Complete Guide on Best Cleaver Knife 2023

Today’s review is about the best cleaver knife. Talking about the kitchen knives, the heaviest, largest, and mightiest one is the cleaver knife. The best cleaver knife can hew and chop all sorts of meats for you regardless of how tough they are. We have pocketed out a few bucks to check on several best butcher knives to gather information about how they perform and reveal those findings to our readers, so you don’t have to waste your time searching for the best cleaver knife 2023. Let’s start.

 Our Recommendation

The bottom line or the best butcher knife we found through our testing was the Imarku Cleaver Knife, and it had all in it.

The steel, shape, weight, handle, and performance, in particular, was top-notch, and out of the best cleavers we tried, it left us little to no complaints. Also, it’s a multi-purpose cleaver knife, which can help you in boning, chopping, slicing, mincing, etc., we are amazed to see the sharpness of this cleaver ergonomic design of the handle keeps it safe and secure in the hands. The cutting was always smooth and effortless. All in all, we would rate 9.8 out of 10 for this bad boy and a comprehensive review about it available later in the article, along with four other best meat cleavers. Keep reading.

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How We Picked the Best Cleaver Knife?

In selecting the best butcher cleaver, we have considered several factors before the testing phase. You can name this process as the factors to consider while buying the best meat cleaver knife, and below they are mentioned for your review.

• Design

The norm is that it has to be rectangular or square design in the first place, and the handle must be strong and sturdy. Usually, the best cleaver knife’s blade is always wider than the most ordinary kitchen knives, and primarily, there are two types of cleavers as Asian and western. The best Asian kitchen knives (cleavers) typically carry a thin spine compared to the Western ones and more suitable for chopping softer sorts of meats. On the other hand, Western knives are usually thicker in nature and ideal for heavy-duty tasks. We tried them both. 

• Length of the Blade

The cleaver’s blade should be around 6-9 inches, and unlike other knives, these are a little shorter in length. You usually wield for the cuts; hence, it has to be shorter for easy manoeuvrability. The same quality helped us comfortably going through the meat we tested.

• Made of the Blade

For the longevity of the edges’ sharpness, you must consider a cleaver made of high-carbon steel, and they are super strong than the other material knives. High-carbon knives don’t require much attention as they are more than capable enough to look after themselves. Yes, stainless steel is a good choice, and the edges too can hold up for a considerable period but, they are prone to rust issues.

• Handle

Since we wanted a firmer grip in our testing, we chased products that have ergonomic handles, and we were hoping you could follow that path as well. You will come across plastic, wood, and stainless steel handles. Whatever the made is, it should be ergonomically designed, well-riveted, not slippery, and safe. When you get your hands on to it, it should bring you a sense of comfortableness; then only you can make the knife work best for you.  

How We Tested?

Now, our ambition was to choose the best cleaver knife in the world; at least, that is how we thought about this whole process. As we have done earlier, We have given a good go in different testing methods, and the following are the major differences we noticed in a couple of aspects. 

• Weight of the Knives 

We noticed that most of the knives provided us near-perfect cuts, but the strength of effort we put in was not the same. A couple of knives demanded us to hew aggressively through the chicken we tested; what we figured is that weight of the knife is the primary reason for this. We concluded that medium-weighted knives tend to allow more precise cuts without much of an effort.

• Length of the Knives

We have used chicken and butter squash for our trials, and, as we mentioned, all the knives we considered were squarish in shape. However, the knives’ length did play a part when we tested them on butter squash, and the shorter knives were like a toy in the hands, and they were incapable of separating the butter squash as we expected compared to the longer blades. We are not talking about hundreds of inches, but the additional one or two inches seemed to make the difference. So, knowing about what the best thickness for knives also is an important aspect. 

• Handles of the Knives

We felt more comfortable working with relatively long-handled cleaver knives as the shorter ones allowed less space for a firmer grasp. Another critical thing we felt is the thickness of the handles. The testers who went with thick handles had difficulties keeping fingers around, and the ones who had slimmer handles notified that they found handles are a little bit slippery. The knives with middle-range thickness and ergonomic bumps made life easier for us particularly in slicing, chopping, and hewing. 

For the betterment of this best cleaver knife review, we thought it would be beneficial for you if we bring an explanation on the top 5 knives we tested. Let’s start with the best chef cleaver knife according to our test results.

Best Meat Cleaver 2023

Imarku knife is the best cleaver knife we came across during the testing, and it’s a multifunction and versatile product. It didn’t disappoint us, and we are more than confident that it will fit with your requirement too.

