Limited Edition Collector Blades
Best Cleaver: Meat Cleaver vs Chinese Cleaver and Top Picks
Short answer: The best cleaver depends on whether you need to chop through bone or slice vegetables. A heavy, thick meat cleaver handles bone, while a thinner Chinese cleaver (vegetable cleaver) handles slicing, dicing and scooping, plus only light bone work. America's Test Kitchen's winner is the Global G-12 meat cleaver, Bon Appétit's best overall is the Tojiro Fuji Chinese Cleaver, and Food & Wine named the Dalstrong Obliterator its best heavy-duty cleaver, and The Spruce Eats named it its best splurge cleaver. To compare every Dalstrong model, see which Dalstrong cleaver should you buy.
Prices change. Prices were taken from each seller's own page on November 3, 2026.
Browse ours in the cleavers collection.
Two kinds of cleaver
Meat cleaver. This is a thick, heavy blade made to chop downward through bone and joints. MAC's 6½" Superior cleaver, for example, has a 3.0 mm blade for chicken and fish bones, crab shells and hard cheese. MAC warns: "do not bend/twist/pry the blade".
Chinese cleaver. This is a tall, thinner blade used like a chef's knife for vegetables and boneless meat. Bon Appétit found its Tojiro pick could chop bone-in chicken breast, but advises against heavier bones like a chicken thigh bone or pork shoulder.
Cleavers compared
| Knife | Price (Nov 3, 2026) | Type | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalstrong Gladiator 9" Obliterator Meat Cleaver | $169 | Heavy-duty meat cleaver (with stand) | X50CrMoV15, 54–56 HRC; Food & Wine's Best Heavy-Duty Cleaver |
| MAC Original 6½" Cleaver (CL-6) | Not sold by Dalstrong | Honesuki-style light cleaver | 3.0 mm, 7.0 oz |
| MAC Superior 6½" Cleaver (SD-65) | Not sold by Dalstrong | Deba-inspired, double bevel | 3.0 mm, 8.0 oz |
| Dalstrong Gladiator 7" Cleaver | $89 | Cleaver | X50CrMoV15, 54–56 HRC |
| Dalstrong Gladiator 9" Chinese Cleaver | $99 | Chinese cleaver | X50CrMoV15, 54–56 HRC |
| Dalstrong Gladiator 9" Meat Cleaver "Ravager" | $99 | Meat cleaver | X50CrMoV15, 54–56 HRC |
| Dalstrong Shogun 7" Cleaver | $199 | Cleaver | AUS-10V core, HRC 62+, 66-layer Damascus |
MAC SD-65 ($135). MAC describes it as a double-bevel take on the Japanese deba, designed for chopping downward through chicken joints and crab shells.
Meat Cleaver 9", Ravager, Gladiator Series
Dalstrong Gladiator 9" Ravager ($99). A meat cleaver in German X50CrMoV15 at 54–56 HRC. Softer, tougher steel is the usual recommendation for chopping hard materials.
Chinese Cleaver Knife 9", Gladiator Series
Dalstrong Gladiator 9" Chinese Cleaver ($99). For vegetable and slicing work, in the same steel.
Cleaver Knife 7", Shogun Series
Dalstrong Shogun 7" Cleaver ($199). Its AUS-10V core is listed at HRC 62+.
How to choose a cleaver in 7 steps
- Decide: bone or vegetables? Choose a meat cleaver for bone and a Chinese cleaver for produce.
- Check the blade thickness. Thicker blades (about 3 mm and up) handle bone and shells.
- Check the weight. Heavier cleavers let gravity do the chopping.
- Choose your steel. Softer, tougher steel resists chipping on hard foods.
- Chop straight down. Don't twist or pry.
- Use a sturdy board. Protect both the edge and your counter.
- Confirm today's price on the seller page.
Care
Hand wash and dry right away. Learn when to hone vs sharpen, whether you can hone a Japanese knife, and what to do about a cloudy blade or patina vs rust. Steel choices are covered in AUS-10V vs Carbon Steel, and everyday care in How to Keep Your Dalstrong Knives Sharp. Building a kit? See best chef's knife and best chef's knife under $150. For removing meat from bone (rather than chopping through it), see our best boning knife guide.
Cleaver checklist
- Job decided: bone or vegetables
- Blade thickness suits the task
- Weight feels controllable
- Steel toughness suits bone work
- I'll chop straight down, never pry
- Sturdy cutting board
- Price confirmed today
FAQs
What is the best cleaver?
It depends on the job. America's Test Kitchen picks the Global G-12 meat cleaver, and Bon Appétit's top overall pick is the Tojiro Fuji Chinese Cleaver. Dalstrong's Gladiator 9" Ravager is a meat cleaver in German steel.
What's the difference between a meat cleaver and a Chinese cleaver?
A meat cleaver is thick and heavy for chopping through bone and joints. A Chinese cleaver is thinner and used like a chef's knife for vegetables and boneless meat, with only light bone work.
Can a cleaver cut through bone?
A meat cleaver can chop through many bones and joints. Chop straight down and don't twist or pry. Thin Chinese or vegetable cleavers are for light bone work at most.
What steel is best for a cleaver?
For bone work, tougher and slightly softer steel resists chipping better. Harder steels hold a finer edge but are more brittle, so they suit slicing more than heavy chopping.
How heavy should a cleaver be?
Heavier cleavers let the weight do the chopping on bone, while lighter ones are easier to control for vegetables. MAC's 6½" cleavers weigh 7 to 8 ounces.
