Contents
- 1 Top 10 Best Chinese Chef Knives: Comparison Chart
- 1.1 Best Overall: TUO Review
- 1.2 Precision Stamped German Steel: Kiaitre Review
- 1.3 Ultra Sharp: Zwilling J.A. Henckels Review
- 1.4 Handcrafted in Japan: Shun Classic Review
- 1.5 Anti-slip Wooden Handle: SHI BA ZI ZUO Review
- 1.6 High Carbon Stainless Steel: Imarku Review
- 1.7 Full Tang Design: SKY LIGHT Review
- 1.8 Non-stick Finished Blade: Shibazizuo F214-2 Cleaver Review
- 1.9 Highly Recommend: Mercer Review
- 1.10 Leather Knife Sheath: XYJ Review
- 2 Best Chinese Chef Knife: Buyer’s Guide
- 3 Frequently Asked Questions
- 4 Verdict and Recommendations 2021
Top 10 Best Chinese Chef Knives: Comparison Chart
Best Overall: TUO Review
- 【WORLD-BEST KITCHEN KNIVES AWARDED】 TUO Cutlery Fiery Phoenix Series kitchen knives were selected as one of the world-best kitchen knives by wiki.ezvid.com. Featured curved blade profile, this 7-inch Vegetable Chopper is perfect for mincing, chopping and cutting ingredients, offering you unrivalled cutting performance like no other.
- 【WELL DESIGNED】 From the striking grain of the polished pakkawood handle to the gentle curve of the blade, this is an ergonomic handle with polished bolster design for exceptional comfort and maneuverability. The full tang structure ensures you the stability and durability of the knife.
- 【SUPER STEEL】Forged with premium High Carbon German Stainless steel DIN:1.4116 (X50CrMoV15), this Chinese chef’s knife is precisely tempered with High-Tech Vacuum Heat Treatment to reach the hardness of the blade to. HRC56±2. TUO experienced bladesmiths hand sharpen each edge with 18 degree per side to ensure you a razor sharp blade.
- 【PAKKAWOOD HANDLE】 Pakkawood is a very dense product that is largely waterproof, providing much of the same look and feel as wood, but without the warping and splitting common in real wood. The Pakkawood (sourced from Africa) is unique for each piece, giving you a both luxurious and beautiful look.
- 【TUO LIFETIEM GUARANTEE】 100% SATISFACTION OR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, try it risk free. We guarantee a superior product that will give you a lifetime guarantee against manufacturer defects. With the luxury case, it is the wise choice as a gift.
Precision Stamped German Steel: Kiaitre Review
- 【Multi-Functional Cleaver Knife】Kiaitre 7 inch cleaver knife is extremely sharp, which is made of high-quality German stainless steel. Our cleavers are primarily used for cutting through thin or soft bones and sinew. With a chicken, for example, it can be used to chop through the bird's thin bones or to separate ribs. Our cleaver can also be used in preparation of hard vegetables and other foods, such as squash.You can finish your daily kitchen cutting work effectively.
- 【Premium HC German Stainless Steel】The blade of Kiaitre Vegetable cleaver knife is made of premium high carbon German steel which has extremely rust prevention and provides a high level of corrosion-resistant and wear resistant. Passing through vacuum heated treatment and cooling treatment, the hardness of this knife can be up to 56±HRC. So our Chinese Chef knife shows its long-lasting performance, you don't have to worry about honing it often after using for a long time.
- 【Peak Performance Sharp Blade】Our cutting edge is honed to reach 15°per side which is much sharper than the blades that are typically ground to 20-22°. The result is our cleaver knife that’s extremely sharp, durable and stain resistant. So our meat cleaver knife can help you to do the cutting work easily.
- 【Ergonomic Pakkawood Handle】 Kiaitre meat cleaver knife with ergonomic Pakkawood handle provides non-slip and comfortable grip, enhancing the handhelds touch to make our knife easy to hold, so you will not feel tired for using a long time . And the Pakkawood handle has excellent anti-corrosive performance and it is durable and easy to clean.
