Can anyone identify this Japanese looking knife.

[sgt1372]

It was my great great grandmothers, who traveled the world around 1900, I have no idea when or where she got it.

It could be junk that someone gave her.

It's not junk but it's not worth a lot of $ either.

It's a fully functional Chinese cleaver that you can use in the kitchen to do pretty much EVERYTHING if you know/learn how to use it properly. Don't let the size put you off. It can be used as anything from a paring knife to a chopper and it makes a great bench scaper too.

If you don't want it to keep it as a "keepsake" or as a kitchen tool, I'll pay for the shipping to take it off your hands.

 

[sv4]

Yup written the same 菜刀 but read Cai DAo in Mandarin and Choi Doh in Cantonese.

Yes, I meant there are two "main" kinds to distinguish between "slicers" and "cleavers".
Would love to see these others. Please post a pic. Thanks.

Agree, it’s Cai Dao in Mandarin & Choi Dou in Cantonese. I have never ever heard of these types of kitchen knives being called anything else in either Mandarin or Cantonese.

 

[sgt1372]

Ok, here are some pics of my Chinese cleaver collection.

First, is a pic of the 7 Chinese cleavers that I own along w/an American made 2 3/4# meat cleaver (with a full thru tang) for comparison:

They look like sh*t (because they're all made of carbon steel and I'm not obsessive about keeping them looking "nice") but they are all (including the meat cleaver) hand sharpened on a 2 sided carborundum stone to razor sharp. My father who was a professional sous chef taught me how.

I inherited all of these knives from my parents and they are all at least 50 years old.

Next here's a pic of my all metal cleaver with a close up of the Chinese characters for those of you who can read Chinese. I can't. The only thing that I can make out is that it was made in Hong Kong:

And, here's a pic of the 3 Chinese cleavers that I use along w/the all metal one for comparison.

I do not use the all metal cleaver because it is actually heavier w/a smaller usuable blade size and handle heavy balance which makes it less useful than the larger cleaver for my purposes.

So, I do almost all of my cutting/chopping tasks in the kitchen w/just these 3 cleavers.

The medium sized cleaver is the one I use most. The smaller one I use less often for finer work.

I mainly use the large Chinese cleaver to chop thru chicken bones. For beef/pork bones I use the meat cleaver which is a BEAST and will chop thru anything, including your fingers if you're not careful. LOL!

FYI, here are the wt and and blade dimensions for the meat cleaver and 4 Chinese cleavers:

American Meat Cleaver made by Lawson (#828 imprinted on the handle): 2 3/4#; 8 5/8 x 4"
Small Chinese Cleaver: 4 oz; 7 1/8 x 1 3/4"
Medium Chinese Cleaver: 7 oz; 7 3/4 x 3 1/4"
All Metal Chinese Cleaver: 14 oz; 8 1/8 x 3 5/8"
Large Chinese Cleaver: 13 oz; 9 1/2 x 3 3/4"

The meat cleaver is 1/4" thick along the spine and thu the tang. The metal Chinese cleaver is 1/8" thick at the spine which accts for it's greater weight despite its smaller size. The other 3 Chinese cleavers are all about 1/16" thick long the spine which accounts for their lighter weight which is preferable for kitchen use.

I've seen a few Chinese cleavers larger than the largest one I own but IMO their size makes them less practical for ordinary/regular kitchen use but there are certainly some tasks for which they would be well suited.

BTW, one of my "gripes" in sale listings for cleavers of all types is the FAILURE to list the weight of the cleaver which is critical to determining it's suitability for use. The sellers will always list the size but not the weight but the weight is just as, if not more important, than its size.

 

[herisson]

Ok, here are some pics of my Chinese cleaver collection.

First, is a pic of the 7 Chinese cleavers that I own along w/a full sized American made 2 3/4# meat cleaver (with a full thru tang) for comparison;

They look like sh*t (because they're all made of carbon steel and I'm not obsessive about keeping them looking "nice") but they are all (including the meat cleaver) hand sharpened on a 2 sided carborundum stone to razor sharp. My father who was a professional sous chef taught me how.