In terms of versatility, it helped us in mincing, slicing, chopping, and dicing without much of a fuss, and the edges are super-efficient and sharp. So, in the first place, be careful when you unpack it. It’s easily one of the best professional butcher knives you can have and a brilliant choice for home use as well. 

The blade has all the qualities of the best knife for cutting steak as the Imarku chef knife is made with German imported high-carbon stainless steel and a Rockwell hardness scale of 60-62. Also, it is rust-resistant and easy to maintain. We have enjoyed the razor-sharp blade, and it seems that edge retention wouldn’t be a concern with this Imarku pro kitchen 7 inch chef’s knife. 

It always provided error-free and pinpoint precise cuts through the chicken we tried, and handling was never a problem because of the Pakkawood handle. In the knives world, the Pakkawood handles are considered best, and we felt the same.

It always provided error-free and pinpoint precise cuts through the chicken we tried, and handling was never a problem because of the Pakkawood handle. In the knives world, the Pakkawood handles are considered best, and we felt the same.

We found it so comfortable to grip and not slippery; the ergonomic design also brought us a feel of a pro while manoeuvring it. We wanted to try these knives for a considerable time to see whether they are suitable for long-hour uses. The Imarku knife results were remarkable, and we never felt any signs of fatigue while using it. 

It’s the best knife for cutting raw meat, and it’s the best cleaver knife for vegetables; we say this because we tried them both with impeccable outcomes. The cleaning is simple; you can use water and soap for the cleaning, and we have noted that the manufacturer has instructed that it’s not dishwasher safe as it can affect the blade’s longevity. 

When it comes to the size, it’s 11.42 x 3.35 x 0.87 inches, and as we emphasized, the weight of the knife was ideal for easy use at 13 ounces

Handling a cleaver knife of 370 grams was right at the levels we expected, and also, the length matched exactly our intentions. At the top corner of the knife, there is a whole available for you to hang it safely after use, and yes, we must tell you that this is not a toy and do not allow your little ones to play around with this tool; because it’s that much sharp.

We all love to purchase goods that have a warranty to make it a risk-free option, aren’t we? Imarku provides you with a 100% satisfaction or money-back guarantee, which is great for a knife, especially if you try a product for the first time. 

Moreover, it comes in a spectacular delicate box, and the overall look of the knife is stylish. Other than the cutting helps, we recommend this knife as an option for a gift simply because of the eye-catching packaging and the outlook.

Talking about the product’s downsides, it’s not designed to bear the heat and says that users have to avoid heat, freeze, or tap the knife. The recommended cutting surfaces are on wood or plastic boards; we have tested this on a wooden board as instructed, and it’s because of the users’ safety.

All in all, in our best butcher knives rankings, Imaru chef knife holds first place, and we recommend it to you because of the superior cuts and comfortable handling qualities. 

It’s the best cleaver knife for bones. It doesn’t matter what type of a heavy-duty cutting requirement you have; Dalstrong cleaver knife got you covered. From cutting meat to chopping large vegetables, we enjoyed our testing to the fullest, and the only reason we ranked this below the Imarku knife was because of the weight.

Don’t get us wrong, though, the weight we are speaking is only one pound more and it got all other qualities of the best cleaver knife.

The testing process with the Dalstrong cleaver knife was a delight. It felt well balanced in hand thanks to the riveted Spanish black Pakkawood handle. Talking about the blade it is built of single piece high-carbon ThyssenKrupp German steel, and the edges are hand sharpened to perfection.

The angles of the edges are at 14-16 degrees, and they are super-sharp. For a pinpoint exact chicken and butter squash pieces, it required minimal effort from our testers. Out of the five products mentioned here, Dalstrong is the best meat cleaver for cutting bone we have experienced. 

This Dalstrong cleaver butcher knife provides excellent knuckle clearance due to the extra tall blade, which helps magnificent cutting performance and precision. The cleaning and maintenance is not a big deal, and the knife got added chromium for stain resistance.

Unlike Imarku cleaver, this one is highly impervious to heat, cold, and moisture, and you will get a perfectly fitting and awesome looking Dalstrong sheath with the knife. 

Dalstrong Cleaver Knife is an award-winning product, and you will enjoy a 100% money-back warranty as well. It’s easy to sharpen, got ultra-sharp edges, wear-resistant, precisely forged, and tapered for hardness and flexibility.

The knife’s size is 13.46 x 0.1 x 3.27 inches and weighs 2.2 pounds; we will rate 9.6 out of 10 for this magnificent product from Dalstrong, and it’s the best knife for cutting ribs, according to our final verdict.

It’s a no-brainer explaining the quality of Japanese knives and the trust people have in these cleavers. So, we have tested a ZHEN product to see whether it has the capabilities to live up to the reputation, and yes, it did all the stuff we requested it to do for us as we expected.