- 【100% Satisfaction Warranty】We guarantee lifetime free replacement. So you don’t have to wonder if you are risking your money. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. With the luxury packing it is also the wise choice as a gift for culinary students, home cooks, professional chefs and more.
Ultra Sharp: Zwilling J.A. Henckels Review
- Manufactured in Germany
- Special formula high carbon no stain steel
- One piece precision stamped blade for a lighter weight knife without sacrificing strength
- Ice hardened Friodur blade starts sharper stays sharper longer and has superior resilience
- Ergonomic polymer handle is perfectly bonded to full tang
Handcrafted in Japan: Shun Classic Review
- Shun Classic Vegetable Cleaver has a 7” wide, square blade, ideal for vegetable preparation; razor-sharp edge perfect for slicing while flat surface of blade is utilized for crushing garlic cloves
- The Shun Vegetable Cleaver has a solid feel, yet offers nimble execution of slicing and dicing; powerful enough to handle cabbage and precise enough for smaller ingredients
- VG-MAX steel cutting core is a proprietary Shun formula, an innovative upgrade from the VG10 version, with increases of cobalt, chromium, carbon and tungsten, to create the Shun “super steel”
- The D-shaped handle is made of ebony PakkaWood, a genuine hardwood infused with resin, producing a water resistant and durable handle, perfect for constant use and easy cleaning
- Shun Classic 7-inch Vegetable Cleaver is a kitchen must-have and a perfect gift for cooks, grandparents, homeowners, entertainers, newlyweds, hostesses or to keep as a personal treat
Anti-slip Wooden Handle: SHI BA ZI ZUO Review
- √ Stainless steel - 3-layer high quality clad stainless steel. 80Cr13 high carbon core steel performs excellent hardness, durability and sharpness maintaining. Outside layers of low carbon steel does well in toughness, corrosion resistance and plasticity. The combination of two steels makes the knife perfectly work
- √ Handle - Ergonomically designed carving classic rosewood handle is anti-slip and anti-freezing and firm to grip avoiding harms to your hand
- √ Blade craftsmanship - Vacuum heat treatment endows the steel with best mechanical property. Non-stick coating avoids food sticking on the blade. Wire-drawing integrated full tang blade is more stable and safer
- √ Functions - Ultra sharp blade edge design and well balance of this knife make it perfectly for cutting, slicing, dicing and mincing meat, vegetable. Wide blade is able to smash garlic. It is suitable for homes and restaurants
- √ Package - Gift box package makes the product looking more attractive and the box is strong enough to ensure that the knife is well protective
High Carbon Stainless Steel: Imarku Review
- Multi-functional Cleaver: Multipurpose chef's knife designed for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing comes with a HRC( Rockwell Hardness Scale) of 60-62 and a sharp edge which ensures maximum cutting performance and durability.
- Sharpeness: The blade is made of Germany imported stainless steel with high quality that is rust resistant, easy to maitain, holds its edge retention and keeps long lasting sharpness.
- Durable and effortless to cuts easily through large pieces of food.
- ERGONOMIC PAKKA HANDLE-The handle is made of superior quality PAKKA wood,not only making the product tenderer and comfortable to human hands and fingers.
- 100% SATISFACTION OR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, try it risk free, we know you'll love it! Ideal Gift Choice for Christmas, Weddings, Birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day!
Full Tang Design: SKY LIGHT Review
- Multi-functional Cleaver】The classic 7-inch Chinese Kitchen Knife can easily handle your daily kitchen needs like slicing boneless meats, chopping, slicing, dicing, or mincing vegetables, and to flatten garlic bulbs or ginger; while also serving as a spatula to carry prepared ingredients to the wok.
- 【Professional Sharp Blade】17°angle per side, hand polished by seasoned craftsman, the all-purpose wider blade is very thin and ultra sharp. One-piece solid 100% stainless steel, no need to worry about handle being broken or falling off.
