Anybody out there a fan of vintage meat cleavers or lamb splitters???

[brewcitymike]

I've been wanting for some time to get a large vintage meat cleaver for use as a chopper to see how it might perform. I'm curious if anyone has ever used one for outdoor tasks that aren't food related. I think they would make nice choppers for shelter building etc and would be even light and a bit smaller than some tomahawks and most camp axes/hatchets. I've found tons of them on ebay that range in price from 10-35 bucks, so I feel like it would be a great deal given their possibilities and portability. It would be super cool if I could get an underarm holster for a cleaver like Boris the Blade from the movie Snatch But I have seen some pretty cool leather belt rigs in a few shows/movies that butchers wear and that hold several knives and cleavers...hmmm I can just imagine what some multi-item leather ''tool belt"(for lack of a better description) would cost So I'd like to hear your opinions and suggestions but most of all your experiences if you own or have used one yourself.
Here's an example of what I'm eyeballing at the moment

 

[BlueFalcon]

Honestly man, if its that cheap just buy it and bear the crap outof it and find out yourself. You aren't investing much in it, its fun, and then you can come back with pictures and well rounded insight.
That's just my two cents

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I'm a big fan. Very efficient chopping designs due to their tremendous width. I especially think that Swiss style cleavers could have good camp kitchen applications, and I'd love to have a two-handed beef splitter just because.

 

[hank_rearden]

i like the hole on the top corner in most cleavers. holes are very functional.
--spyderco fan.

 

[TwinStick]

i'm a big fan. Very efficient chopping designs due to their tremendous width. I especially think that swiss style cleavers could have good camp kitchen applications, and i'd love to have a two-handed beef splitter just because. :d:d:d

this ^^^^ lol

 

[willseeyalater]

I picked up an Enderes meat cleaver at a garage sale five years ago. Paid .50 cents. Took it home and ran the mushroomed spine on a grinder light and easy then gave it a good brushing and cleaning. The wood scales had a chunk missing from the far end where the grain ran out on the butt end. Nothing that affects it in use. I have no idea how old, I called Enderes and they said they quit that line many years ago. Sucker weighs nearly two pounds. It would probably put up light fire wood if I asked it to but I have tools made for that so this one waits for the call of duty at deer season.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I think that pieces more along the lines of full blown butcher models (rather than household kitchen cleavers) have the most potential for woods use. A literal cross between a knife and a hatchet. There are some varieties of billhook that resemble cleavers, such as the "block bill" pattern.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Also, here's an interesting household cleaver I have that I use as a chicken chopper. I use it when culling old birds that aren't laying reliably anymore.

 

[brewcitymike]

Man that's like Rambo's kitchen cleaver

It really seems like it will be a worth while investment. I'm bidding on one right now that is carbon steel with a hollow grind. But there is one that has an aluminum handle and says its from 1915. That caught my eye for 2 reasons, 1. It would be cool to own something that old and still usable and 2. I'm wondering if they even used aluminum for handles back then Yes/No/Maybe So? The other one I'm really eyeing but since there's a week left and 3 bidders already, it will probably be a bit more expensive has a 10" blade and a 10" handle, plus I think at its widest, the blade is 6-1/2" wide Which I could see just decimating small logs and trees You can easily double hand it with no problem, its really nice and the handle looks to be pretty decent quality. Here's a pic of the monster. And I'm curious cuz I'm still not perfect at distinguishing grinds, do a lot of cleavers come convex?? If anyone actually knows,lol

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Looks convex and looks like the handle is varnished. Aluminum first saw large-scale extraction and refinement in 1888 via the Hall–Héroult Process

And yeah, that cleaver of mine is something else, huh? The "teeth" on the spine function as a meat tenderizer. No idea who made it, unfortunately. It hangs on a nail next to the window over the kitchen sink.

 

[shortwinger]

I got this hand made cleaver from Nepal and love it. Its very very basic, nothing fancy but it holds a good edge that virtually anyone could sharpen themselves and it has a nice balance and feel. I must admit that I only use it occasionally because I have other kitchen type knives to do various jobs but I do like it. The blade came raw (black) except for the edge but I gave it a uniform satin (Scotch-brite pad & WD-40)
finish.

 

[JayGoliath]

My recent love from a local knifemaker, O'Katz.
The steel is made from old American Jeep spring steel that's triple-tempered and the handle is a local Serian wood that gives the 3d feel.
One hella scary cleaver.

 

[tomsch]

I have a few my self It started when my son and I started looking for vintage cleavers because of Bill the Butcher on the movie Gangs of New York. I have to large two handed beef/lamb splitters that were made by Foster Bros. My "smaller" cleavers run from 6s to 10s (in reference to blade length). I'm slowly cleaning them up by removing rust and repairing handles. Trying to keep them as original as possible. My daily use kitchen cleaver is a Bridell 8. Holds an edge very well and actually slices well too now that it has a nice edge.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I have a few my self It started when my son and I started looking for vintage cleavers because of Bill the Butcher on the movie Gangs of New York. I have to large two handed beef/lamb splitters that were made by Foster Bros. My "smaller" cleavers run from 6s to 10s (in reference to blade length). I'm slowly cleaning them up by removing rust and repairing handles. Trying to keep them as original as possible. My daily use kitchen cleaver is a Bridell 8. Holds an edge very well and actually slices well too now that it has a nice edge.

JEALOUS!!!

Those are some beauties right there! The leftmost two-hander (the one posed with the Spyderco Military in its solo shot) is one of my absolute favorite styles. You'll notice that if you extend the topline of the handle it aligns with the top corner of the edge. This results in a slicing stroke during use rather than a straight chop. Think along the lines of the angled blade on a guillotine.

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

With a handle like mine I better chime in!

Have my grandpa's old f-dick cleaver, I use it all the time. Wish I had a two handed splitter, and if I could afford it the swiss cleaver 42Blades looks like a winner in my kitchen, still buy whole hips and break them down.

 

[Humppa]

Great looking cleavers... Thank you guys for sharing this off. Though I don´t have any, I don´t need one...

Kind regards

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

With a handle like mine I better chime in!

Have my grandpa's old f-dick cleaver, I use it all the time. Wish I had a two handed splitter, and if I could afford it the swiss cleaver 42Blades looks like a winner in my kitchen, still buy whole hips and break them down.

With a screen name like yours I'd HOPE you'd have a cleaver!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

This one is on a popular auction site right now. Wish I had the cash but I'm not spending over $100 on something I don't technically NEED.

 

[Czechmate]

This is the only true cleaver I've got right now; if anyone can provide details on approximate age and value I'd appreciate it! It's a beast too, full convex and sharp! :thumbup:

 

[brewcitymike]

View attachment 268875

Hey Short, this is one beautiful cleaver and it kinda resembles the 'Bow Legged Chopper' from Fiddleback Forge. So what did that run you in Nepal?