Thread: Meat chopper or not a meat chopper?

I studied up on razors and str8 shaving for over a year before I got my first str8. Since I've joined this group I've seen comments and assertations that seem to conflict with what I've read, seen and heard. Now I'm totally curious.

This isn't life or death and the world won't stop if I'm misunderstanding anything but I'd like some Professional input here.

My understanding of a "meat chopper" was the larger blades that resembled just that, a meat cleaver of some sort. Like the classic Big w&b wedges or something like the following:



Is ANY razor that's 7/8 or larger termed a "meat chopper" or does it have to have "that look"?

Like the one papabull sold recently was an 8/8 w&b full hollow ground square tip. That would or wouldn't be considered a meat chopper? I'd love to hear from the old timers on this.

not an old timer...but I consider anything 7/8 or above a meat chopper....although Im to much of an uptight snob to use anything other than an 8/8 stainless....why you ask???....because they dont make a 9/8 stainless

Originally Posted by JLStorm

not an old timer...

That's ok. I'm sure some veterans will read it eventually and chime in. That's why I asked. I'm sure they'll answer

I'd tend to think the term "meat chopper" applies to those razors resembling a meat cleaver. Of course, any razor 7/8 or larger sorta resembles one. I think the meatchoppers are at least a 7/8, with a square or spike point, with or without a barber's notch.

Well, I'm not an old veteran either but I think the term meat chopper like many other things originally referred to one thing and now is used for something else. It originally referred to the big old blades that that looked like cleavers but now just about any 8/8 blade is called one and even some 7/8s blades are termed it.

Those big bad Henckels like this one on ebay 300007881972
does not look like a meat chopper to me. So my answer is the ones that look like a meat cleaver / chopper are the only ones that fit the ticket.

Glen

Originally Posted by gglockner

Those big bad Henckels like this one on ebay 300007881972
does not look like a meat chopper to me. So my answer is the ones that look like a meat cleaver / chopper are the only ones that fit the ticket.

Glen

I disagree... Can we get an official answer on this??? (dont make me have to start another poll)

Originally Posted by gglockner

Those big bad Henckels like this one on ebay 300007881972
does not look like a meat chopper to me. So my answer is the ones that look like a meat cleaver / chopper are the only ones that fit the ticket.

In what way does that *not* look like a meat cleaver? The hollow grind?

I might agree with you if it had a round point on the grounds that a proper meat chopper should not have training wheels on it, but that particular razor looks awfully cleaver-y to me...

This is exactly why I asked for input from the old timers. It's like saying a porche is a pick-up truck because of change of vernacular and then debating it.

Originally Posted by mparker762

In what way does that *not* look like a meat cleaver? The hollow grind?

I might agree with you if it had a round point on the grounds that a proper meat chopper should not have training wheels on it, but that particular razor looks awfully cleaver-y to me...

The round point might have a bit, but if you look at the geometry of a meat cleaver and the old W&B pictured above you might not that the blade gets wider from heel to toe. Also these old blades are much thicker at the spine due to there grind. That 8/8 might shave like a chopper, but IMHO it looks to refined to call it one.

Glen