Chinese knife

notbob <[email hidden]> wrote in news:JqOdne7C29-y5xXZnZ2dnUVZ_s-
[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I guess the thing that really blows my mind about this knife is the
price. I picked it up for $10 at an Asian supermarket. Now, my $90
forged chef's knife is lying lonely in the drawer while my new cheapo
chopper is getting all the glory. Who knew!?

nb

Don't suppose there's a manufacturer's stamp or something on the blade? I
don't have many Asian supermarkets in my area. A little help? Photo? Etc.

Andy

notbob said:

Dang! ...those Chinese cats may be onto something!

I recently bought a Chinese knife. I just bought it as a goof cuz I'm
all into Chinese cooking, lately. Didn't really think I'd use it that
often. But, I've been amazed by the damn thing.

There's more to this knife than I expected. After a little work on my
wet stone, it has a good edge and holds it well. I like the weight,
too. A lot more heft than my chef's knife, which makes chopping
easier. I've also been doing the Yan Can Whack on garlic and
ginger. Big fun. The radius on the cutting edge is perfect and makes
fine mincing a delight. The large area blade makes scooping up the
chopped stuff a breeze. Other than feeling a little weird when
steeling, I've yet to discover any drawbacks.

I guess the thing that really blows my mind about this knife is the
price. I picked it up for $10 at an Asian supermarket. Now, my $90
forged chef's knife is lying lonely in the drawer while my new cheapo
chopper is getting all the glory. Who knew!?

nb

I use Chinese cleaver more than any other knife in my kitchen. I have
several ranging in price from a few bucks to $300. I also have them in
several different sizes. Once you really get a feel for it you will find
little use of most knives except perhaps a bread or pairing knife.

--

Joe Cilinceon

Andy said:

notbob <[email hidden]> wrote in news:JqOdne7C29-y5xXZnZ2dnUVZ_s-
[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I guess the thing that really blows my mind about this knife is the
price. I picked it up for $10 at an Asian supermarket. Now, my $90
forged chef's knife is lying lonely in the drawer while my new cheapo
chopper is getting all the glory. Who knew!?

nb

Don't suppose there's a manufacturer's stamp or something on the
blade? I don't have many Asian supermarkets in my area. A little
help? Photo? Etc.

Andy

Do a Google search for Chinese cleaver and you get bunches of them. They
range in price from about $10 up. Dexter is a very good as is CCK though the
CCK is hard to find in the US. These are not meant to cut bones with as the
blades are very thin in most cases.

--

Joe Cilinceon

notbob said:

Dang! ...those Chinese cats may be onto something!

I recently bought a Chinese knife. I just bought it as a goof cuz I'm
all into Chinese cooking, lately. Didn't really think I'd use it that
often. But, I've been amazed by the damn thing.

There's more to this knife than I expected. After a little work on my
wet stone, it has a good edge and holds it well. I like the weight,
too. A lot more heft than my chef's knife, which makes chopping
easier. I've also been doing the Yan Can Whack on garlic and
ginger. Big fun. The radius on the cutting edge is perfect and makes
fine mincing a delight. The large area blade makes scooping up the
chopped stuff a breeze. Other than feeling a little weird when
steeling, I've yet to discover any drawbacks.

I guess the thing that really blows my mind about this knife is the
price. I picked it up for $10 at an Asian supermarket. Now, my $90
forged chef's knife is lying lonely in the drawer while my new cheapo
chopper is getting all the glory. Who knew!?

Who knew you'd discover the Yin Yang of *carbon steel*, and not even
realize.

Sheldon

"Joe Cilinceon" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't suppose there's a manufacturer's stamp or something on the
blade? I don't have many Asian supermarkets in my area. A little
help? Photo? Etc.

Andy

Do a Google search for Chinese cleaver and you get bunches of them.
They range in price from about $10 up. Dexter is a very good as is CCK
though the CCK is hard to find in the US. These are not meant to cut
bones with as the blades are very thin in most cases.

Joe,

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

I do remember Chef Yan as a guest on another TV show with his Chinese
cleaver totally shave a red bell pepper free of top, bottom and insides
in under 5 seconds!!! It was magic!

Andy

Sheldon said:

Who knew you'd discover the Yin Yang of *carbon steel*, and not even
realize.

It's stainless steel, ya' twit.

nb

Andy said:

"Joe Cilinceon" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't suppose there's a manufacturer's stamp or something on the
blade? I don't have many Asian supermarkets in my area. A little
help? Photo? Etc.

Andy

Do a Google search for Chinese cleaver and you get bunches of them.
They range in price from about $10 up. Dexter is a very good as is
CCK though the CCK is hard to find in the US. These are not meant to
cut bones with as the blades are very thin in most cases.

Joe,

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

I do remember Chef Yan as a guest on another TV show with his Chinese
cleaver totally shave a red bell pepper free of top, bottom and
insides in under 5 seconds!!! It was magic!

Andy

You ought to have seen him de-bone a whole chicken in about 7 seconds.
Martin Yan is probably the first place I ever saw a Chinese cleaver used. Oh
and that is about the only knife used in a Chinese kitchen.

