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Photos Chinese Cleaver picture thread!
- Thread starter Dr Rez
- Start date
I`ve got a few Chinese cleavers which I love.I`ve been cooking since 1972.The top picture is a Savernake 8" in RWL-34 and a cheapie Tristar 10" caidao.The middle picture is mostly old caidaos I bought living in Hong Kong and one bespoke Chinese Chef`s knife and the bottom picture is Christmas presents from 2022.
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KentuckyBlackBird
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2023
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- 1,296
Picked this up this week. $3 at the habitat store. Looks to be a promo cleaver offered as a gift for buying a wok off of a tv advertisement in the 80s; anybody remember that commercial? Anyway, after cleaning, sharpening, and forcing some patina, it looks, feels, and performs excellent. The carbon steel will get as sharp as your skills are good. Anyone know its origins for sure? It has no markings.
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2020
- Messages
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WOW! I only allow one vegetable cleaver in my batterie--and that's a Shibazi f/208-2--but I have a long Nakiri by Xinzuo that's hammered and cladded Chinese VG-10 and a Pakistani coreless small bone chopper that will split a small pork barbeque rib. I started with a Japanese Kai Seki Magoroku nakiri 30 years ago I got as a gift when I was in Japan. All of them still get used from time to time.I`ve got a few Chinese cleavers which I love.I`ve been cooking since 1972.The top picture is a Savernake 8" in RWL-34 and a cheapie Tristar 10" caidao.The middle picture is mostly old caidaos I bought living in Hong Kong and one bespoke Chinese Chef`s knife and the bottom picture is Christmas presents from 2022.
Which of yours are you still using?
I use the $10 Chinese cheap carbon thin cleavers with the blacksmith`s black kurouchi finish all the time because they are very tough, hold an edge and are fast and easy to sharpen.
My bespoke caidao is too rare and precious to use regularly - I shouldn`t have ordered it - I didn`t need it.
My bespoke caidao is too rare and precious to use regularly - I shouldn`t have ordered it - I didn`t need it.
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- Joined
- Jun 14, 2020
- Messages
- 146
Which one is your "bespoke caidao"? Where did you get it? What makes it so valuable? I'm perfectly happy with my Shibazi f/208-2. Have stayed away from the expensive Japanese cleavers
Mmm Dr.Rayeye I commissioned an 8 inch flat profile caidao in February 2022 in RWL-34 with an Asian ebony handle from Savernake Knives in Wiltshire - Southern England.
It was to replace a tamahagane Gyuto with Lapis Luzuli/ gold handle I got as a prize/award in Hong Kong in 1995 for Hi-Fi sales which subsequently got stolen in a burglary 20 years later.
It took a long time - over six months to arrive because the bladesmith - Laurie Timpson couldn`t get the blade totally flat and there were prototypes in Sandvik 14c28n and a lot of rejects.He also had a new family which further delayed completion.
The company made it for me without charging for the development costs - because it was a unique stock removal challenge for the CEO / maker - Laurie and I was charged about an eighth of the true cost.
It doesn`t look particularly striking but it`s 1/10th of an inch thick blade can smash right through 2 inch beef bones and cleave coconuts in two.
I give all my cars, stereos, computers and knives no mercy at all.
I have took it to restaurants and work - I feed the homeless in my home city - Manchester and to be frank I`m not afraid of damaging it ; I`m afraid of it being stolen because it is a total one-off bespoke design.
I have been offered a lot for it but I want to give it to my son who lives in Bordeaux, France as a heirloom when I die - I`m 58 and in poor health.
The bespoke Chinese Chefs knife is the rectangular one with the dark wood handle and Savernake on the blade; it`s my only valuable knife; I`m used to cooking with Asian cheapie choppers.
Until 2-3 years ago I had no knives smaller than a 7 inch cleaver because I was so used to doing everything with just one cheap thin carbon/stainless cleaver living and working in China for 15 years.
I love Shibazi cleavers - they are terrific - I have two stainless ones and a cheap Mercer chopper - the rest are unbranded.
My lady loves fancy Japanese knives - But I don`t need them.They have to be stainless though and she will not sharpen anything - so I do the honours - I adore sharpening - it`s so relaxing for me; it`s like stroking the cat haha.
It was to replace a tamahagane Gyuto with Lapis Luzuli/ gold handle I got as a prize/award in Hong Kong in 1995 for Hi-Fi sales which subsequently got stolen in a burglary 20 years later.