I inherited all of these knives from my parents and they are all at least 50 years old.

Next here's a pic of my all metal cleaver with a close up of the Chinese characters for those of you who can read Chinese. I can't. The only thing that I can make out is that it was made in Hong Kong:

And, here's a pic of the 3 Chinese cleavers along w/the all metal one for comparison.

I do not use the all metal cleaver because it is actually heavier w/a smaller usuable blade size and handle heavy balance which makes it less useful than the larger cleaver for my purposes.

So, I do almost all of my cutting/chopping tasks in the kitchen w/just these 3 cleavers.

The medium sized cleaver is the one I use most. The smaller one I use less often for finer work.

I mainly use the large Chinese cleaver to chop thru chicken bones. For beef/pork bones I use the meat cleaver which is a BEAST and will chop thru anything, including your fingers if you're not careful. LOL!

FYI, here are the wt and and blade dimensions for the meat cleaver and 4 Chinese cleavers:

American Meat Cleaver made by Lawson (#828 imprinted on the handle): 2 3/4#; 8 5/8 x 4"
Small Chinese Cleaver: 4 oz; 7 1/8 x 1 3/4"
Medium Chinese Cleaver: 7 oz; 7 3/4 x 3 1/4"
All Metal Chinese Cleaver: 14 oz; 8 1/8 x 3 5/8"
Large Chinese Cleaver: 13 oz; 9 1/2 x 3 3/4"

The meat cleaver is 1/4" thick at the spine thruout it's lenght thu the tang. The metal Chinese cleaver is 1/8" thick at the spine which accts for it's greater weight despite its smaller size. The other 3 Chinese cleavers are all 1/16" thick at the spin which accounts for their light weight which is preferable for kitchen use.

I've seen a few Chinese cleavers larger than the largest one I own but IMO their size makes them less practical for ordinary/regular kitchen use but there are certainly some tasks for which they would be well suited.

BTW, one of my "gripes" in sale listings for cleavers of all types is the FAILURE to list the weight of the cleaver which is critical to determining it's suitability for use. The sellers will always list the size but not the weight but the weight is just as, if not more important, than its size.

I like your collection ! The one on the extreme left really looks like a Nakiri Japanese knife. And yes, weight is important, shape not so much. Though, I prefer a sharp tip on my kitchen knives. So, Gyuto and Santoku it is. However, I minced up today some chicken breasts with my Kai Shun Classic Cai Dao and it was definitely pleasant. I love the scooping up part...Thinking of it, I'm pretty sure all my favorite kitchen knives weigh in about the same weight.... Here is one of my current sets (when I want a set...), I love the biggest blade (almost 10"), easy even on tiny stuff. It's nothing special, Tojiro's entry level traditional knives (the second one from the top is a "do it yourself" knife, so not Tojiro. If memory serves, the specs were similar). Hitachi white at the core (62 Hrc) and softer steel laminated ouside. The performance of these affordable knives still amazes me : so easy to sharpen, so long lasting edge. Only thing : keep them constantly clean and dry, they start to oxydize in seconds (onions, lemons, tomatos... take care !)

 

[KenHash]

Great cleaver collection. The one with the low height is a style that was common during the Tang Dynasty. During the earlier Sui and Tang dynasties, Japan had considerable cultural contact through emissaries. It is theorized that the Japanese Nakiri shape originated during this period. Howver, the Nakiri in Japan continued looking similar to these older Chinese Cai Dao, while the height increased in China.

 

[herisson]

The height is actually what I like with the Cai Dao. It's absolutely fantastic for scooping up the processed food. I understand it's ideal when you cook in greater quantities. It really requires skills for fine work, though. Hence the Nakiri, perhaps. I never warmed up to that pattern. At this size and weight, I prefer a pointy tip and will reach for a Santoku. But hey, if Mecha makes a titanium Cai Dao, I will jump on it !