--

Joe Cilinceon

notbob said:

Sheldon said:

Who knew you'd discover the Yin Yang of *carbon steel*, and not even
realize.

It's stainless steel,

Then you got ripped off, that's not a Chinese knife.

"Joe Cilinceon" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy said:

"Joe Cilinceon" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

> Don't suppose there's a manufacturer's stamp or something on the
> blade? I don't have many Asian supermarkets in my area. A little
> help? Photo? Etc.
>
> Andy

Do a Google search for Chinese cleaver and you get bunches of them.
They range in price from about $10 up. Dexter is a very good as is
CCK though the CCK is hard to find in the US. These are not meant to
cut bones with as the blades are very thin in most cases.

Joe,

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

I do remember Chef Yan as a guest on another TV show with his Chinese
cleaver totally shave a red bell pepper free of top, bottom and
insides in under 5 seconds!!! It was magic!

Andy

You ought to have seen him de-bone a whole chicken in about 7 seconds.
Martin Yan is probably the first place I ever saw a Chinese cleaver
used. Oh and that is about the only knife used in a Chinese kitchen.

Joe,

Now that you mention it, I remember that! He was very deliberate as he
spoke and worked! I'd probably be accused of suicide if I attempted that!
😉

Andy

Andy q said:

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

Good catch, Andy. I purposely didn't use the term "cleaver" as it's a
misnomer. A cleaver is a very specific purpose knife in both
Chinese and French cooking. It's to "cleave", i.e. "To split with or
as if with a sharp instrument." This is usually with respect to heavy
chunks of meat and/or bones. Probably closer to an axe than a knife.

Quoted message said:

I do remember Chef Yan as a guest on another TV show with his Chinese
cleaver totally shave a red bell pepper free of top, bottom and insides
in under 5 seconds!!! It was magic!

That's just good knife craft. I can do the same thing with my 6"
chef's knife. BTW, Martin Yan does offer a nice looking Chinese knife:

http://asianconnectionscom.stores.yahoo.net/knives.html

Whether or not its a good deal, I can't say. I think I'll go to
Chinatown in SF this weekend and take a look around. There's a very
good kitchenware store that's been there forever. They have nothing
but the best in both terms of cost and value.

As for the knife I have, I'll take some pictures and post on web. You'll
have to wait a bit, though. I've done an extensive search on the web
for it and it's been pretty much fruitless. My only reason for
believing it to be a good quality knife is it's ability to keep an
edge. It's actually just a tad --and only a tad-- on the heavy side.
I'd like to try a blade just a bit thinner. Maybe by as little as
1/64". Hence my trip to Chinatown.

I'll get back on this,
nb

nb

Sheldon said:

Then you got ripped off, that's not a Chinese knife.

Bah, humbug!

This whole thing about the superiority of all-carbon steel knives is
[censored]. Sure, a good carbon steel knife is better than a lousy SS
knife, but what isn't. I've used many CS knives and I now have many
SS knives. Are older CS knives better than the new SS knives? No.
SS metalurgy has long ago been refined and perfected. Materials
science is a mature technology. I sharpen my better SS knives once,
maybe twice, a year, despite daily use. The last time I used
commercial grade CS knives, I was sharpening them every couple days.
Wake up and join those with a clue.

nb

notbob said:

Andy q said:

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

Good catch, Andy. I purposely didn't use the term "cleaver" as it's a
misnomer. A cleaver is a very specific purpose knife in both
Chinese and French cooking. It's to "cleave", i.e. "To split with or
as if with a sharp instrument." This is usually with respect to heavy
chunks of meat and/or bones. Probably closer to an axe than a knife.

Quoted message said:

I do remember Chef Yan as a guest on another TV show with his Chinese
cleaver totally shave a red bell pepper free of top, bottom and
insides in under 5 seconds!!! It was magic!

That's just good knife craft. I can do the same thing with my 6"
chef's knife. BTW, Martin Yan does offer a nice looking Chinese
knife:

http://asianconnectionscom.stores.yahoo.net/knives.html

Whether or not its a good deal, I can't say. I think I'll go to
Chinatown in SF this weekend and take a look around. There's a very
good kitchenware store that's been there forever. They have nothing
but the best in both terms of cost and value.

As for the knife I have, I'll take some pictures and post on web.
You'll have to wait a bit, though. I've done an extensive search on
the web for it and it's been pretty much fruitless. My only reason
for believing it to be a good quality knife is it's ability to keep an
edge. It's actually just a tad --and only a tad-- on the heavy side.
I'd like to try a blade just a bit thinner. Maybe by as little as
1/64". Hence my trip to Chinatown.

I'll get back on this,
nb

nb

Look for a CCK 1301 or 1101 both are great and very inexpensive. Dexter
makes the Martin Yan line and sell them on thier site.

Here is a link to one I purchased yesterday.
http://www.knifeforums.com/uploads/1149720127-IMG_2738_1_1.JPG

It is a Suien Virgin Carbon. This one has a custom handle on it but you can
see one with a standard handle at the
Japanese Chef's Knife site. Pretty good place to buy high end Japanese
knives too.