It took a long time - over six months to arrive because the bladesmith - Laurie Timpson couldn`t get the blade totally flat and there were prototypes in Sandvik 14c28n and a lot of rejects.He also had a new family which further delayed completion.
The company made it for me without charging for the development costs - because it was a unique stock removal challenge for the CEO / maker - Laurie and I was charged about an eighth of the true cost.
It doesn`t look particularly striking but it`s 1/10th of an inch thick blade can smash right through 2 inch beef bones and cleave coconuts in two.
I give all my cars, stereos, computers and knives no mercy at all.
I have took it to restaurants and work - I feed the homeless in my home city - Manchester and to be frank I`m not afraid of damaging it ; I`m afraid of it being stolen because it is a total one-off bespoke design.
I have been offered a lot for it but I want to give it to my son who lives in Bordeaux, France as a heirloom when I die - I`m 58 and in poor health.
The bespoke Chinese Chefs knife is the rectangular one with the dark wood handle and Savernake on the blade; it`s my only valuable knife; I`m used to cooking with Asian cheapie choppers.
Until 2-3 years ago I had no knives smaller than a 7 inch cleaver because I was so used to doing everything with just one cheap thin carbon/stainless cleaver living and working in China for 15 years.
I love Shibazi cleavers - they are terrific - I have two stainless ones and a cheap Mercer chopper - the rest are unbranded.
My lady loves fancy Japanese knives - But I don`t need them.They have to be stainless though and she will not sharpen anything - so I do the honours - I adore sharpening - it`s so relaxing for me; it`s like stroking the cat haha.
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- Joined
- Jun 14, 2020
- Messages
- 146
Great story! That's the cleaver I thought. Have you thought of having it engraved--as a special remembrance? I think your son would really treasure it.
I've only been using my Shibazi caidao for a few years--and it feels totally natural to me
because
like most most Americans who grew up in the wilderness hunting and fishing--I'm a chopper as well as a slicer.
It's almost in my genes--and if I would have gotten one thirty years ago instead of that nakiri when I was in Japan--it might be even more central to my prep work at home.
I've only been using my Shibazi caidao for a few years--and it feels totally natural to me
because
like most most Americans who grew up in the wilderness hunting and fishing--I'm a chopper as well as a slicer.
It's almost in my genes--and if I would have gotten one thirty years ago instead of that nakiri when I was in Japan--it might be even more central to my prep work at home.
Thank you so much for the lovely reply Dr. Rayeye - the knife maker asked me if I wanted it laser etched - I said no.
I am old-fashioned and like my clothes labels on the inside and tiny or no badges on my cars.
I have a 1950`s Sheffield silver plated carver/fork/steel set I could get engraved for David, my son.
My kids don`t really cook that much despite living in France - because they are so busy with their kids and careers.
I`ve traveled a lot because my job demanded it and erm...I`m not into processed junk food - plus I like variety - I never do recipes.
I`ve just got my first glass bowl halogen air fryer so I am going to a big 350 stall market at weekend.It is called Bury Market and it has been continuously trading for nearly 600 years.
I have been asked to bake some sourdough bread, do some English scones with Middle East spices and gingerbread men biscuits and do a Hungarian goulash with red wine, decent mushrooms and cream.
Now my 6 foot dining room table is cleared, I can cook then get my tenor sax out, some cards and my musical friends can make their own live entertainment with djembe drums, tambourines and guitars and obviously singing and dancing because we`ve not done anything happy clappy for over a year and we all need to let our hair down.
I am old-fashioned and like my clothes labels on the inside and tiny or no badges on my cars.
I have a 1950`s Sheffield silver plated carver/fork/steel set I could get engraved for David, my son.
My kids don`t really cook that much despite living in France - because they are so busy with their kids and careers.
I`ve traveled a lot because my job demanded it and erm...I`m not into processed junk food - plus I like variety - I never do recipes.
I`ve just got my first glass bowl halogen air fryer so I am going to a big 350 stall market at weekend.It is called Bury Market and it has been continuously trading for nearly 600 years.
I have been asked to bake some sourdough bread, do some English scones with Middle East spices and gingerbread men biscuits and do a Hungarian goulash with red wine, decent mushrooms and cream.
Now my 6 foot dining room table is cleared, I can cook then get my tenor sax out, some cards and my musical friends can make their own live entertainment with djembe drums, tambourines and guitars and obviously singing and dancing because we`ve not done anything happy clappy for over a year and we all need to let our hair down.
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