Cleaver knives are often seen at both professional restaurants or home kitchens. The product is used for a variety of purposes ranging from chopping meat, cutting a perfect piece of steak or T-bone, chopping chicken or turkey into pieces. A well-sharpened cleaver knife is a perfect tool that allows you to finish this hard cooking stage more conveniently. Here, our expert team at the DTOPLIST has collected the top 10 best cleaver knives that one should have in their kitchens.
Table of Contents
List of Top 10 Best Cleaver Knives in 2023
10. Cutluxe 7-Inch Cleaver Knife
Cutluxe cleaver knife features a 7-inch body that is the production of High Carbon Steel. It allows you to chop and cut a lot of foods, be them vegetables, meat, or bone. The blade is nicely crafted into a razor-sharp that makes the cutting a lot more efficient than other regular knives. In addition, they can highly resist rust, stains, and corrosion. Pretty much laminated and finished, it does not catch stains either. Last, it is lightweight and ergonomic to hold.
What We Like:
- Item’s weight is 13.4 ounce
- Well sharpen edge
- Long handle measuring about 5 inches
- Laminated Pakkawood handle
- 3-inch Garman high carbon steel
- Rust, stains, and corrosion free
- Comes with a warranty
What We Don’t Like:
- A bit high in price tag
9. KITORY Boning 7” Hand Forged Heavy Duty Cleaver Knife
Another heavy-duty cleaver knife to showcase next is from KITORY. This one also has a 7-inch overall construction and a full-tang build. With its high carbon stainless steel black blade, it looks a lot cleaner and more professional. Together with this, it has a Rosewood handle that is absolutely ergonomic to hold. Added with a hang buckle, users can easily hang it on the wall once finished using. The product is mostly chosen for its razor-sharp ability and unique curvy shape.
What We Like:
- The light weight of just 0.94 lbs
- the long curvy handle of 5 inches
- High carbon black stainless steel blade measuring 7 inches
- Impressive overall construction
- Best for boning, cutting, butchering, and chopping
What We Don’t Like:
- Cannot cut large bones.
8. PAUDIN Nakiri Cleaver Knife
This slim and small design of Paudin Nakiri Cleaver Knife is its uniqueness. Designed for all purposes cutting, you can use it to chop meat or vegetables. Even though it looks small, the edge is super duper sharp allowing you to cut your foods very efficiently. It is rust-proof, so it works fine with water. The product also comes with a soft pakkawood handle that ensures ease of movement. However, it should only be washed by hands to maximize the lifespan.
What We Like:
- Lightweight & ergonomic to hold.
- Very sharp blade
- weighs just 7.9 ounces
- All-purpose design
What We Don’t Like:
- Not dishwasher recommended
- Cannot deal with large bone
- Not suggest using the product to open a can
7. KITORY Chinese Chef’s Meat Cleaver Knife
This KITORY Chinese Chef’s Meat Cleaver Knife is designed for chopping meat and cutting rib-eye. It has an exquisite hammered finish on the blade minimizing the chance of meat getting stuck on the blade surfaces. The blade is a bit curved and the overall size measures about 7.28 inches. Meanwhile, the width of the blade is 4.05 inches and has a full-tang body. Together with a 20° edge, it offers enough sharpness to cut through meat, veggies, rips, and so on.
What We Like:
- Double rivets on the handle for a firm attachment
- 20° edge design
- Hammered finish blade for meat-grip reduction
- 5.12-inch handle; ergonomic to hold and chop
- The light weight of only 5.9 lbs
What We Don’t Like:
- The handle is not wood, but PP plastic
6. DALSTRONG Butcher Cleaver Knives
This product is very versatile and comes with multi-purpose designs. It features a medium-heavy duty construction that allows users to deal with meat, vegetables, and cutting pork or beef ribs. Besides its razor-sharp blade, it is also thick measuring about 4.2 mm. At the same time, the overall length of the blade is 9 inches which means it is a larger choice. Highly crafted with 56+ Rockwell hardness and coated with satin-finished for maximizing studies and longer lifespan.
What We Like:
- For multi-purpose usage
- Very lightweight at 1.3 lbs
- Best heat-treatment
- Pakkawood handle for an ergonomic grip
What We Don’t Like:
- It is fairly expensive.
