Chinese Cleaver

Chinese cleaver comes in 3 weights: big, medium and small. It is composed of a thick blade of carbon steel with wooden-handle. The most popular size, medium in weight, is about 4-inch in height and 10-inch in blade width. It works great for many purposes such as slicing, shredding, chopping and mincing ingredients.

Cleaver blades come in different types of steels. Carbon steel is the easiest to sharpen, however, some readers have suggested that once sharpened, stainless steel tends to stay sharp longer.

To sharpen cleaver, hold the blade with both hands at about a 20-degree angle over a whetstone. Sharpen the entire length of blade in a circular motion. Whetstones are available in any asian grocery stores.