Are Chinese cleavers difficult to use?
When people hear "Chinese cleaver," many probably imagine them to be "heavy," "scary," or "for professionals only."
I certainly felt that way myself at first.
So, let's start by organizing the commonly cited "disadvantages."
■ Heavy
Chinese cleavers are heavier than general kitchen knives. For example, the gyuto (chef's knife) I usually use, with a 210mm blade, weighs about 150g, but a Chinese cleaver of the same 210mm length weighs about 450g. That's roughly three times the weight.
Initially, your wrist might tire easily, and it can feel difficult to handle until you get used to it.
■ Difficult to sharpen
Because the blade is wide and has a large surface area, many people feel it looks "difficult to sharpen." When you actually use it, the larger size makes it harder to maintain a consistent angle, which can be confusing at first. Furthermore, if the blade chips, it's difficult to localize and fix only the chipped part because the blade line of a Chinese cleaver is almost straight; the entire blade needs to be re-shaped. Unlike a santoku knife, which can be easily adjusted by sharpening parts of it, this is a more手間がかかる (time-consuming) aspect.
■ Storage space issues
Due to its large blade, it may not fit into standard knife blocks or storage solutions. In the first place, Japanese kitchens are often not designed with the size of Chinese cleavers in mind, so this is somewhat unavoidable.
■ Difficult to wash
Because the blade is wide, a little extra care is needed when maneuvering it in the sink and when drying.
■ Looks dangerous
Its large size makes it a knife that can feel psychologically "scary." Many people imagine rough uses like pounding and crushing ingredients or making loud noises, and the thought of "what if I cut myself with this..." makes it feel even scarier. The dynamic cooking scenes from Chinese cuisine might also contribute to this image.
Looking at it this way, it might seem difficult to handle,
but using it in practice changes that impression significantly.
Contrary to its appearance, the Chinese cleaver is very practical,
and it is one of the easiest knives to use at home.
What is a Chinese cleaver? A brief explanation of its features
A Chinese cleaver is a knife widely used in Chinese households and by chefs,
characterized by its wide blade, straight blade line, and appropriate weight.
Most are thin, double-beveled blades, designed to slice through vegetables and meat smoothly using the knife's own weight.
There are also different types of Chinese cleavers,
and the thin-bladed type (general Chinese cleaver) for vegetables and meat is what's typically used at home.
Detailed usability and benefits will be explained next.
Benefits of Chinese cleavers
■ Cuts effortlessly using its weight
Chinese cleavers are indeed heavy.
However, that weight allows you to slice through ingredients smoothly without needing extra force.
It's about cutting by leveraging the knife's weight,
rather than using brute force.
■ Wide surface, easy to scoop
The wide blade allows you to lift
cut ingredients directly and transfer them to a pot or frying pan.
Just this action alone makes the cooking process significantly smoother.
■ Can crush ingredients
Tasks like crushing garlic or ginger
can be easily done with a Chinese cleaver.
This is also an action possible precisely because of its wide surface.
■ Almost everything can be done with one knife
Since tasks like cutting, scooping, and crushing can all be done with one knife,
there's no need to switch between multiple tools.
The reason Chinese families continue to use just one Chinese cleaver is its inherent efficiency.
Differences from a Santoku knife
Both Santoku knives and Chinese cleavers are "all-purpose," but they excel at slightly different tasks.
■ Benefits of a Santoku knife
・Versatile for meat, fish, and vegetables: Can competently handle most household tasks
・Light and agile: Easy to maneuver, less tiring even during prolonged use
・Good for detailed work: Suitable for peeling, decorative cutting, etc.
・Easy to store: Fits into typical knife blocks
・Easy to wash: Good maneuverability in the sink
■ Benefits of a Chinese cleaver
・Cuts with minimal force: The sensation of the blade sinking in with just a "push" by leveraging its weight
・Cut → gather → transfer as one continuous motion: The wide blade surface links tasks together
・Easy to crush and transport: Smooth for crushing garlic or ginger, and moving ingredients
・Stable for chopping: Straight blade ensures consistent strokes
・Less prone to injury when julienning: The height of the blade allows for easy finger placement, enabling stable chopping
Rather than one being superior to the other,
it's easier to think of the Santoku as "ease of use-oriented" and the Chinese cleaver as "efficiency-oriented".
If you prioritize everyday detailed tasks and maneuverability, a Santoku is suitable; if you want to prepare ingredients in bulk, a Chinese cleaver is more appropriate.
Summary
The Chinese cleaver is a tool that is often misunderstood based solely on its appearance.
However, its shape and weight all have a purpose,
and when you actually use it, you realize how logically designed it is.
Tools always have a reason for being.
And the Chinese cleaver, I believe, is one such tool.
Also explained on Youtube.
