SHI BA ZI ZUO Kitchen Knife Professional Chef Knife Stainless Steel Vegetable Knife Safe Non-stick Finish Blade with Anti-slip Wooden Handle (9 inch)

Ist erst mal gewohnheitsbedürftig wegen des Gewichtes, aber schneidet einfach nur wie durch Butter

Excellent quality, and very useful

I've recently converted to Chinese cleavers, replacing many of my traditional (including very expensive) Western and Japanese chef’s knives. At first glance, they may seem cumbersome and intimidating, but with proper technique (YouTube is your friend!), they become incredibly versatile, efficient, and perfect for delicate, fine slicing tasks. This affordable cleaver is an excellent entry point for anyone curious about this style of knife. Simply put, I’m thrilled with it and highly recommend it to avid cooks. It arrived well-sharpened, needing only a few strokes on a leather strop to achieve a razor-sharp edge. Given its hardness, I expect it to hold an edge well—though, like any knife, it should always be kept very sharp. I own both the 8-inch and 9-inch versions but recommend the 9-inch. Its taller profile and front-heavy balance are key to the appeal of a cleaver. The handle is comfortable, offering a solid grip, and as with all cleavers, let the knife’s weight do the work (keep your wrist loose!). This brand is well-regarded, based on my research. Food prep, especially vegetables, is a delight—it’s like a Nakiri on steroids. Another bonus: its tall blade makes scooping and transferring ingredients effortless. If you love cooking, this knife is absolutely worth trying.

Come very sharp and well balance, 9 inches is a good size, handle is slightly small for man but well made.

I became interested in learning how to cook authentic Chinese cuisine. I soon learned that my very expensive German made knives were not a part of Chinese culinary practices. In addition to adding about 20 new food items to my kitchen, I also added a traditional Chinese cleaver. This functions as a traditional chef's knife in a European kitchen, and not as you would use a cleaver in the Western tradition, which would be used primary for processing bone-in meat. The rule of thumb in the kitchen is to use as big of a knife as your skills allow. The larger the knife, the faster and easier it is to do the work. As I lacked an understanding of traditional Chinese cutlery, I contacted Shi Ba Zi to ask about their cleavers. I received an immediate response and an excellent recommendation for this 9" clever. This is a beautiful, well-balanced knife that is very sharp. Due to its size and weight, you can perform functions with the cleaver that you cannot with a chef's knife. For example, you can effortlessly slice a ripe tomato with this cleaver, which is something that you would not be able to do with a chef's knife. This cleaver is also very good for julienne cuts, as well as chopping. I was delighted to learn that you could do these things easily with a Chinese cleaver. The Shi Ba Zi cleaver is not just sharp, it is also very well balanced, with a full tang and good, solid handle. I would offer one word of caution. This is a very large knife. If you cannot adroitly handle a good 10" or 12" chef's knife, you may want to consider starting with a smaller cleaver. Shi Ba Zi makes a very nice 7.5" cleaver which I also purchased, thinking that I may need it for finer cuts or smaller things. I was wrong. The big cleaver will do it all. If you are not familiar with high end German cutlery, I can tell you that you can't buy a small paring knife for what this knife costs. It is a bargain and I would highly recommend this particular knife and this particular company. It is a great knife for the money. If you enjoy fine cutlery, you will definitely appreciate the quality and functionality of this knife. I am very pleased to have it, as anyone who enjoys cooking would, too.