 

[Sidehill Gouger]

The small cleaver is not a nakri, its a duck knife as in Peking. I have saw many of them in action in Hong Kong. They come in a variety of sizes up to maybe 12-14-inches. The longer ones are used on geese and other large fowl. Yours is on the short end of the scale.

 

[KenHash]

The small cleaver is not a nakri, its a duck knife as in Peking. I have saw many of them in action in Hong Kong. They come in a variety of sizes up to maybe 12-14-inches. The longer ones are used on geese and other large fowl. Yours is on the short end of the scale.

Exactly, I knew I'd seen one of these before somewhere.

 

[Jobesmirage]

Ok, here are some pics of my Chinese cleaver collection.

First, is a pic of the 7 Chinese cleavers that I own along w/an American made 2 3/4# meat cleaver (with a full thru tang) for comparison:

They look like sh*t (because they're all made of carbon steel and I'm not obsessive about keeping them looking "nice") but they are all (including the meat cleaver) hand sharpened on a 2 sided carborundum stone to razor sharp. My father who was a professional sous chef taught me how.

I inherited all of these knives from my parents and they are all at least 50 years old.

Next here's a pic of my all metal cleaver with a close up of the Chinese characters for those of you who can read Chinese. I can't. The only thing that I can make out is that it was made in Hong Kong:

And, here's a pic of the 3 Chinese cleavers that I use along w/the all metal one for comparison.

I do not use the all metal cleaver because it is actually heavier w/a smaller usuable blade size and handle heavy balance which makes it less useful than the larger cleaver for my purposes.

So, I do almost all of my cutting/chopping tasks in the kitchen w/just these 3 cleavers.

The medium sized cleaver is the one I use most. The smaller one I use less often for finer work.

I mainly use the large Chinese cleaver to chop thru chicken bones. For beef/pork bones I use the meat cleaver which is a BEAST and will chop thru anything, including your fingers if you're not careful. LOL!

FYI, here are the wt and and blade dimensions for the meat cleaver and 4 Chinese cleavers:

American Meat Cleaver made by Lawson (#828 imprinted on the handle): 2 3/4#; 8 5/8 x 4"
Small Chinese Cleaver: 4 oz; 7 1/8 x 1 3/4"
Medium Chinese Cleaver: 7 oz; 7 3/4 x 3 1/4"
All Metal Chinese Cleaver: 14 oz; 8 1/8 x 3 5/8"
Large Chinese Cleaver: 13 oz; 9 1/2 x 3 3/4"

The meat cleaver is 1/4" thick along the spine and thu the tang. The metal Chinese cleaver is 1/8" thick at the spine which accts for it's greater weight despite its smaller size. The other 3 Chinese cleavers are all about 1/16" thick long the spine which accounts for their lighter weight which is preferable for kitchen use.

I've seen a few Chinese cleavers larger than the largest one I own but IMO their size makes them less practical for ordinary/regular kitchen use but there are certainly some tasks for which they would be well suited.

BTW, one of my "gripes" in sale listings for cleavers of all types is the FAILURE to list the weight of the cleaver which is critical to determining it's suitability for use. The sellers will always list the size but not the weight but the weight is just as, if not more important, than its size.

That large metal knife is a CCK knife made in Hong Kong and it is the gold standard for Chinese Cleavers, http://www.chanchikee.com/. Theyve been around since the 1950s and they make excellent knives which are difficult to find in the US. They have a store in Toronto that doesnt really ship to the US and it is priced at almost double the price from the HK store. Yours is the KF441 model:

鋼柄不銹鋼九江刀 S/S Kau Kong Chopper w/s.s. handle​

		長 L(cm)	闊 W(cm)
KF1440	加大號 XL	20	13
KF1441	大號 NO.1	19	12
KF1442	二號 NO.2	18	11

great knives, great value for what they are, and have a history to them