{"product_id":"hand-forged-meat-cleaver-rosewood","title":"Meat Cleaver, Hand Forged Carbon Steel with Rosewood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA meat cleaver is the knife you reach for when the job wants weight behind the edge. The blade is tall and rectangular with a straight edge, so it comes down through a cut under its own mass rather than being drawn back and forth. It is a 7 inch blade in 1095 high carbon steel, 12 inches overall, with rosewood scales over a full tang and a hand tooled leather cover.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1095 high carbon steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark gray forged finish, mirror bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOiled rosewood, three brass pins\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFull tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather blade cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe steel is 1095 high carbon, which takes a keen edge and comes back on a stone quickly. The flat is left dark gray from the forge with faint hammer marks reading across it, and the wide bevel is polished mirror bright against that darker face. The blade stands about 4 inches tall, and that height carries the weight out over the work. A hanging hole is punched near the top rear corner. The honest trade with 1095 is rust, so it will spot if it is left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRosewood is dense and naturally oily, so it holds an oil finish and keeps a deep brown with darker lines through the grain. The scales are rounded where your fingers wrap and stay grippy rather than slick when a hand is damp. Behind them the tang runs the whole length of the handle and shows as a line of steel all round the outside, with three brass pins through it. Every chop sends the load back into that handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat it is for\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a chopping knife. It portions meat, works a chicken down into pieces, takes the top off a squash, and flattens a cut with the side of the blade. The wide face also moves chopped onion from the board to the pan. Let the weight fall and guide it rather than forcing it. It does not suit fine work, since it is too heavy for peeling or trimming.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCleavers get a broad blade cover rather than a sheath, cut to the outline of this blade so it sits close over the edge. The leather is vegetable tanned. A welt is sewn into the edge so the stitching stays clear of the steel, the seam is closed with cream thread by hand, a belt loop is stitched to the back, and a snap strap holds it shut. The face is hand tooled with a carved rope border around a plain center field, cut and shaded into damp leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the cleaver people buy when they want one that will still be in the kitchen in twenty years, and the rosewood keeps it out on the block rather than shut in a drawer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHome cooks who break down whole chickens\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHunters portioning meat at home\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone buying a first serious cleaver\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who prefer carbon steel over stainless\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 1095 meat cleaver\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather blade cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach cleaver is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out identical. The hammer marks, the color of the rosewood and the depth of the tooling vary from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHand wash it in warm water and dry it straight away. Never leave it in the sink and never put it in a dishwasher. The gray patina that builds on carbon steel is normal and protects the surface. Wipe on a light coat of food safe mineral oil before storage, sharpen on a stone following the existing bevel, and use wood or plastic boards. More in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it here on the product page. Around 30 characters fits on the blade or the handle, and clean line art engraves better than a photograph. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a meat cleaver used for?\u003c\/strong\u003e It chops meat and heavy vegetables with the weight of a tall straight edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the hanging hole for?\u003c\/strong\u003e It lets the cleaver hang on a hook or a rail.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does full tang mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e The steel runs the whole length of the handle and shows all round the scales.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill 1095 steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Dry it after washing and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan it go in the dishwasher?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. Hand wash it and dry it straight away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow sharp is it out of the box?\u003c\/strong\u003e It is sharpened by hand and ready to use on arrival.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Damascus there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-meat-cleaver-olive-wood\"\u003eDamascus meat cleaver in olive wood\u003c\/a\u003e, and for a heavier spine the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-bone-cleaver-hickory\"\u003ebone cleaver in hickory\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/cleaver-butcher\"\u003ecleavers and butcher knives\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/high-carbon-1095\"\u003ehigh carbon 1095\u003c\/a\u003e, and in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/rosewood-handle-knives\"\u003erosewood handle knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44140526108790,"sku":"VEF-CLV-HC-MET-701","price":129.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/hand-forged-meat-cleaver-rosewood-handle_9a6f6d29-0b67-43e6-a95e-b9625031b2cf.jpg?v=1788796218","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-meat-cleaver-rosewood","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}