Cleaver Reviews

As a previous reviewer noted, precut meats are readily available (and most of us use them most of the time). On the other hand, I for one am not going to pay a dollar or more a pound premium to buy a chicken that's already cut up when I can do it myself perfectly well, thank you. If you are the type that will take the extra few minutes after shopping to cut up large-quantity meat and freeze it for future use, a cleaver can save you some real money over the long run.

Having said that, this cleaver is about as good as it gets. Well-balanced, very sharp. and able to easily cut through bone, this is as good as it gets for the home kitchen. I recently upgraded from a Henckel International, and the difference is profound. While the Henckel is perfectly fine for light duty and playing "Yan Can Cook", the Wusthof is the one you want for serious business.

This is my first cleaver ever and I love having it. Works great, just the right size and heft.

The Classic 6 inch cleaver belongs in any serious set of home or professional cutlery. It has numerous uses from overkill smashing of garlic cloves, use as a scraper to pick up prepared food and place in bowls, mixer or pan. It can quarter poultry, separate beef or pork ribs with ease. If you buy large cuts of meat, you can cut into smaller portions for extra savings.
The Wusthof 6 inch Cleaver is a high performance, high quality kitchen tool. The handle (as in the whole Classic line) is comfortable. The finish on all Wusthof knives and instruments is excellent and will provide long years of use and easy cleaning.
A good purchase that I'm happy with!
John Row

A handsome looking cleaver and good balance. The only setback is in its handle material, it can get slippery when it gets wet or oily while cutting meat. This is dangerous for a cleaver. I would recommend to get the Henckels cleaver instead, a Four star one has good grip and comfortable to handle too, also a little cheaper than this one with similar blade type. Otherwise, this is a nice looking cleaver.

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Grand Prix line is a more modern design than the Classic series, with a simple black handle. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This particular model, the 6 inch cleaver, is a good cleaver. Most people really don't use a cleaver anymore, as they buy either pre-cut/pre-packaged meats, or they have the butcher cut the meat into loins or steaks for them. If you really are going to use a cleaver, this one is my favorite. The weight and balance are very good.