Thread: Meat Cleaver w/copper

Thank you Euclid. What is the best way to hone one of these? I sold my old stone foot pedal wheels.

A 325 diamond plate in a holder, ink the bevel and free hand it watching the bevel to hone a new flat bevel to the edge, then finish on a 1k. You can go to a 4k but a 1k is a good edge. Hard Arks also work well.

On a very large one, sharpen like a machete. Lay flat on the edge of a table/bench and hone with a Diamond plate moving over the bevel at a constant angle. Use ink to get an even bevel. If the edge is badly chipped, use a file to reshape the edge and start the bevel.

Yours can probably go either way. Once you set the bevel it is pretty easy to ride/feel the bevel because it will be wide. Diamonds will make your life easier.

Make a Chrome Oxide strop on a large piece of cardboard and tape it to a flat surface to get a super edge.

Charlet would probably know.....

Originally Posted by wyobarbershop

I've seen some cleavers 36 inches long. Awesome tools with stacked leather scales made for quartering hogs and probably beef as well. It seems the bigger the cleaver the bigger the price tag.

Add to totally useless information:
Those old "Beef Splitters" were a force to be reckoned with! Two or three good blows separated the two halves of a carcass swung from a gambrel by the hind hocks. Usually about an 18 inch blade and a two foot handle or more. There were smaller ones for hogs.
~Richard

Bye the way the flat of the smaller cleavers was wonderful for flattening the Tenderloin and rib eye cuts for sale. They also worked well for opening barrels if we didn't watch the grocery help closely.

OTS The wood blocks were later found to be much more sanitary that the mandated plastic cutting boards. That, due to being able to bleach the entire surface of them a couple times during the day and when switching from pork to beef. The plastic ones were later found to get a wire edged curl from the cuts which held the bacteria. Since all the wood ones were now gone......

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Nice one, Josh! I have a few smaller ones, but my criteria is they must have razor-maker's names on them!
Is there a maker's mark upon it?

Tom, you never cease to amaze me! You must have a little of everything......................

Originally Posted by pathology101

I can remember as a kid a little corner store where they sold candy and meat. It was a Polish store and the women could not speak to much English. She was just a little tiny old thing. She use to lug those beef slabs around and she use to cut or chop them up with a big 2 handed meat cleaver.

The funny part is my uncle told me that use to be a barber shop there years ago before they decided to put there store there.

Mary Swatlowski her name was....she would be well over 110 today. They don't make them like her any more.

You never know...............the little old lady across the street from me just turned 101 years old!

Wyo,
Do you have any pics of the cleavers hanging up in your shop?

Originally Posted by JP5

Wyo,
Do you have any pics of the cleavers hanging up in your shop?

Give me a few minutes bro!

Originally Posted by JP5

Wyo,
Do you have any pics of the cleavers hanging up in your shop?

I took these down for a group shot. Sorry it took so long.

Thank you!
Brings back memories of 100º weather and the bone box at my block in the butcher shop!
Getting out of there was a de-stinct pleasure!
Cheers
~Richard

Originally Posted by wyobarbershop

I took these down for a group shot. Sorry it took so long.

It isn't like you had any obligation, so thanks for taking the time to post some more pics. Those are some nice blades.
I wish I had a pic to post of that large two handed cleaver I mentioned before. That thing was a weapon. I guess you have to hang those things up out of reach of small hands. Have you sharpened any of them, or do any them have a good edge?

What is that on the corner of the top blade in the picture??

If your not familiar with them, do a search for 'Japanese noodle knife'. Some of those are pretty sweet looking with a cleaver vibe to them.