The comes with an authentic look. It means that each knife will be different since it is entirely handmade. You have to accept that the blade has human errors. It means that you can see multiple indents, scratches, uneven choil, and more. It is communicated on their store page and something I already expected.
Leshan 4cr13 Core Material
The Cleaver comes with a 4cr13 core material with a Rockwell hardness of around 55. It is a core material with good stainless properties, and it is durable.
Edge durability & sharpened angle
The knife is sharpened at a 20-degree angle at the front two-thirds and around 30 degrees at the heel area. The core material is also strong, so you don’t have to worry about chipping, and the heel area is used to go through small bones not larger than a chicken bone.
Edge Retention
With a Rockwell of around 55, the knife’s edge can be held for approximately two weeks with regular honing sessions before needing whetstone maintenance.
Weight and Spine tapering
The weight of around 440grams is quite heavy, and the knife has no distal spine tapering, which is typical for a Chinese Cleaver. The thickness across the spine is approximately 6mm.
Spine Thickness
The spine thickness is the most exciting part about this Leshan cleaver. While a thickness of around 6mm is very thick, the purpose is directly clear once you grab the knife. While it is a perfect thickness to tenderize meat, the thick spine’s main benefit is the gripping comfort and the added grip.
Profile Tapering
Despite the thick spine, the knife performs very well and does not split the food. It is made possible by the very aggressive and thin profile taper at the front. The knife’s heel is thicker since it is a dual-purpose cleaver and suitable to go through smaller bones with the blade’s heel.
Knife handle
The wooden handle comes untreated and is quite dry. You can apply some mineral oil to treat the knife handle.
Knife balance point
The balance point of this knife is at the front. If you pinch grip at the blade or the handle, the knife will be front-heavy, which you want for a cleaver-style knife.
Blade profile
The blade profile is curved but works well for slicing and chopping through bones. Both the front and the heel are curved upwards to prevent you from digging into your cutting board.
Fit and Finish
It is an authentic blade with that, I mean. It is made without power tools so that you will see human errors. The blade has a lot of scratches and indents, and the choil has some thick spots. It is very rough, which is communicated by the seller. If you expect a flawless knife, then this knife is not recommended.
Final Conclusion and my Recommendation
If you are looking for an authentic handmade Chinese knife from the Sichuan province, this is a knife you can consider. It is entirely handmade without modernized tools, and you will see imperfections in every single knife, and no knife will have the same specifications. It is a knife that lacks many aspects if you compare it to modernized knife manufacturers and bladesmiths. It brings you back to when it was impossible to make an exact copy of a mug made from glass.
🛒S H O P:
N O T E S:
I bought the knives with my own money, I’m not getting paid to make this article/video, or to include their knife in a video.
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