# Getting an affordable Nakiri and/or Chinese cleaver.



## luis j (Jan 19, 2011)

Hi guys... I´m planning on ordering another sharpening stone, a flattening plate and a stone holder. While checking on CKTG to order my stuff, I saw a couple of knives that brought me some fond memories of my beginings in the profession. About 16 years ago, I worked with an awesome chinese chef, and he always worked with a Chinese cleaver and used some kind of Nakiri to carve the laquered duck. Those knives were just plain ugly, had a dirty looks and were kinda smelly... But a joy to work with. So easy to get sharp that it was almost ridiculous... But the looks of the knives was almost filthy!

And in CKTG I saw something like those. I really don't need them, but for the good old times I want to get something like that, and who knows, maybe I'll go back to working with Chinese knives. The candidates are:

The Tojiro Shirogami Nakiri 165 mm http://www.chefknivestogo.com/toshna161.html and the CCK small cleaver http://www.chefknivestogo.com/cckcleaver2.html I can see that the reviews from the many customers are very satisfactory, and by their words, I can tell that they are getting the same feel that I had when I had those kind of knives.

Since it's the first time that I read about those, I want to know if there are better choices (In the same price range) or if I should stick to those two.

Best regards.

Luis /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## pohaku (Jul 11, 2011)

I own the small CCK cleaver as well as the "bone chopper version.  I have a MacPro nakiri.  You do know that these are essentially vegetable knives, right? Or use for boneless meat.  I wouldn't go anywhere near anything with bone with either the nakiri or the small CCK.  That's just asking for chips and dings in your edge.  Get a bone chopper type cleaver if you want to split chickens or disjoint ducks.

The CCK works great, sharpens easily and well.   It is cheap and somewhat crude, but hey, for the price, you aren't getting Henckels F&F.  I gave a bunch of these away as last year's holiday gift.  People love them.  I've not used the Tojiro nakiri, but I have used some of their other knives.  I expect that it works well and is likely the same bargain as the other Tojiro knives.  Nothing fancy, but a decent working knife.  I don't know that you would need to get both the nakiri and the CCK.  One or the other would do.


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## luis j (Jan 19, 2011)

Hi Pohaku.

The knife that I used most of the time was the Chinese cleaver, and only for vegetables or meat, but never for splitting chickens or anything like that, despite the size and the looks of those knives that people confuses with the big butcher knife to cut thru bones they are delicate and thin bladed knives.

I remember that I could slice thiner with it than with a traditional western knife, and my juliennes never were as thin and even as they were when I was working with that rusty looking cleaver (In that restaurant, and that particular chef was extremelly demanding on speed, but specially on perfection when dicing, slicing or julienning).

The Nakiri was the knife used to peel the skin on the laquered ducks. I know that is kind of redundant to get both but they are very well priced and since ordering from the U.S. Makes me pass thru a ton of burocracy and it cost me the same time and effort, and  almost the same money to bring a box with a thoot pick than it cost me to bring a box with several knives, sharpening stones and stuff. I better try to make more significant orders.

Best regards and thanks for the comment.

Luis


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## pohaku (Jul 11, 2011)

Yup, the CCK cleaver has a thin and very sharp blade.  A real working knife.  You are correct that many people see them and immediately think of chopping up ribs and splitting chickens.  I had to caution my nephews that they couldn't use it for that - and then I also bought them a bone chopper.  They had seen the butchers in Chinatown whittle through ducks with a cleaver with great flair, and had dreams of doing the same.  Yeah with shipping, you may as well load up when you place an order.  You might think about one of the bone chopper models as well, for when you do want to really whack something and don't want to use your gyuto or nakiri.


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