The Best Cleaver Knife of 2024 [Updated]
Aug 30,2022 | Fzkaly
If you usually work with thick and large cuts of meat, cartilage, and bone, such as dismantling a whole chicken, breaking down ribs, processing lobster shells, or separating steaks, a cleaver knife is a good choice. Check out our picks for the best cleaver knife of 2024.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Fzkaly 8 Inch Damascus Cleaver Knife
- Best Balanced: Fzkaly 8 Inch Japanese Cleaver Knife
- Best Forged: Fzkaly Hand Forged Cleaver Knife
- Best Multifunction: Fzkaly Meat Cleaver 6" & 8"
- Best Set: Fzkaly 4-Piece Kitchen Cleaver Knife Set
- Best Budget: Fzkaly Cleaver Butcher Knife 7"
1. Best Overall Overall: Fzkaly 8 Inch Damascus Cleaver Knife
Specs
- Blade: vg10 core
- Blade Finish: 67 layers of Damascus steel
- Cladding: premium high-carbon stainless steel
- Bolster: Damascus steel
- Handle: green resin handle
- Blade Hardness: 60±2 HRC
- Thickness: 2mm
- Blade Length: 8 in
The Fzkaly 8 inch cleaver knife is the best choice to deal with your meats and vegetables. Crafted with top-quality materials and techniques to ensure a razor-sharp edge, you can slice a tomato with just the weight of the knife and glide through chicken, beef, and pork AKA meat like room-temperature butter.
Featuring a Damascus-forged steel core and 67 layers of folded steel, this chef knife has a stable hardness of 60+2HRC for long-lasting sharpness.
The knife handle is made with green resin synthesis, which is known for its durability, resistance to wear and corrosion, and beautiful texture. The full-tang construction offers a non-slip comfortable grip and provides a smooth and seamless cutting experience, while it is also special and beautiful.
The robust build and high-grade materials indicate a durable meat cleaver knife that's built to last.
Pro:
- Professional Damascus steel blade boasts precision cutting
- Hand-sharpened to 15° per side creates paper-thin slices
- Ergonomic, full tang, unique resin synthesis handle
- Humanized finger protection design protects your hands
2. Best Balanced: Fzkaly 8 Inch Japanese Cleaver Knife
Specs
- Rockwell Hardness: 60±2 HRC
- Blade Material: 67 layers VG10 Steel
- Handle Material: blue resin wood
- Pattern: real Damascus
- Blade Size: 8"
- Blade Angle: 15°
- Full Tang: yes
The professional cleaver knife is made from VG10 cutting core 67 layers of Damascus steel with 60±2 hardness, ultimate durability, and incredible edge retention. The Damascus steel blade has a beautiful and unique grain pattern that gives it an attractive and distinctive appearance.
With each side of the blade measuring only 15°, this extremely sharp blade provides you with unparalleled cutting pleasure. Curved bolster encourages cutting with improved precision, safety and comfort.
The premium resin wood handle has a smooth, durable, and comfortable texture that feels good in the hand. It is not easy to be deformed and it will last many years without any damage.
This Japanese cleaver knife is designed to help you accomplish a variety of cutting tasks with ease and confidence.
Pro:
- Premium Japanese VG10 stainless steel
- Hand sharpened to 15° angle per side
- 60±2 Rockwell hardness
- Ergonomic resin wood handle
3. Best Forged: Fzkaly Hand Forged Cleaver Knife
Specs
- Rockwell Hardness: 56-58 HRC
- Blade Material: high carbon steel
- Handle Material: triple riveted solid wood
- Thickness: 5mm
- Pattern: forged
- Blade Size: 6.5"
- Blade Angle: 15°
- Full Tang: yes
- Leather: yes
This hand forged cleaver knife excels at a variety of kitchen tasks, from cutting veggies, slicing meat to cutting light bones( like ribs, chicken bones, steaks, lamb chops, and fish bones) and even crushing garlic or ginger, also act as a "Scoop". You'll love it for its all-in-one convenience.
Forged from a blend of high carbon and high manganese steel, this cleaver knife offers exceptional edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Artisan hand-forged cleaver knife is hand-sharpened 15°edge, sharp enough for a pleasant cutting experience.
