list. I want to be able to hack through chicken bones and not worry about taking a chunk out of the cutting edge. (I wonder if Santa lurks on eGullet.) :biggrin:

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

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A 'Chinese Cleaver' is really different than a 'Cleaver'. The edge on the 'Chinese Cleaver' is much thinner than a regular 'Cleaver' and really should not be used for cleaving. I have both Wustof 'Chinese Cook's Knife' and a heavy Wustof 'Cleaver'. The Wustof Chinese Cook's Knife is very versitile and can substitue for a number of blade shapes. Wustof 'cleavers' come in different sizes and edged thickneses and are meant for actual cleaving through bone or gristle. -Dick

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A 'Chinese Cleaver' is really different than a 'Cleaver'. The edge on the 'Chinese Cleaver' is much thinner than a regular 'Cleaver' and really should not be used for cleaving. I have both Wustof 'Chinese Cook's Knife' and a heavy Wustof 'Cleaver'. The Wustof Chinese Cook's Knife is very versitile and can substitue for a number of blade shapes. Wustof 'cleavers' come in different sizes and edged thickneses and are meant for actual cleaving through bone or gristle. -Dick

We may be talking about different beasts. My "Chinese" cleavers were purchased at stores in one of Toronto's Chinatowns and are indeed meant to be used for chopping meat, if the guys who operate barbecue places in Chinatown are anything to go by.

The older one is carbon steel and rusts easily so doesn't get used much anymore. The other one is stainless, but they are both quite heavy with fairly thick blades. As I recall, both were purchased for the equivalent of pocket change.

Arthur Johnson, aka "fresco"
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There are Chinese cleavers and there are Chinese cleavers. (IMMHO.) I have 8 of them --- all different, all purchased in NYC's Chinatown. Some are cheapos with an exposed stud, 2 are fruit cleavers, one smallish one is all stainless, the first has a split handle (I've had it for about 30 years), most all carbon, a couple are a combo of carbon coated with stainless,etc --all different.

Some people with small hands like the smallish stainless. Men seem to like the heavier Dexters, women the lighter ones. (I'm not being sexist -- it is just what I've observed over the years.

The people who do a lot of cooking and cutting like the Dexter. It's not the heaviest cleaver, or the best cleaver in the market, but it gets the job done and it is my favorite. I have cut thru bones with it.

The two pictured look like great knives. I like the Japanese one with the round handle. The site didn't say what the composition was, but I would guess it is stainless covered carbon steel. Anyone know?

One of my sons wanted to buy a cleaver. I cautioned him ---not to buy one with the metal handle. (the ones where the handle and the blade are all one piece.) Well----- being a son who doesn't listen to his Momma, he bought the metal handled one, and found what was wrong with it. The handle gets slippery. It is neat looking, but can be deadly. I see workers in C'town using them, but they usually have a rag wrapped around the handle.

Maybe someday I will buy the ultimate cleaver ---- maybe. But I'm happy with the Dexter that I have. It does what it needs to do. I don't even remember its cost, but it was worth the price at the time.

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I rememeber reading an article by Fuschia Dunlop (The author of Szecuan Cooking) saying that when she enrolled in the Szechuan cooking school she thought the cleaver was a farely brutal, cumbersome thing, until she saw it in the hand of a master, and saw how it could be used to perfectly bone out a whole duck!

I love animals.

They are delicious.

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Now that we've established that we have a group of Oriental cleaver lovers, can y'all offer some good places to go to get them. I'm in Atlanta and if anyone know of a place here that would be helpful. :smile:

Atlanta must have Asian groceries or supermarkets. I would think that any cosmopolitan city would - I think, I think.

For information, you might ask at a Chinese restaurant just where to go. Unless you know your knives, I would hesitate mail-ordering one. You would want to see what 'feels' right in your hand.

If you find a store, a manager or a passing housewife, might give you some help.

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I still love to watch Martin Chan wield his cleaver on his shows. I believe some still run on PBS and on FoodTV (Canada). But I have to turn the volume down so I don't have to listen to him. :biggrin:

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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I saw Martin Yan in person at a local dept store a few years ago demo ing something or other The only thing I remember is the incredible skillset he had with a Chinese cleaver. He cut chicken breast meat so thin you could see through it and boned a chicken in well under a minute. After that I began to use one in my work kithen and the more I used it the more things I learned to do with it.

colestove

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The Wustof 'Chinese Chef's knife' that I have is 2mm wide and is specifically marked 'Do not use on bones'. It is very versatile and sharp. Wustof cleavers come in 3.5, 4 and 5 mm thickness. The 24cm long, 5mm wide Wustof cleaver I have will take your arm off. -Dick

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I saw Martin Yan in person at a local dept store a few years ago demo ing  something or other  The only thing I remember is the incredible skillset he had with a Chinese cleaver.  He cut chicken breast meat so thin you could see through it and boned a chicken in well under a minute. After that I began to use one in my work kithen and the more I used it the more things I learned to do with it.

colestove

His charisma and showmanship have done much to bring Chinese cooking into Western kitchens. His recipes are safe. Meaning -- that they are good, easy and (I guess) authentic ---just not daring.

I was on an on-line Q&A with him a couple of years ago. I had a specific question for him ----- "How did he feel about the interest, by diners, for dishes like General Tso's, and Sesame Chicken, etc. His answer was not an answer at all -----he simply gave me his version of General Tso's Chicken!! LOL!

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now, if only we can find a cleaver that stays forever sharp. i used to own a laser cut Richardson (Sheffield, UK) chef knife that never needed sharpening. 7 yrs down the road, my cousin (who took the knife) says that it's still sharp.

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My cleaver and I are now inseparable. I initially took it from my parent's house to get sharpened to test my local grinder because I knew that even if he screwed it up it wouldn't be a huge loss. Now I use it for all my chopping.

"Make me some mignardises, &*%$@!" -Mateo

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my friend who's a food expert swears by her JinMen Cleaver. Supposedly fashioned from an Artillery shell.

Do not expect INTJs to actually care about how you view them. They already know that they are arrogant bastards with a morbid sense of humor. Telling them the obvious accomplishes nothing.

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Anyone know anything about the Messermeister Meridian Elite

Meat Cleaver - 6" ?

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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