OT - Cleavers

Carolina Q · February 2010

Not these...

These...

At work yesterday, I walked down to the cafeteria and Martin Yan (the Yan Can Cook guy) was giving a demo. Unfortunately, I missed most of it, but I did get to watch him do some rather amazing things with a cleaver, the only knife he used. Mostly a decorative arrangement and plating demo. Paper thin tomato, cucumber and squash slices. It has always surprised me how such intricate cuts can be made with such an unwieldy looking tool.

Just wondering if any of you use a cleaver and if so, what do you use it FOR? Is it worth it to spend a lot on one? I saw some online for close to $400!!! The Shun Classic is $175 and the plain carbon steel cleavers are quite inexpensive at $20-50.

Good idea? Waste of money? What say you?

Little Steven · February 2010

Michael,

He is pretty talented with a clever. I have a henkel I bought years ago. Haven't even seen it in a while. I like it for pounding meat and hacking through bones. I can see myself short on digits if I used it like Yan.

Steve

"Sparky" · February 2010

Hey Michael,I don't have one yet,but I really want one for "the collection"

I'm still lookin to find a deal on this one

No luck so far though :pinch: :laugh:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=14099

Carolina Q · February 2010

The Collection. Yeah, it does seem to come down to that, doesn't it?

Good luck with the Onion discount. I looked at one of his chef's knives at Williams-Sonoma a while back and it just wasn't comfortable in my hand. But look at all the money I saved!!

Carolina Q · February 2010

Short?

Sorry, Steven - couldn't resist.

Capt Frank · February 2010

I have a pretty complete set of Henckles Pro-S knives but no cleaver, don't know what I would use one for, still add to the collection, Hmmm?

Capt. Frank
Homosassa, FL

ibanda · February 2010

I have a mid-level Henckels meat cleaver that I like, that will cut through bones. Paid about $55 for it. I don't use it very often. I have processed 5 wild pigs in the last year and it has certainly come in handy.

http://www.j-a-henckels.com/en-US/Product Range--sortiment/Cutlery--knives/Series-overview--serien/Classic--2982/31134-161-0--6"-Cleaver--7934.html

The asian style is more of a vegetable cleaver and has a thinner blade. http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/cleavers/dexter-cleaver.html
I hear really good things about the Dexters, $30 to $40.

Little Steven · February 2010

Call it lacking and make it appendages as well. :laugh:

Steve

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · February 2010

i open my coconuts with mine. just opened one sunday.

i'm pretty sure his (Martin Yan's) was not one of those heavy german kind like mine. he probably had the lighter asian style like you showed in the pic. i think they may be single-bevel too. dunno.

BraveUlysses · February 2010

You missed out on his demo, check this one out!

Martin Yan carves raw chicken in 18 seconds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V37Pc45P4HA

Hoss's BBQ · February 2010

I use a dexter russel $30 version it is a vegetable cleaver and I use it for everything I prep. I have heavier meat cleavers that I use for bones etc. I do not think that you need a $175 dollar veg cleaver. I used mine every day for ten years and never needed the fancier one. I only use a cleaver and a pairing knife for 90% of my prep work. I love the way a cleaver doubles as a "shovel" to transport prep from the board to the bowl, pan etc. Hoss

Carolina Q · February 2010

Actually, it appeared that the one he was using in the demo was a Wusthof, maybe Henckels. I just watched a vid on youtube and his knife looked German. In fact, he mentioned Solingen and Wusthof. Kind of surprising.

If you go to the link Ulysses posted, there are several others that I also found interesting. Amazing what you can do with a knife that size.

Richard Fl · February 2010

I have a few that I have acquired over the years and use for various stray projects, coconut cutting open, pineapple peeling, heavy cleaver action. Don't think I have paid more than $5 for any of the 5 I have. Get them in garage/tag sales.

I have picked up several iron oriental knives over the years and love them.

lowercasebill · February 2010

first decide if you want to do what 'Yan can' he is a genius with a clever.. then you want a vegetable cleaver and not a bone crusher wich is what comes with the wustoff etc. sets. i have a dexter russel like Hoss's bqq i got it from llbean years ago .. easy to sharpen does not rust fun to use,, the guys on the knife forums recommennd the cck's which will be my next purchase, no i do not need two cleavers ,, when did need have anyting to do with want when it comes to eggs knives etc?

hereis a good source.
bill

Hoss · February 2010

I have one and use it WAY more than I use my knives.I love it.I use it for 90% of the things you use a knife.About the only things I don't use it for is peeling and small boning jobs.Everything else ,I'm reachin for the cleaver.

Brokersmoker · February 2010

Q you should first consider if your wife might be chasing you with it, if so then I would'nt get one! :laugh:

RRP · February 2010

LOL - not sure which scares off those Florida bugs and varmits more - that box of RAID or all that metal! :laugh:

Carolina Q · February 2010

Richard, are you from Connecticut? I don't think I ever heard the words "tag sale" until I moved here!

Richard Fl · February 2010

Have lived in Florida since "87, but a friend of mine fron Connecticut introduced the term to my vocabulary in the mid '90's.

Carolina Q · February 2010

Hoss, you have to BONE loney? :blink:

Carolina Q · February 2010

bill, you are on the money with the need vs want thing. Why else would we have so much "stuff"?

I have no plans to become another Martin Yan. Was just intrigued by what he can do with that thing!

MakoBBQ · February 2010

I bought this Cutco cleaver a few years ago. I never was really a fan of cutco knives. I bought it from a neighbor who was a college student and was trying to make a few bucks so I wanted to help him out. Anyway it's a pretty good cleaver. It's very sharp and has a good heavy feel to it.

Seems like I use it only working with chickens though. Great for cutting up a whole chicken, separating wings, cutting them for spatchcock etc. Sometimes I use it to cut ribs.

I use my Shuns on vegetables and most everything else.

Hoss · February 2010

Naw! But a cleaver makes short work outta SLICING it!!! :P

Hoss · February 2010

AGREED! Very useful,versatile tool!!!

Ricklesss · February 2010

BakoBBQ,
Not to hi-jak the thread, but-
Holy Crap! What species of wood is that beautiful cutting board made out of??
(You knew somebody was going to ask)
It's really something! (nice cleaver too)

Hoss · February 2010

I know you were asking Mako,but it looks like end grain maple.

Cheesegghead · February 2010

Use mine for rough butchering a lot too, makes quick work of joint disassembly. :evil: My cleaver is an old heavy carbon steel one from Chinatown.

asianflava · February 2010

My mom used a machete to open dehusked coconuts. The backside of the machete.

NoVA Bill · February 2010

Hey Q,

I have Wusthoff cleaver and can't remember using it more than a couple of time since 1976. I've always seen it as sort of the sledge hammer knife but I only started really learning about cooking/grilling 14 months ago. Well it does smash fresh garlic rather nicely.

Unknown · February 2010

it is a boardsmith board.. best boards going , popular on the knife forum and here as well.. first rate.. david is a great guy and will do custom designs jl designed his his own
if you call or email david tell him i sent you
http://www.theboardsmith.com/

most of my cook posts have the board as background

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · February 2010

i'd always understood that the cleaver was the "chef's knife" of the asian kitchen, and that it was used almost universally just as a regular chef's knife would be used in a western kitchen.

but i cannot imagine using my cleaver for anything other than cleaving. the bevel is awful wide, blade is very thick. i'd like to see him cut a tomato in thin slices with that.

i'd think that actually using it as a cleaver would damage the blade to the point where you wouldn't want to use it for much else.

you sure he had a regular (very very heavy), thick, wide-beveled western cleaver?

OT - Cleavers

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