5. XYJ Full Tang Butcher Knife
The XYJ is a 6.5-inches butcher knife that is crafted mainly for meat cleaving. The blade comes with a great thickness of 5 mm making it durable enough to handle thick and frozen meats or little bones. The used material of the blade is high carbon steel that is greatly forged with heat. Because of this, you can use it for slicing, chopping, cutting, micing, and butchering. In terms of comfort and ergonomics, the handle comes fully in a wooden full tang style. Since the blade and the handle are firmly attached together, you need not worry about it soldering at all.
What We Like:
- 6.5-inch blade with 5 mm thickness
- Heat-treated
- Made for all-purpose usage
- No handle soldering problem
- Very lightweight
- Hangable design
- Comes with a leather knife sleeve for protection and storage
What We Don’t Like:
- Nothing to dislike.
4. Ovanto Cleaver Knife
Ovanto Cleaver Knife comes with a stainless steel blade measuring about 7 inches long. Including the length of the handle, it turns into a 13.9 inches knife. The blade is constructed from Rockwelt hardness of 56+ 2 or 56- 2 which means it can handle both soft and hard meat. It is capable of slicing through the bones, and there is very little chance that this knife cannot deal with it. Weighing only 1.28 lbs, the knife is very lightweight to hold. Because the handle is also long, it maximizes the ability of the chef to chop and cut through hard bones.
What We Like:
- Affordable price for the quality
- Weighing only 1.28 lbs which is pretty light.
- 7.6 inches blade width
- 16° of sharpness
- Heavy Duty Pakkawood handle
- Designed for all-purpose usage.
- Comes with a 1-year warranty
- What We Don’t Like:
- Cannot use for cutting frozen foods
- Do not use in contact with a hot flame
3. Imarku Cleaver Knives
Pricing below 50 bucks, this Cleaver knife from Imarku is considered one of the most affordable multipurpose knives for meat cleaving. The blade is the product of German stainless steel measuring 7 inches larger. The construction also obtains the HRC Rockwell Hardness Scale of 60-62 which means the cutting performance is no less than chopping, slicing, mincing, butchering, or cleaving. To ensure it is safe to use, the handle is the product of Pakkawood which provides a very good grip. This way, it does not slide away from our hands while you are chopping something.
What We Like:
- Supports Multi-Purpose of using
- 7 inches large for the blade width
- 2.5 mm of the blade thickness
- Featuring Pakkawood
- Affordable price tag
- Rockwell Hardness Scale (HRC): 57±1
What We Don’t Like:
- Not compatible with glass board
- The edge is not to be in contact with other metallic utensils
2. ZWILLING J.A. Henckels TWIN Signature Chinese Chef’s Knife
The ZWILLING J.A. Henckels TWIN Signature Chinese Chef’s Knife has a high carbon stainless steel blade that makes the hard work of cleaving beef bones become easier. One piece of Ice hardened Friodur is used to craft the blade making it become sharper from time to time. Thanks to the 5-inch blade width, it is perfect for pushing down and cutting thick meat. The product features an ergonomic polymer handle that has turned into a full tang. Thereby, very comfortable to hold. In addition, its Rockwell hardness is rated up to 57 which equals excellent edge retention.
What We Like:
- Weighing only 10.4 oz (0.65 pounds); extremely light
- Overall construction length is 15 inches
- 7-inch blade length & 5-inch blade width
- German stainless steel for the blade craftsmanship
- 15° sharpness around the edge
- Full-tang handle
- 3 mm of blade thickness
- Comes with a sheath
What We Don’t Like:
- Since it has 15° of sharpness, the back edge is also very sharp. Thus, you need to be very careful when cutting sliding fruits or vegetables.
1. DALSTRONG 8″ Chef’s Knife, Hybride Cleaver Knives
The DALSTRONG is a bit different from the other cleaver knives we have reviewed. It is because it has a wider blade of 8 inches and a longer length of 46 inches. It adapted great craftsmanship as well as a sharp edge technology that made it the top best chef’s meat cleavers. The blade is razor-like sharp which maximizes the slicing experience. Meanwhile, the handle is a full tang style ensuring that the blade and the Pakkawood handle are well attached to one another.
A piece of German high-carbon stainless steel is utilized for perfect craftsmanship and an ideal hand-polishing of this blade. For this reason, the edge is able to cut through 14°-16° in every slice. You would also notice that the blade is curved. This makes it convenient for cleaning.