- 【Outstanding German HC Stainless Steel】The stable and stylish Meat Knife is precisely forged by extraordinary quality stainless steel X50CrMoV15 / 1.4116 at 58+ Rockwell Hardness, which ensures its high wear resistance, durability, corrosion and stain resistance.
- 【Full Tang Design & Ergonomic Handle】Full tang construction make a seamless transition from blade to handle providing excellent balance, triple-rivet handle gives a secure grip. With satisfying heft, the ergonomic handle provides a comfortable grip and high maneuverability. It aims at providing high-quality cutting. For left-handed users, it is also of great performance.
- 【Easy Care & Warranty】 To maintain the sharpness and glossiness of the Cleaver, we recommend hand washing with warm water and mild detergent; rinse and dry immediately. 1 year warranty and a 30-day MONEY BACK guarantee: we are committed to 100% satisfaction.
Non-stick Finished Blade: Shibazizuo F214-2 Cleaver Review
- High-carbon stainless steel blade - It is manufactured from high-quality 3-layer laminated stainless steel (Core steel: 80Cr13, HRC: 56-58) that maintains a long time serving life
- Heavy duty multi-functional knife - it is designed to be multipurpose knife for professional homes and restaurants with ease
- Ergonomic hygienic rosewood handle - the wide strong bolster and finger guard is to avoid any harms to the finger in using. Rosewood full tang handle is easy to grip and minimize any fatigue in cutting
- Ultimate sharp blade edge - The blade edge is well grind to achieve its best performance in sharpness. Upward blade tip is perfect for rocking, slicing, mincing and dicing. Non-stick coating on the edge avoids food sticking
- Product Guarantee - SHI BA ZI ZUO is 100% quality guarantee for its products and hand wash is recommended
Highly Recommend: Mercer Review
- Natural, comfortable, triple-riveted rosewood handle
- The highest quality Japanese steel for easy edge maintenance and rapid sharpening for a razor-sharp edge
- Stain-resistant, hand wash knives for blade edge and surface care
- One-piece high carbon steel
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Leather Knife Sheath: XYJ Review
- 【High Carbon Clad Steel Chinese Knife】 This butcher chef knife is made of manganese steel, the handle and the blade are integrated without soldering, which is firm and durable to eliminate broken handle
- 【Handmade Forged Technology】 The cutlery knives are sharpened manually by workers with more than 30 years of experience by using natural knife grinders mined from Mount Emei. Compared with kitchen knives made with mechanical ways, the service life of such knives is longer.
- 【Full Tang Wooden Handle】 Ergonomic Full Tang handle can prevent the blade comfortable to grip and non-slip effect. The kitchen cleaver butcher knife is a great beauty, impeccable performance this strong design with a good strength, durability.
- 【Convenient To Carry Out】 The butcher knife kitchen comes with an unique leather knife sheath to protect the knife blade, beautiful and more safety, and can be attached to the belt for easy carrying when using outdoor.(There may have a smell of the leather sheath, please hang in a ventilated place for some days when you receive it.)
- 【How To Maintain】 Due to the forged knife has higher carbon content, please pay attention to clean the knife, and acidic or alkaline substances cannot stay on the blade for a long period. Such knife shall be wiped dry after cleaning. Some cooking oil may be applied on it if it is not used for a long time. And it shall be placed at a dry place for storage.
Best Chinese Chef Knife: Buyer’s Guide
Benefits of Chinese Сhef Knife
According to Chinese chef knife reviews, the benefits of it are as follows:

- Versatile: It is one of the most versatile knives you can ever own. It delivers excellent performance in most of the cutting tasks, including mincing, slicing, chopping, and so on.
- Fine cuts: Do you know the reason why the Chinese cleaver knife is known as the ‘chef knife’? Well, it is so because the thin blades of this knife are capable of fine cuts just like a professional chef chopper. Due to the extra weight, you have to put much less pressure. Therefore, the knife takes care of the cutting pressure itself.