This cleaver knife features full tang construction and triple riveted black wood, ensuring excellent balance and grip for comfort. The contoured handle is engineered to provide safe, non-slip control during long cutting sessions, avoiding hand fatigue and improving precision. The weight is a bit heavy, but it's well balanced and fits your hand perfectly.
Pro:
- High carbon stainless steel
- Engineered to perfection at 56-58 Rockwell hardness
- 15° sharpening angle ensures razor sharpness
- Solid wood handle with a full tang & triple riveted
- With a premium leather sheath, easy to carry
4. Best Multifunction: Fzkaly Meat Cleaver 6" & 8"
6" Meat Cleaver Specs
- Blade Length: 6 in
- Handle Length: 5 in
- Total Length: 11 in
- Blade Thickness: 0.16 in
- Blade width: 2 in
- Net weight: 0.54 lbs
8" Meat Cleaver Specs
- Blade Length: 8 in
- Handle Length: 4.5 in
- Total Length: 12.5 in
- Blade Thickness: 0.38 in
- Blade width: 2 in
- Net weight: 0.88 lbs
This cleaver knife set is perfect for breaking down smaller cuts of boneless meats and poultry as well as slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping tough vegetables.
If you prefer the aesthetics and more secure grip of a wooden handle, this meat cleaver set is a perfect choice. German X50CrMoV15 stainless steel is strong and super-sharp, the hammered finish makes it looks more appealing. The ergonomically designed wooden handle offers a great grip. The cleaver knife set comes with a matched leather sheath for safe keeping and conveniently carrying. It is not only good for the home kitchen but also ideal for outdoor activities such as camping, picnic, bbq, or RV.
Pro:
- German X50CrMoV15 stainless steel
- Engineered to perfection at 56-58 Rockwell hardness
- 16° sharpening angle, incredibly razor-sharp
- Non-slip wood handle with a full tang & comfortable grip
- Set includes 6" & 8" meat cleaver, and leather knife sheath, easy to carry
5. Best Set: Fzkaly 4-Piece Kitchen Cleaver Knife Set
Specs
- Rockwell Hardness: 56-58 HRC
- Blade Material: high carbon steel
- Handle Material: solid ebony wood
- Thickness: 3.6mm
- Pattern: forged
- Blade Angle: 14-16°
- Full Tang: yes
This professional cleaver knife set includes an 8-inch meat cleaver, 7-inch chef kiritsuke knife, 6-inch curved butcher knife, and 5.5-inch utility knife. This multi-purpose knife set is suitable for cutting vegetables, meat, fruits, filleting fish, deboning meat, cleaving soft bones, skinning, slicing, and carving. It effortlessly tackles all the cutting needed for grilling, roasting, stir-fries, braising, soups, or sautéing. Allowing you to easily unleash your culinary creativity in the home kitchen or outdoor cooking.
This 4-piece cleaver knife set is hand-sharpened to a 14°-16° sharp edge for clean cuts and exquisite presentations. The thick blade can be stronger and less likely to break.
In addition, this cleaver knife set blade is full tang, extending into the handle for added strength and even weight distribution. Just fit your hand well for tireless cutting. We've fused the timeless oval shape of Japanese handles with carbonized ebony wood in a matte finish, reinforced by dual-headed steel, The result? A firm, slightly grippy handle for safe and confident chopping. Textured grip points design is non-slip which adds safety.
Pros:
- Premium high carbon stainless steel
- 3.6mm heavy-duty blade
- Premium ebony handle
- Full tang construction for maximum robustness & comfort
- Hammered texture prevents sticking
6. Best Budget: Fzkaly Cleaver Butcher Knife 7"
Specs
- Blade Length: 7 in
- Handle Length: 5 in
- Total Length: 12 in
- Blade Thickness: 0.12 in(3mm)
- Blade Width: 3.38 in
- Net Weight: 0.93 lbs
The Fzkaly cleaver butcher knife is also a boning knife perfect for home chopping bones. It is a budget pick, decent price, sharp, hand-forged knife.
