Mercer Culinary Asian Collection Chinese 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Wooden Handle

This is a review for the wooden handle version. Picking it up for the first time it's surprisingly substantial and good quality. I was expecting to be a little underwhelmed considering I only paid £20. This thing is pretty hefty. 14 ounces, +-400g, 2.8mm thick. That's on the heavier side for a Chinese cleaver according to my brief research on the topic. I tapped it on the flat side on the side of my head and it's stiff and solid as can be. It could definitely knock someone out just with a slap. Im not sure if it's intended for bone chopping. The other black version is a nimble 110 grams lighter and is definitely not intended for bones so this could be the tougher bone version perhaps? It seems more middle ground. It feels like it'll have no problems with smaller bones like chicken which is what you're most likely to chop on the odd occasion. I've personally never had to chop through large bones so this isn't a concern for me. I'll leave that sort of thing up to the butcher. Chopping vegetables with it doesn't feel difficult or clunky. I'm slightly above average in strength. Someone with weaker arms or a woman might find it a bit too much. Perhaps not. I suppose it depends on your vigor and enthusiasm. The balance point from the handle is 3/5 along the entire knife. So it's top heavy but doesn't feel overly so when you hold it. You don't hold it from the bottom of the handle though. Your first 2 fingers and your thumb hold the actual blade at the bottom of the metal blade. Keeps the blade nice and steady. The sharpness out of the box is very good but nothing to rave on about. It can easily do the paper cutting trick so long as it's fairly stiff. I noticed the way that blade edge is cut, one side is higher than the other so it's more of a one-sided edge and will need to be sharpened that way, probably on a whetstone. The higher side is on the writing side if that concerns you. The thickness of the blade though, does taper evenly on both sides right down to the cutting edge. It's not a flat 2.8 mm all the way through, only at the top. I particularly like the wooden handle and the Asian writing on the side. It gives it that authentic Chinese cleaver feel. I actually scorched the handle with a confectionery blow torch and buffed it down with fine sandpaper to give it a more expensive antique look. It was pretty intimidating because I was afraid the heat might split the wood but I did it gently and gave it time to cool, and it turned out nice.

I bought this because I wanted to try this style of knife before splashing out on anything more expensive. As others have pointed out, despite the shape, it's not a a 'cleaver' in the sense of something to bash bones with, it's a general purpose tool for cutting up relatively soft things like meat and veg. It's taken me a few cutting sessions to adapt to the geometry, but it is a very versatile tool when you get the hang of it. The wide blade seems to make cutting thin slices of stuff without wandering easier and being able to 'scoop' things from the cutting board to the pan in one go is a plus. Out of the box I found the 'factory edge' very sharp - good enough to score pork rind cleanly and with control, which needs a good edge. The edge has held up reasonably well for a stainless steel knife. After two cutting sessions it was noticeably dulled, but a few swipes with a ceramic rod restored it. This isn't unexpected for the steel - there is always a trade-off between corrosion resistance and edge quality/retention and the compromise here leans towards corrosion resistance. I've left it out wet on the draining board, and not a spot of rust. It's a very good knife for the price IMO. I'd recommend, but don't expect the edge to hold up like super-hard high end knives. Much easier to sharpen though!

Absolutely fantastic knife for the money. Good weight and well balanced, heavy enough for tackling tough root vegetables but light enough to use for more delicate prep work. Takes a good edge and holds it so long as you don't abuse it too much. I've used it for veg prep, breaking down chicken carcasses and larger joints of meat and for simple things like cutting my sandwiches. My only nitpick is that the handle is just a tad short for my liking but I do have large hands and find with an adjusted grip its still comfortable and easy to control. Will definitely be a part of my everyday set of knives for years to come.

Schönes Messer, mir gefällt der Hartgummi-artige Griff. Nichts für kleine Hände.

Sharp out of the box

Fantastic value. Extremely sharp out of the packaging, slices through anything with ease. Despite its size it’s quite light and easy to maneuver. A great introduction to Chinese style knives.

Very versatile. The product is well made and extremely sharp. The handle is good, although I would have preferred it to be to be longer. I am happy with my purchase.

Tiene un buen balance, es ideal para un chef profesional o para cualquier amante de la Cocina, ligero y con buen buen filo, el mago pudiera ser de mejor calidad pero te funcionará de una manera cómoda, lo recomiendo ampliamente