When it comes to kitchen accessories, every household has a meat cleaver, if not to a 100% vegetarian family. Hmm, that is somewhat a false statement as I know as a fact that even the families that carry the label of “vegan” also have meat cleavers, although they are not using them to chop meat. However, that is not relevant to the topic that I’m going to explain today. I’m going to answer this question today “what is the hole in a meat cleaver for?” Yeah, I know what would be your obvious answer. For storage, isn’t it? Even though that is the simplest and most straightforward answer to the question, there is certain stuff that you need to know if you have a meat cleaver in your kitchen. Let’s get started.
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What’s a Meat Cleaver?
A meat cleaver is a knife that has a rectangular shape that is primarily helping you cut and chop meat. You may also call it a kitchen or butcher knife, and meat cleavers are essential to run through the meat as well as bones conveniently. The prominent difference between a meat cleaver and an ordinary kitchen knife is that meat cleavers are tough and incredibly sharp when it comes to edges, and it meant to go through hard bones and cartilages smoothly.
In order for you to take the maximum out of a meat cleaver, you have to put in some force to the knife, although it is absolutely sharp. In addition, the momentum you carry throughout the process often decides the precision of the end result.
Moreover, these knives are relatively heavy compared to orthodox kitchen knives, and the tough metal used in the design of the product means crushing meat is more manageable than other sorts of knives. Anyway, I know that is not what you want to read. Let’s dive straightaway into the main query, which is what is the hole in a cleaver for?
Why Do Meat Cleavers Have A Hole?
If you have ever used a meat cleaver, you would know that these knives are bulky and heavy than other knives in your kitchen. This obviously says that storing a meat knife isn’t the easiest. So, yes, the main purpose of cleaver holes is to help you with storing them without much of a fuss. But is that the only purpose of little holes in a knife? Well, there are more benefits of knives with holes. Please let me elaborate on a few.
Storage Purposes
As I repeatedly said, the primary objective of why do cleavers have holes in them is to assist users in storing the knife after use. The stature and built of a meat cleaver make it difficult to fit most kitchen drawers. So, manufacturers that produce meat cleavers with one or two holes in their product in order to let users hang the knife safely without an issue.
Since meat cleavers are super sharp, leaving them unattended can be very dangerous, especially if you have little ones in your household. I think you don’t want to put yourself and your loved ones at risk by leaving a sharp knife without facilitating safe storage conditions. All in all, the apparent and crucial advantage of a knife with holes is to hang safely after use.
Help You When the Knife Gets Stuck
Yes, there is no debate in terms of the sharpness of a meat cleaver. However, it doesn’t necessarily suggest they do not get stuck when you are going through rough meat cuts. I don’t know about you, but it frequently happens with me while handling a meat cleaver, particularly when interacting with frozen meat. You know, it could be pretty dangerous to wrestle with a razor-sharp knife.
A knife with holes in the blade lets you hold the upper part of it when you run through meat and bones so that you don’t have to pull it hard towards you when it gets stuck in the meat you deal with. It not only help you manipulate the knife smoothly but saves you time and prevents the chances of frustration as well.
Outlook
Have you ever seen a butcher knife with two holes? Talking about the aesthetic side of things, a beautifully crafted knife always gives you the confidence and satisfaction to perform all sorts of hard tasks. The knife manufacturers know the value of this aspect more than we know.
Unlike other kitchen knives, butcher knives usually don’t have that pleasing outlook simply because of their bulky and rectangular shape. So, influencing a regular buyer is not easy compared to a nicely crafted and designed knife. However, it is imperative for a meat cleaver to carry that shape to do the job that it is meant to do. In that sense, pleasing the eyes of buyers is as important as maintaining the shape of a knife.
Take a moment and search “Best cleaver in 2022” on Google; I guarantee most of the results that appear will have one or even two holes in the blade of the knife. Why? That is to blend some aesthetic value into the product.
It Reduces the Resistance
When you cut through tougher meat and bones, you notice that the knife creates resistance. This resistance makes it harder for you to handle the knife the way you need. The cut you receive won’t be flawless, and it takes away the comfort of handling as well as the beauty of the cut.
The hole in the blade helps to reduce the resistance to a considerable degree and saves the time that you put into the job. It is another reason why there is a hole in a meat cleaver.
The Disadvantage of Having Holes in the Blade of a Knife
Every story has two sides to it, and it’s the same with a meat cleaver with a hole. Although the cons are not significant compared to the pros, there are some disadvantages you have to keep in mind when buying or using a cleaver with one or a few holes.
When there are holes in a knife, it could hamper the power and stability of a knife. However, I have to mention that this is not something that takes place with high-quality meat cleavers, but it is a definite disadvantage you have to face when dealing with low-quality knives.
In addition, if the hole is considerably big, it would make the knife weaker. Even it may lead the knife to break, particularly when you are cutting through bones. Again, it is something that has to do with the quality of the product and the material used. However, if you intend to buy a new meat cleaver, it is better to say no to the products that have bigger holes in the blade to stay on the safe side of things.
You may not think that holes in a knife are a bigger issue at the point of purchase, but if your budget is low, I highly recommend you not to opt for cleavers that have holes. That said, you will lose all the benefits that I explained earlier if you choose a knife without holes. So, why not consume some extra bucks and go for a high-quality product? These the best places to choose good knife online.
Conclusion
So, why is there a hole in a cleaver? If you have scrolled down to the end of the article without focusing on the points I have explained, the hole on cleaver purpose is to provide you with the much-needed help in terms of storing the knife. There are a few other benefits as well. Take a second and roll your eyeballs through the article. Have a great day!