The 3mm thick blade and spine make it easily cut. What's more, it is a versatile knife, not only great for bones but also good for vegetable cutting. You’ll love the handle of this knife, its unique white color with a mosaic pin adds aesthetics. It is full-tang non-slip and offers a good hand feeling.
Pros:
- 7Cr17Mov high carbon stainless steel
- 3mm heavy-duty blade designed for chopping bones
- Premium quality ABS polymer handle
- Full tang construction for maximum robustness & comfort
Before you choose a cleaver knife, we need to make it clear: why you need a cleaver knife and what to look for in a meat cleaver.
Why do you need a cleaver knife?
Cooking should be fun rather than leave you tired and complaining. A good meat cleaver is a big help when you work with meat, bone, and gristle. Because it will make cutting tasks, even the really tough ones, much easier and make cooking prep work more enjoyable and less time-consuming. Next, let’s take a further look at the benefits of owning a cleaver knife:
- Thick spine and blade, allowing quick work of large chunks of meats, bones, and cartilage which a chef's knife can't do.
- Separating chicken and processing poultry and meat ready for delicious meals later.
- Single pieces of high carbon stainless steel provide long-term durability and strength.
- Solid, ergonomic handles ensure a great grip.
What to look for in a meat cleaver knife?
We have already understood the reasons for having a meat cleaver knife and the benefits of owning it. Next, let's take a look at how to choose a meat cleaver that suits you from a wide variety of products.
Of course, not all cleavers and people's requirements are the same. You have to check out the knife’s specifications to see if it meets your needs. Like with any knife, these basic elements are important factors to consider, including the material of the blade, the blade structure, the size, and the stability of the ergonomic handle etc. To extend your cleaver's lifetime, your cleaver should be:
- Tough steel resistant to strike
- Well-balanced structure, nice weight distribution
- Comfortable grip
- Suited for tough tasks
Pro tips: Cleaver knives are meant for heavy and tough work. It doesn't require the razor-sharp edge of expensive premium German or Japanese steel. When cheaper choices are serviceable, no need to pay more price for the expensive ones.
Next, let's further discuss the factors.
The material of the blade
The material is a critical factor in making a knife. The material could be stainless steel, carbon steel,high-carbon steel, or Damascus steel. Carbon steel is a durable and economical choice, but it needs proper care due to it is easier to rust.
Comfortable handle
You need to control the knife by your arm interacting with the knife handle. Thus, if the handle is safe, sturdy, and comfortable to use is important. The materials of the handle could be plastic, stainless steel, wood, ABS polymer, G10, etc.
Which one to choose depends on your preference. But, the handle should be ergonomically designed and use high-grade materials for efficiency and comfort. Usually, the cleaver comes with a wooden handle with a brass rivet is the most common match due to wood is less likely to slip in the hand. Of course, the wooden handle needs more care such as oiling to stay shiny. Some people prefer the ABS polymer handle due to it is more hygienic.
Construction
A meat cleaver knife is mainly used in heavy tasks, so, a well-constructed knife with durable materials is important. The knife should be heavy enough for tough tasks.
Blade Thickness
A thin blade is perfect for paper-thin slices, however, a cleaver knife should have a thicker blade that allows easy cutting through bones without warp or waive or breaking down.
A thick blade ensures sufficient weight to handle bone, cartilage, and muscle with a single strike.
Balance
A well-balanced knife is safe and comfortable. The blade's weight of a cleaver knife is higher than other knives, thus, the weight of the handle also needs to be higher to create a balance that feels right in the hand. A balanced knife ensures you hit the right spot in each cutting motion.
Size
If the size of a meat cleaver is too short, it is easier to get stuck in bulky food items. The size of most popular cleavers in home kitchens is 6 to 8 inches which are versatile for daily kitchen tasks. If you need to work with bigger pieces, you can choose a longer-size cleaver.
Final Words
Professional cleaver knife with great balance, sharp and makes quick work of chopping meats. Hopefully you can enjoy your cooking time more with the right cleaver knife. Want to know more about cleaver knife, check our: Anything you want to know about meat cleaver knife.
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