Chinese Cleaver

2 min read

A Chinese cleaver may appear to the uninitiated to be hefty and ominously sharp. But in reality it is quite light, steady and not at all dangerous to use, provided you handle it correctly and with care!

I think the term ‘cleaver’ is a mistranslation – its Chinese name should be rendered as ‘kitchen knife’. Once you learn to regard it as a kitchen toolmainly used for cutting and not just a chopper, then you will be surprised how easy and simple it is to use compared with an expensive Western kitchen knife.

Chinese cleavers are available in a variety of materials and weights. They usually come in three sizes. No. 1 being the heaviest with a blade about 23cm (9″) long and 10cm (4″) wide, it can weigh up to almost 1kg (or 2lb); it is really a chopper rather than a knife. No. 3 is much smaller and lighter, with the blade about 20cm (8″) long and 8cm (3″) wide, with less than half of the weight of No. 1 – it is sometimes called a slicer.

But the much preferred knife by everyone is the medium-weight, dual- purpose No. 2, also known as wen-wu dao (civil and military knife). You use the lighter, front half of the blade for slicing, shredding and scoring, etc; and the heavier, rear half of the blade for chopping and so on. You can also use the back of the blade as a pounder and tenderizer, and the flat side of the blade for crushing and transporting; while the end of the handle can even beused as a pestle for grinding spices.

When buying a cleaver, hold it in your hand and feel the weight; choose one that is neither too heavy nor too light. The ones made of carbonized steel with a wooden handle are generally heavier than the ones made of stainless steel with either metal or wooden handles. While a stainless steel cleaver may look good, it requires more frequent sharpening in order to keep the cutting edge razor-sharp. To prevent the carbonized steel blade getting stained and rusting, wipe it dry after use, then give it a thin coating of vegetable oil.

Sharpen the cleaver on a fine-grained whetstone, honing the blade evenly on both sides to keep it straight and sharp. Hang the cleaver by the handle to keep the blade from becoming dulled on other metal objects in a drawer.