What We Like:
- German high-carbon stainless steel blade
- 14°-16° of edge sharpness
- 56+ Rockwell hardness
- Satin hand-polished finish
- Full tang Pakkawood handle
- Curved edge for easy cleaning
- 8-inch blade width & 46-inch blade length
- Triple-riveted to promote a good attachment & durability
- Lightweight at 1.1 pounds only
- 3 mm blade thickness
What We Don’t Like:
- Mainly designed for a meat cleaving
- Cannot cut through bone
Buying Guides To Choosing The Best Cleaver Knives
There are secrets of top chefs to choose their best meat or bone cleaver knives. You can also pick the best ones as wisely as they do by considering some of the buying tips below.
Blade Width
The blade width commonly comes in 6 to 8 inches large. This means that it is good for slicing or cleaving thick meat. Still, there are some manufacturers producing a smaller or larger width including 5 inches, 9 inches, or even 16 inches blade width. And, the uses may also vary. Probably, it is not only cleaving meat but also chopping thick beef bones.
The main benefits of a longer width are that it allows you to slice through the thickness of meat with just a single downward stroke, and you need not chop it a few times. Additionally, if the chef has bigger hands, they would definitely find a wider width more comfortable for them to use.
Blade Length
The longer the length means the easier and strong the chopping work will be. Based on the leverage theory, the longer the level, the more force is put into it. That is why if you think you need a cleaving knife or a full tang knife for bone chopping, make sure you choose the one that has a longer blade as well as a longer handle.
Blade Thickness
3 mm to 5 mm blade thickness is very common among users. This is because they are not too heavy compared to other thicker blades. At the same time, this thickness range also ensures the durability of multipurpose usage as well. It can handle slicking, chopping, cutting, mincing, cleaving, or butchering very well. Also, a thicker blade often delivers greater blunt force which is necessary for dense bone chopping works. The reason why most home kitchens or professional chefs do not choose a very thin blade is that it is most likely a waiver when cutting or chopping.
Type of Handle
It would be good to choose the cleaver knives coming with 3 rivets whether it is for a wooden or plastic handle. This will ensure that the blade and the handle themselves are well attached reducing the chance of soldering. In addition, it can provide a good grip during the job.
Edge Sharpness Retention
Usually, the sharpness edge retention of cleaver knives obtains from 14°-16° of sharpness. This would enable the user to use both the front and back edge for cutting. Some brands even make it up to 19° of its edge sharpness retention. You may also want to choose between a blunt blade and a sharp blade as well. Take a moment to think of the purpose of using. If you think you need it for chopping, a blunt blade is more suitable. However, if you think it is mostly for slicing steak, our team highly recommends you choose the sharp blade.
Brand Reputation
There are a lot of famous brands or manufacturers producing knives for various kinds of use. Knowing that they have been in the industry for years indicates that they might also produce the right kinds of knives for your needs. If their specialty is knife craftsmanship, they may do a better job than other newly emerged companies. If you are concerned about brand reputation, we would like to give you some clues. Most people often go for German, Japanese, or Chinese producers since they have a good history of knife craftsmanship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is there a hole in a cleaver blade?
A: The hold is drilled on the blade for hanging the cleaver when you need to store it. It can also be hung on the belt of the chef for quick access in the kitchen.
Q: What is a cleaver knife used for?
A: Cleaver knives are for cleaving, slicing, and micing meat. At the same time, some of them are also crafted for boning or butchering as well. They can greatly handle soft bones too.
Q: What is the difference between a cleaver knife and a Chinese cleaver?
A: The only difference between a cleaver knife and a Chinese cleaver is only about its blade thickness. Chinese cleaver comes with a thinner blade which is actually for handling soft and thin meat. At the same time, a cleaver knife has greater blade thinness, a wider blade which is perfect for cleaving dense and thick meat.
Q: Should a cleaver be sharp?
A: A common sharpness of a cleaver is from 14°-16° of a sharp edge. But, the sharpest would be up to 50° angle and allowing you to slice up to 25° angle per stroke. It is only for a meat cleaver. A Chinese cleaver or a vegetable cleaver might not be able to handle what mentioned above.
Q: Can a meat cleaver cut through bone?
A: It might be able to handle soft bone, but it might not cut through thick and solid bones at all. Or perhaps it could but just not for a single stroke. Maybe you might need to chop it a few multiple stoke for the bone to break.
How to Use a Cleaver
Conclusion
All of the cleaver knives showcased above come with different designs and various advantages of their own. But, if you pick the right one for your needs and requirements, you sure can obtain the greatest potential from the product. Pick the best one from our top best product recommendations and find out how to choose the right one for yourself by checking out some useful buying tips in the above section.