--

Joe Cilinceon

notbob <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy q said:

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

Good catch, Andy. I purposely didn't use the term "cleaver" as it's a
misnomer. A cleaver is a very specific purpose knife in both
Chinese and French cooking. It's to "cleave", i.e. "To split with or
as if with a sharp instrument." This is usually with respect to heavy
chunks of meat and/or bones. Probably closer to an axe than a knife.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Whether or not its a good deal, I can't say. I think I'll go to
Chinatown in SF this weekend and take a look around.

nb,

I'm familiar with S.F.'s Chinatown! Thanks for the tease!

I don't know if there's a Chinatown in Philadelphia!?

Philly is proportionally more Italian American than Asian American from
what I know.

Thanks for the reply!

Andy

Sheldon said:

notbob said:

Sheldon said:

Who knew you'd discover the Yin Yang of *carbon steel*, and not even
realize.

It's stainless steel,

Then you got ripped off, that's not a Chinese knife.

I currently have both a stainless steel "Chinese kitchen knife" from
Taiwan and a carbon steel Chinese knife from Hong Kong. I've had the
carbon steel one for many years; the stainless one is fairly new. The
stainless seems to hold its sharpness a little longer, but the carbon
steel is easier to touch up and I can get it sharper than the
stainless. I like and recommend them both. Can't be beat for the
money, that's for sure.

I find the shape very convenient and easy to work with and use them
more often than the [much more expensive German] chef's knife. But it
depends on what needs to be cut. For some reason, if I'm going to make
fairly large slices of an onion I'll use the Chinese knife; if I want a
small dice I use the chef's knife. There's no sense to that, just the
way it feels comfortable to me. -aem

Andy said:

notbob <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy q said:

I didn't see where he mentioned a cleaver. Which is why I replied.

Good catch, Andy. I purposely didn't use the term "cleaver" as it's
a misnomer. A cleaver is a very specific purpose knife in both
Chinese and French cooking. It's to "cleave", i.e. "To split with
or as if with a sharp instrument." This is usually with respect to
heavy chunks of meat and/or bones. Probably closer to an axe than a
knife.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Whether or not its a good deal, I can't say. I think I'll go to
Chinatown in SF this weekend and take a look around.

nb,

I'm familiar with S.F.'s Chinatown! Thanks for the tease!

I don't know if there's a Chinatown in Philadelphia!?

Philly is proportionally more Italian American than Asian American
from what I know.

Thanks for the reply!

Andy

I'm in Lexington, KY and no Chinatown here either. There are a few Asian
Markets in the my area though. Look for Asian markets as they all sell them,
at least all I've ever been in. They also sell some food products you can't
get any other place.

--

Joe Cilinceon

"Joe Cilinceon" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Here is a link to one I purchased yesterday.
http://www.knifeforums.com/uploads/1149720127-IMG_2738_1_1.JPG

It is a Suien Virgin Carbon. This one has a custom handle on it but
you can see one with a standard handle at the
Japanese Chef's Knife site. Pretty good place to buy high end Japanese
knives too.

Joe,

That's gotta take practice!!! I'm kinda/sorta at the "Cautious" skill
level with a plain ol' chef's knife! No scars to show for my talent,
thankfully! Maybe the cleaver would improve my skill and confidence.

Thanks for the info!

Andy

aem said:

I currently have both a stainless steel "Chinese kitchen knife" from
Taiwan and a carbon steel Chinese knife from Hong Kong. I've had the
carbon steel one for many years; the stainless one is fairly new. The
stainless seems to hold its sharpness a little longer, but the carbon
steel is easier to touch up and I can get it sharper than the
stainless. I like and recommend them both. Can't be beat for the
money, that's for sure.

I find the shape very convenient and easy to work with and use them
more often than the [much more expensive German] chef's knife. But it
depends on what needs to be cut. For some reason, if I'm going to
make fairly large slices of an onion I'll use the Chinese knife; if I
want a small dice I use the chef's knife. There's no sense to that,
just the way it feels comfortable to me. -aem

I have both also and find that carbon will dull quicker but get sharper. I
don't own a German knife at all. I have mostly Japanese and a few Chinese
and old hickory (butcher type). I'm kind of a blade nut, I even own swords
and armor.

--

Joe Cilinceon

"Joe Cilinceon" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Look for Asian markets as they all sell them,
at least all I've ever been in. They also sell some food products you
can't get any other place.

Joe,

The one Asian market in the yellow pages that was "out-of-the-way
convenient" was lacking at best. It was more an Asian deli. *sigh*

Andy

Andy said:

That's gotta take practice!!! I'm kinda/sorta at the "Cautious" skill
level with a plain ol' chef's knife! No scars to show for my talent,
thankfully! Maybe the cleaver would improve my skill and confidence.

Thanks for the info!

Andy

I kind of find the "cleaver" a little safer than a chef's knife. It really
is a handy knife. Use the side for crushing garlic/ginger, heal for a meat
tenderizer, blade to cut or as a board scraper. g

--

Joe Cilinceon