I’ve wanted a Chinese style cooks knife/cleaver for a while. I think there are advantages in having a broad blade-more mass for chopping, the blade has a slower taper so it stays sharper longer, you can use it along with your other hand as a shovel to pick up chopped veg etc, etc. I did a bit of research and learnt that mostly they are made from high carbon steel and that will stain but will stay sharper longer. Also because of the blade’s taper the cutting edge is a tighter angle. Blah blah… really I wanted one coz they look cool.
Finding one here isn’t that easy, plenty of expensive western ones with stainless blades but the real thing, not so much. I found a couple in Chinatown but they were a bit too cheap and didn’t feel that good. A year or so ago, @Ruprecht Posted a video of a guy making a cheese sandwich in the snow and he has this fantastic knife with a rough hewn, broad blade which curves down to the point. I had to have one!
After searching for a while I found them on eBay. They are made by a Hong Kong cuttler by hand in the trad manner and 33 quid! Excitedly I clicked buy it now only for a pop-up message to appear saying ‘due to eBay’s knife policy in your territory, this item is unavailable.’ Fuck you gang warfare!
A couple of months ago , I found them on Ali Baba, Inc postage was well under 40 quid, bought! I’d pretty much given up over Christmas and was looking at getting a refund but yesterday it turned up after over 2 months traveling the world and here it is.
I’m so excited! I’m really going to have to practice carefully, it’s really sharp and very weighty. If I’m not careful there will be fingers in my chopped onions! So satisfying to have tracked it down.
I was in quite a posh Chinese restaurant once (actually nearly 40 years ago, dear God) when a relatively minor scrap broke out between two customers. Two guys I assume were cooks came running out of the kitchen brandishing stuff like that. The scrappers took one look and ran at full tilt into the street, leaving their respective g/f’s to settle the bills.
I can use a steel ok and always towards my hand which is the way my (ex fish monger) grandad taught me. I practiced furiously as a kid (when he wasn’t around) because the old sod reckoned I’d not be able to do it. Mine has a guard.
Interestingly, the melt, I mean butcher over the road holds his steel like he is holding a dagger, pushes the tip firmly against his block and strikes the knife downwards and away from him. The warm glow of superiority flows through me…
Lou’s Dad used to be a butcher. He saw me using a steel, striking away from me, and promptly put me right. I couldn’t do it as fast as him though, no matter how much I tried.
On the stroke facing him the angle is too large. Angle should be about 20°.
As for cuting body parts, I’ve never cut myself steeling a knife. Highest chance of cutting yourself is when boning out particularly a shoulder of lamb. Fucking awkward doing them.
Mine has a guard.