Can you ID this Oriental cleaver

J

j.smith

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Feb 11, 2020
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cc1jSN4_nXJZymYu_ip9zA6pIHLw0yDr/view?usp=sharing

Could not find anything like it on google. Possibly Japanese, measures 11" in total length. Had difficulty translating the makers mark and no idea how old it is. Any help much appreciated - thank you!

Here's the markings:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u8vc7rXmTbTWFBeNr8R7lsEyICwRrOdm/view?usp=sharing
 
Probably Chinese. Japan isn't a big user of the cleaver shape as China is. Go get some chinese food tonight from a place run by Chinese folks and ask them to translate it.
 
The reason I thought Japan is because the only symbols that could translate look to be Japanese (2 middle symbols seem to translate to the English meaning of Water)?, also the cleaver is about an inch or so shorter than all the Chinese ones that I have seen. If water is correct part of translation then that could indicate that it was designed more for splitting/chopping watery-like fruits & vegetables - melons and pumpkins, etc.

My local all you can eat Chinese restaurant recently closed - bummer:thumbsdown:

Pretty sure the last symbol means size 3 though I don't know what the size standards are for cleavers either. Thinking post WW2 era, but that is also a wild guess...
 
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Lots of Chinese cleavers will have 1-4 on them usually a different place though along with more symbols. Puzzling. I used to have a Japanese co worker who would translate stuff but no longer.
 
The style itself is Chinese. The Japanese would call it a chuka-bocho, they prefer it's little brother the nakiri(-bocho).
As far as being able to translate from kanji - kanji means "Chinese writing" in Japanese. It's where they got their original writing.
From the steel itself I'd guess it's Chinese in origin.
 
No such term really as "Oriental cleaver". I would guess that to be a China made Chinese Cleaver. The character for water 水 is the same in Chinese and Japanese but read differently. There are quite a number of Chinese Cleavers made in Japan but they are generally of higher quality including steel than real Chinese ones. CCK are a popular well known real Chinese cleaver out of Shanghai.
 
I don't recall seeing a handle like that on a CCK. Also I believe their blades aren't finished as roughly, though I don't know their entire product line.
 
The handle is indeed unique, maybe one of a kind or possibly older, rarer model? Maybe the steel end is peened to metal collar/wood.

And confused by the many horizontal lines too that run the length of the blade and about an inch past the cutting edge, then stop. Maybe from sharpening from grinder in the manufacturing process?

Here's link to picture:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o_dTNjPRbeRyehxIRUC_zuYMhBcOXwfn/view?usp=sharing
note: picture does not show the subtle lines very well.


Thanks for all the input, really helpful for a blade knob like myself:)
 
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KenHash said:
No such term really as "Oriental cleaver". I would guess that to be a China made Chinese Cleaver. The character for water 水 is the same in Chinese and Japanese but read differently. There are quite a number of Chinese Cleavers made in Japan but they are generally of higher quality including steel than real Chinese ones. CCK are a popular well known real Chinese cleaver out of Shanghai.
Click to expand...
CCK is located on Shanghai street in Hong Kong, their restaurant supply district, not Shanghai the city. Been to the CCK shop, great place to visit if you like cleavers for sure.
 
China is a very large place with many sizes and regional variations of cleavers. I don't see this one as being anything unusual in that area.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
CCK is located on Shanghai street in Hong Kong, their restaurant supply district, not Shanghai the city. Been to the CCK shop, great place to visit if you like cleavers for sure.
Click to expand...

Yes I believe you're absolutely right. CCK has their address I think printed on the blade and I remembered seeing 上海.
 
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