Let’s start with the blade; it’s made with high-quality Japanese 67-layer Damascus steel, VG-10 cutting core, and HRC 60-62. It weighs less than a pound, and the size is 8 x 4 x 0.07 inches; it’s a light-weight but strong knife, and we assume this is because of the high-quality Japanese materials. 

It comfortably fits in hand, and the blade glides through the meat and vegetable with minimal effort, which is a significant factor we liked about this knife. The handle is breathtakingly designed from Pakkawood, and it provides a non-slip and comfortable hold. Again, the knuckle clearance is superb in this knife, and the edges are long-lasting and easy to sharpen.

ZHEN Japanese VG-10 67 is the best knife for trimming meat, particularly; it’s bacteria resistant and waterproof. We use soap and water to clean after we finished the trials, but you will have to dry off the knife immediately after using a dry towel. We have nothing to state really as a complaint or a downside of this product, but it might not be the ideal choice for chop bones, and the manufacturer has mentioned the same.

The handcrafted packaging is absolutely beautiful and is a perfect match for a gift item, and it’s another product with a lifetime warranty for defects. To conclude the ZHEN cleaver review, we underline that it is one of the best vegetable cleavers from Asia.

Going through the trials, we quickly realized that edges are the first element that decides the knives’ value, and it’s the signature of this product; perhaps this one had the sharpest edges of the products we tried. Not only the edges, but Global Meat cleaver’s overall blade was also well and truly above the levels of expectations.

It’s made of steel called Cromova 18; a special mixture of molybdenum, vanadium, and chromium. This one was the best chopper knife we had in our ranks, and the high chromium content gives the knife an excellent resistance to rust and staining. 

Another interesting and unique thing about this Global Cleaver knife is that its handle is designed from stainless steel. Initially, we doubted whether the steely handle would work well in wet conditions, we tried and found the knife sticks in hand comfortably though it’s a stainless steel one.

It’s kind of different from all the products we listed thus far, and Browne Canada Retail, the manufacturers, seems to have brought new dimensions to the cleaver knife world via this product.

We found it a daunting task to search for the best cleaver knife on amazon while choosing the products because most of the knives looked identical, and all were made from the same kinds of materials.

But, we somehow managed to get our hands on this product, and it finally ended up on this list as the best breaking knife. This product weighs only one pound, and the size is 12 x 3 x 1 inches making it a short and light-weighted cleaver knife for both professional and home use.

Further, we briefly went through the manufacturer profile and got to know that they have a superb solution for the question of the best knife set with cleaver in their armory as well. We hope to share an additional detail with you thinking that it would come in handy for you if you search for a set of cleavers. 

The Wusthof chef knife is a classic cleaver knife, and we had numerous legit reasons to allocate a place in our list. We found breaking down the meat is easy with this knife; actually, it is designed to perform the exact thing. The precisely honed High-carbon steel works equally on vegetables and fruits like papaya, pineapple. It’s a versatile knife you can use for many cutting needs with top results. 

Concerning the size, it’s 11 x 4 x 1 inches and weighs less than one pound. We like the Polypropylene handle, which helped us run through meat and bones with utmost balance. The feel of the knife was somewhat different from the previously mentioned products but’s that’s in a good way.

Also, the blade’s size in Wusthof classic is relatively big, which can help you cut large-sized meats. According to the manufacturer, the edge retention capability is 20% more than the ordinary cleaver knives.

The Polypropylene handle is best suited to work for long hours, and also, it will allow you most of the heavy-duty tasks without causing any issues to your hands. The hole placed in the top part of the Wusthof cleaver classic knife is essential to keep it safe in a place out of children reach. 

That completes our review and suggestions for the best cleaver knife. Meanwhile, we have received a couple of questions about Chinese cleaver knives, and we thought to include a brief explanation about them. 

What is a Chinese Cleaver Knife?

Chinese cleaver knives are mostly in use for basic cuts, not to smash or cut bones. We are not taking anything away from these knives; just they are best suited for light-duty tasks. The best Chinese chef knife or the best Chinese cleaver can help you with precise chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing. The best Chinese vegetable cleaver knives are made with carbon or stainless steel, more or less the same as the cleavers mentioned on our list.

Wrapping up..

That’s a wrap for today’s article on the best cleaver knife. We found that the time we spent on these products is quite enjoyable and provided us with absolutely brilliant results. So, we want you to relish the same excitement, and selecting a knife shouldn’t be an issue as you can pick one of the products we mentioned in a jiffy as well. As we always tell, we are more than happy to answer should you have any questions about the products we reviewed. Cheers!