Buy Dexter Russell Chinese Knife 8in x 3-1/4in
Buy Dexter Russell Chinese Knife 8in x 3-1/4in
CUSTOMER REVIEW
Chinese chef's cleavers are somewhat a mistranslation, as they are not true cleavers. It is actually used for as a slicer and chopper. Much like a French chef's knife or a Japanese Santoku bocho, a Chinese chef's cleaver is an all-purpose knife with a medium blade. It is known as "vegetable knife" to Chinese. This is not a thin blade slicer, nor a thick blade meat cleaver. Chinese chef's knife sits between the Chinese slicer and the Chinese cleaver. It is not designed for hacking through big bones, though thin chicken bones are acceptable.
I bought this knife on March 2009. Dexter-Russell Chinese chef's knives are highly regarded among Chinese chefs in America. This particular model S5198 is the best selling of them. Its blade is 8 inch in length and 3.25 inch in width. It spine is 3/32 inch thick, which is 1/32 inch thicker than my previous Sekizo Chinese chef's cleaver. The thicker spine gives the knife a sturdier feel and a heavier chop (some people like this, some don't) The 3-1/4 inch walnut wood handle is nice. A wood handle is warmer to hold and allows a non-slip grip compared to a steel or plastic handle. I oiled the handle with tung oil to prevent it from absorbing too much water. The tang extends 40% into the walnut wood handle and can stand up to 500 pounds of pull. According to customer service, this Dexter-Russell S5198 is constructed out of 420 stainless steel and harden to Rockwell 54-56 HRC. I have a feeling that this knife is made of 420HC and not the normal 420. 55 HRC is normal for kitchen knives, but soft comparing to hard steel Japanese knives, like Shun or Hattori cutlery. For a given steel, there is a trade-off between strength and toughness. A very hard knife is resistance to low level impact, but will chip/crack when the force is great. A softer and tougher knife tends to give and have its edge roll up easier, but has greater resistance against chipping and cracking. As Chad Ward pointed out, "The most extreme examples of both would be the extremely hard, yet shatter-prone ceramic knives from Kyocera compared to very tough, soft stainless Chinese cleavers". Chinese chef's cleavers often are made out of softer and tougher stainless steel due to their all-purpose function. This is a stamped knife with no bolster, finished with a saber grind profile. I ground mine with a 15o back bevel and a 20o on the edge face. Finally, this knife is made in USA by Dexter-Russell, the largest and oldest American cutlery manufacturer. I rate this Chinese chef's cleaver between a 4-star score and a 5-star score. I am quiet happy with this knife and it is certainly a fine cutlery for its $30-40 price, so it deserves at least a 4-star rating. I am just not sure if it is exceptionally great given its 420HC stainless steel grade is rather common.
I have now moved toward the Chan Chi Kee (CCK) thin blade chef's knife due to its thinness.
*Skip the bottom if you already know how to hold a Chinese cleaver.*
Some of you probably are Chinese cleaver veterans, but for those of you who are not, here are some suggestions for holding a Chinese chef's cleaver. It is a pinch grip just like a French chef's knife. Hold your knife with your dominant hand. Have your thumb and index finger hold on the spine (slightly passed the bolster section), while the other three fingers wrap around the handle. Alternatively, have the thumb, index and middle fingers on the spine, and hold the handle with ring and little fingers. Both grips are acceptable. Hold your foods with your other hand with your fingers tips curl inward, allowing your minor knuckles or your joints exposed. Lean the side of the cleaver blade against your knuckles or your joints and you are good to chop, cut and slice, but never lift the blade edge above the knuckles/joints. In other words, your knuckles/joints will guide your cutting motion and preventing you from cutting yourself. I have uploaded a photo of this in this review.
