Do any of you collect meat cleavers?

I recently bought a couple and have been thinking of starting a collection. I don't know exactly why, but I like them. I have always liked interesting axes and hatchets too.

Keith

No

But I need one for butchering

I found an old one in Mom's house, when I was cleaning things up.

Dad was a Meatcutter (NOT! a butcher) at A & P Food Stores

When my parents died and I cleaned out their house, I found an old cleaver made by Forschner. I bet it’s 1/4” thick and probably weighs a few lbs. I’ve taken more badger skulls, paws and coyote skulls off with it than I can accurately count. I love that thing but I imagine my mom would want to use it on me if she knew what I was doing with it.

I have a hand full of cleavers, and my favorite is a 7" Chicago Cutlery one.

Does it have a 7 inch blade or 7 inch total length?

Keith

I don't collect them but have a couple. Just picked up a small k bar cleaver at a garage sale, what are the small ones used for?

seven inch long blade.

I have seen some of the really small cleavers called cheese knives. They use them to cut hard or firm cheese. I would guess the wide blade makes a straighter cut than the thin bladed knives used to cut soft cheeses like brie.

Keith

Here are the 2 cleavers I bought at the Mt. Hope Swapmeet. The big one is a Foster Bros solid steel 1190. The small one is a Bridell of Crisfield. I used the small one to cut the head off a 20 some inch channel cat. It took two hits. Both cleavers are pretty dull and need sharpened.




I am looking forward to deer season to try the big one out. It feels excellent in my hand.

I would love to get one of the gigantic hog or beef splitter cleavers. I saw one online that a 4' total length with a 2' blade. They are very pricey.

Keith

The best using ones are big and heavy, The real old ones are forged. They can do a lot of work...just keep your off thumb out of the way.....

Could this ka bar cleaver be for fish cleaning? Heavy sucker for being 10" long but has teeth across the top, maybe for scaling? Dunno

I think you're right. An identical cleaver online is called a fish cleaver.

http://iknifecollector.com/group/gone-fishin/forum/topics/leave-it-to-cleaver

Keith

There are some clever uses for cleavers.

I picked these two small ones up several years back at a yard sale. The one has Utica super edge on it the other has nothing.

What are average cleaver prices? I saw one for $85 at a flea market and thought that was high?

I buy them when I run into them at auction or yard sales. Would not really call it collecting.but
High on the cool factor I have them on the wall in my t-shack.

I have seen cleavers for sale for $5.00 to $1200.00 each. The most expensive cleavers are mostly older, American or German made, very large, two handed ones used to split hogs or beefs down the backbone.

I just bought 16 cleavers at an auction for $138.00, which is about $8.63 each.

Keith

Wow what a find

Here's the 16 cleavers I just got. Some are definitely not the greatest, but I did get a lot of variety.


Keith