- Durable: The materials used to make this knife are strong and durable. When it becomes blunt, you can easily use a honing stone to re-sharpen it.
Meat Cleaver vs Chinese Chef Knife

People often get confused between a meat cleaver and a Chinese knife. But in reality, they are not the same. A meat cleaver is a tool made for handling only heavy-duty tasks, whereas a Chinese chef is a lightweight and versatile tool made for more than one mission.
The first noticeable difference between them is their weights. The best Chinese chef knife has a thin spine. On the other hand, meat cleaver has a thicker spine. This is the reason why their weight varies a lot.
The cutting edge of a meat cleaver is blunter than a chef cleaver. Its narrow cross-section is what makes it more versatile than a meat cleaver. Also, it has a wider blade surface than a meat cleaver.
Things to Consider While Buying the Best Chinese Chef Knife
Types of Knives
The different types of Chinese chef’s knife are as follows:
- Slicer: This type of knives are also known as ping or vegetable knives. It has the thinnest blades of all. Also, it has the tightest bevel and sharpest blades. Its height is a bit smaller than a chopper or cleaver.
- Choppers: This has thicker blades compared to that of a slicer and is used on herbs, vegetables, and meat. A chopper’s height makes it great for transferring ingredients from a cutting board to the cooking pan.
- Cleavers: It is also popularly known as a bone chopper because of its heavy and thick blades. The best Chinese cleaver is suited for chopping bones and other hard food ingredients. It comes with a dull edge and wide bevel to provide a perfect momentum for cutting.
Blade Design

The blade length of a Chinese vegetable cleaver should be ranging between 7 to 11 inches and the height from 3 to 5 inches. The size of the blade depends on personal needs and preferences.
If you are planning to do a lot of prep work or have a strength problem in your wrist, it is highly suggested that you look for a lightweight blade. Also, the tang should up to three-quarters of the handle so as to provide an excellent balance, strength, and edge stability.
Blade Thickness
The blade thickness ranges from 2 to 8 millimeters. The thickness should be decided based on the foods you want to cut using the blade. Mostly, thinner blades are suitable for cutting fruits and vegetables, whereas thicker blades are perfect for cutting meat and bones. A more detailed guide on the thickness is carved below:
- 2 millimeters: Good for cutting vegetables, fruits, and fishes.
- 3 to 7 millimeters: Handles versatile tasks that include chopping of chicken bones.
- 8 millimeters and more: Perfect for cutting dense bones, and it is not suitable for fine cuts and slicing.
Type of Steel and Rockwell Scale

Most of the best Chinese chef knife brands have a Rockwell Hardness Scale (RHS) of 57 to 58. There are some brands of Asian knives that manufacture knives of 60 to 62 RHS. Although the value difference seems to be insignificant, it impacts the Damascus steel quality a lot. The more the RHS value, the harder is the steel. You should always choose a lower RHS because hard steel is brittle and cannot perform heavy tasks.
Handle
You will find a cheap Chinese kitchen knife with handles made of stainless steel, wood, or moulded plastic. All of these materials are good enough, but the wood looks the most elegant. Make sure that whichever handle you choose has a non-slippery texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Use a Chinese Chef Knife?
You will have to firmly grip the handle of the knife with one hand and hold the ingredients with the other hand while cutting. Slightly and carefully move the knife for slicing. Practice for gaining perfection!
What are the Ways of Sharpening a Cleaver?
You can use a honing tool to sharpen the chopper. The steps are as follows:
- Slightly moist the blade and place it on the honing tool’s flat surface.
- Put the blade’s edge into the tool and tilt it around 15 to 20 degrees.
- Move the cleaver in a back and forth motion vertically for 10 times.
- Repeat the same for the other side of the blade.
Verdict and Recommendations 2021
We hope this article was able to help you know a lot about the best Chinese chef knife in 2021. It is an excellent handy tool worth buying, and trust us, and you won’t regret it! So, when are you planning to buy a Chinese chef knife? Do tell us!