I wish I had more friends who were cooks and had some cleavers I might try. The knife shopping selections in Austin are pretty limited, mainly SLT, W-S, and big box stores. I am completely comfortable buying based on specs like thickness of the spine, pictures of the geometry, etc., but I have not, that I can recall, handled one of these, and I am wondering about length. Will a tall thin blade feel “right” at 210…200…180? Reviews I have seen have said that shorter will feel more stable. I have been using French knives so long, that stability is not even a question. My ten inch Sab chef has been my principal knife for well over half a century and has become such an extension of me that I can use it for pretty much anything. The notion of a Chinese cleaver is certainly not a real need, more of an interest, but I also notice that my cooking has been changing. I almost never follow a recipe from a book or the net. I read cookbooks and this site for inspiration, not specific recipes. A few years ago I was far more likely to look to old school cooks, chiefly French, for that inspiration. Lately, it’s been way more vegetable biased. I even actually used several printed recipes from Plenty by Ottolenghi! Since I cook for fun rather than work, I tend to be more indulgent than truly practical. However, there are always plenty of consumables that are fun, too!
As I mentioned earlier, I tried a nakiri, a Tojiro with a wa handle. It was an excellent little knife, but it didn’t really offer much more than a French chef knife does, and my brother in law needed a decent knife or two. He loves the Japanese culture, and it seemed like a good fit for him.
They’re still in the Pacific Mall? I must have walked right by them. I was looking for them in their old location but figured they just closed down when they weren’t there. Thanks for posting this!
I have not been there forever. If you saw the Canada CCK store has closed, then that is too bad.
It sounds like you are hoping to buy a Chinese knife to give it a try (not so much committing to this style). If so, borrowing a Chinese style chef’s knife for a week will be best. However, it sounds like you may not have friends who have Chinese chef’s knife? You can always try a good one from Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table (or whatever other kitchen knife stores to get a feel – understandably a 1 min test drive isn’t always as helpful.
I guess the other thing is that… if you don’t think a nakiri has anything to offer above a French chef knife, then you may feel the same for a Chinese chef’s knife too. Not 100%, but the chance is there.
I was kind of thinking the same thing as you. He sounds like he has the cutting technique that would work well with a Chinese cleaver, but may not like the style of knife.
I love using both a nakiri and a Chinese cleaver. I cant imagine me liking one and not the other since they operate so similarly.
I’ll try to hit some stores and see if they have any Chinese cleavers and will let me destroy a bunch of root vegetables! If I buy one, it is important to me to be committed. I liked the nakiri but was not blown away. It felt very much like my chef knife, only smaller and more squared off. I liked the shape and figure a Chinese cleaver would feel much the same, just more so.
Befriend your favorite Chinese restaurant owner and volunteer to be a prep cook for an afternoon?
I would love to find a good Chinese restaurant here!
If you try one, be sure to report back. I am curious about your thoughts. Based on what you are looking for, it seems like a toss up whether you’d like one or not. I was surprised by how much I liked one after using it. The ability to transfer a lot of ingredient with the blade was a big plus for me.
I can see that being a big plus. I usually have a bench scraper out.
I didn’t think what I said above would happen so soon, but it did. I just noticed CKTG raised their CCK large slicer price from $115 to $165. At this point, I definitely don’t think those cleavers are worth it. They had six in stock last week, now they have more which probably means the price was raised with a new shipment that included tarrifs costs. For anyone in the US that wants Japanese- or Chinese-made knives, sooner rather than later is the time to get them.
Thanks. I hefted one at W-S. It was very fancy and pricey, probably not my ideal first encounter. Honestly, I could see using one a lot, but I also use my. chef knife a lot. I think I’ll probably hang on and see if I can wait out the tariffs.
Probably smart. I’m hopong the tarrifs won’t last for a long, long time or that the de minimis exemption returns. I also worry that the stores won’t lower their prices even if the tarrifs end.
Do you mind showing your cck cleaver with a photo or a link from their site?
Here too, got this thing many years ago in a random Chinese shop here, rarely use it - too heavy and not sharp. Don’t even know if it’s supposed to be sharp.
I agree on the pricey cutlery, but not to replacing it. Some of the cheapest are easy to sharpen. Kiwi and Dexter Russell are reasonably priced, and sharpen easily and well.
Amen. The notion of a Shun in my kitchen gave me a price induced shudder.
Yes. The notion that history repeats itself has at least one glowing exception. Lower prices never seem to return. 
I agree with not buying expensive designer stuff (unless you’re doing it fully because it looks cool, which I occasionally do), but that second bit – just buy a new one when it gets dull – is really tough to understand. This isn’t like a nonstick pan where it’s dead beyond repair once it fades; even a cheap knife can last for many years if you do a few minutes of touchup work every couple of months. No reason to replace it if it’s just gone a bit dull.
I actually own a Shun veggie cleaver, purchased almost 20 years ago, and would totally recommend against it based not only on price but also because it’s extremely heavy. I lug it out once every 18 months or so to chop a big cabbage or something, hoping that this time I’ll love it…and I never do. it’s just kind of tiring to work with. To its credit it is rather nice looking and maintains a ridiculously keen edge.
