this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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The cheapo carbon steel cleaver is my favorite knife in my set. I got a block of Victorinox knives as a gift and yeah they work fairly well (you're right about sharpening being annoying tho), but the $13 cleaver is where it's at. It's sharp, it sharpens well and that style of knife is just so useful. I pull out two other knives generally these days, the serrated one for bread and a ceramic one for tomatoes. The rest? Cleaver time, baybee!
Also, mincing things with the cleaver is great. Mincing things with TWO cleavers? Now that's joy.
The cheap, but well made carbon steel cleavers from https://www.wokshop.com/ or your local Asian market are very good. They will discolor your onions if you don't oil them (the blades, not the onions. Are you getting enough iron?).
I feel I am getting on a tangent. Victorinox sucks and is overpriced despite what Americas Test Kitchen says, Kenji agrees with me.
Buy some cheap crap, a decent steel, have people ask 'why isn't there any hair on that part of your forearm? That's a bit weird' and seriously show some veggies what's what.
The site you linked is where I got my cleaver and I vouch for exactly what you've said. Though I haven't seen an issue with my onions. I don't oil the blade often but I do use it to chop meat (and thus their fats) once a week.
I'm pretty sure I got their #3 veggie cleaver, though I'm not really sure the difference between that and their carbon steel cleavers. Works fine for meat, but I don't chop bones with it.
Got any tips on sharpening? I feel sloppy whenever I'm doing it and it seems like you take a pride in it, so if I could pick your brain on how to sharpen my cleavers better, I'd appreciate it!
For sharpening I use whetstones, I really like this www.amazon.com/King-4000-Combination-Waterstone-KING/dp/B01LX6AIY3 though the price comes up for me at $50. I paid half that, though it will last a lifetime if it isn't abused.
The 800 is for stuff fresh from the flea market/Daiso (their knives are awesome and cheap) the 4000 is fine (for me) for daily showing veg and meat who's boss. For straight razors I use 10k.
Regular use of a steel (daily for me because I have issues) means I only sharpen once a month. If you don't, or you are using different steel in your knives you may want to sharpen more or less frequently.
I'm looking to actually buy myself a chef's knife. I really only care about having a long lasting knife, that's not horrible. You would recommend a daiso knife? (Daiso the Japanese Asian import store, right?)
I had a $5 knife from Daiso, the balance was very nice, I really liked it. I bought it around 2008? A friend has it now, they like it. Cheap knives are rarely full tang and will rust inside the handle, I drip oil into the handle, dry them carefully, and they last for a long time.
My recommendation would be to get a cheap knife like that and a nice carbon steel cleaver like The Wok Shop, or your local Asian market sells. With those two and less than $20 outlay you can do most anything. Breaking down Winter Squash is a pain, but doable, or you can get something heavy and brutish just for that if it's you thing.
Daiso is Japan's version of a dollar store (though admittedly far, far better than American dollar stores), so I would not go there for a long-lasting knife. Dishes? Absolutely. Knife? No.