# Found my "grail"-- Calton Cutlery custom chinese cleaver



## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)

Hey guys,

I was raised to cook in the traditional Chinese manner where pretty much everything is done with one Chinese cleaver. To me, a separate deba, gyuto, petty, chef, boning, etc knife didn't make much sense until I started learning Japanese cooking under a chef friend...pretty much everything was done with one knife.

For many years, I've been obsessed with finding "the one chef knife."

I'd tried many Chinese cleavers, Japanese cleavers, and even commissioned a custom chukabocho from Heiji (great edge, I didn't like the ergo). There were good knives with poor heat treat and good ergonomics (CCK, some unnamed chinese guy in hong kong). There were good knives with okay heat treat and fair egos (shibazi). There were knives with great steel, but really bad ergonomics (mizuno hontanren, Heiji, many Japanese makers).

I finally decided to ship my favorite cheap cleaver to Joe Calton of Calton Cutlery to see if he was up for the challenge....and dress it up with my prized stash of Brazilian rosewood.

Joe is an extremely talented blade smith that makes HEPK knives.
He's works with only maybe 3 steels, and milks the very best out of the heat treat.
IMHO, he makes the world's best paring knives.

Three months went by before I could try the knife...2 weeks of extensive kitchen testing of my knife...at least 4 failed prototypes (warpage due to the thinness of the blade)...miscommunication with PayPal...much stress at work...sudden forced move...staff issues..taxes...more equipment integration....argh!

Finally, I got to use the knife this week.


A few points:
1. No visible distal taper on the spine.

2. The handle was beautifully beveled and rounded, but digs into the web of the thumb.
After minor reshaping, it's perfect.

3. Blade spine was beautifully beveled and refined, but slightly digs into the support finger, but after minor polishing is perfect.

4. Blade takes and holds a dermatome sharp edge...I can carve a kabocha squash and shave a tomato afterwards.
For what it's worth, I build guitars. My tools need to be able to shave end grain spruce/cedar...this knife is as sharp as the best of my blades.

5. Blade can shrug off abuse that would likely shatter a Japanese knife.
I can seriously abuse this blade like a true chinese cleaver...chop pumpkins, smash garlic, break bones, and still carve roses out of tomatoes.

6. Blade is extremely easy to sharpen, even on natural stone.

7. Perfectly balanced...weights about 216 g, if I'm not mistaken...only 30-40 g heavier than my Heiji Santoku. This is maybe half the weigh of most Japanes chukabochos. I can easily use this all day.

I'll try to post pictures if you're interested.


Long story short...I could happily live with my Calton Chinese Cleaver and paring knife without ever upgrading. Frankly, I can't think of anything I'd rather have.


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## chinacats (Dec 30, 2017)

Pics please!


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## Matus (Dec 30, 2017)

To make a post like this without photos is against forum rules [emoji854]


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## HRC_64 (Dec 30, 2017)

bump for pics


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## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)




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## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)




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## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)




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## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)

I hope that this works.
camera: Pixel phone
lighting is the cheap kitchen lighting at home at 9 pm.

The knife is not very fancy, but has good substance...just like Joe.


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## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)

The steel is just 1095 or O1.

I told Joe my cooking style, desired blade characteristics, and sent him my favorite cheap chinese cleaver.
Aside from the beveling of the finger support on the blade creating a pinch point, this knife is pretty darned perfect.


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## mlau (Dec 30, 2017)

Oh, and I supplied the Brazilian rosewood from my special stash.
As a guitar builder, old-growth Brazilian rosewood has a special place in my heart.

Also, as a Chinese guy, Brazilian rosewood is as close to red sandelwood as possible.


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## toddnmd (Dec 30, 2017)

Happy for you that you've found your grail knife.

Sad for me that I can't see the pics . . .


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## mlau (Dec 31, 2017)

I'm not sure how to do anything more? I'd uploaded the Google photo link.
If you PM me, I can email you the pictures.

Anyways, the thing about Chinese cleavers is the importance of feel and toughness.
We use every part of the knife from the edge, flat, spine, and handle in our cooking.
A sharp, brittle blade would snap...

I have another cleaver with very slightly better feel and balance than Joe's cleaver.
But Joe's heat treat, steel, blade grind, and fit and finish are better by a mile.


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## HRC_64 (Dec 31, 2017)

they were visible for a bit I thought..? wonder what happened to them


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## mlau (Jan 3, 2018)

What browser?

I'm using Chrome and Safari and have no trouble. I can still see the photos on my end.


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## mlau (Jan 3, 2018)




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## mlau (Jan 3, 2018)




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## mlau (Jan 3, 2018)




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## toddnmd (Jan 3, 2018)

Now I see them. Thanks, and enjoy your grail cleaver!


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## chinacats (Jan 3, 2018)

Love the profile and it looks nice and thin.


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## gshen (Jan 10, 2018)

Thanks for sharing this, Matt. I've emailed Joe about ordering the duplicate knife he has on hand. My wife is not pleased at the moment &#128514;


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## dafox (Jan 11, 2018)

What was your favorite cheap cleaver that you had it made from? Is it available anywhere? Thanks for sharing the journey.


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## dank1176 (Mar 11, 2018)

dafox said:


> What was your favorite cheap cleaver that you had it made from? Is it available anywhere? Thanks for sharing the journey.


Looking for a beater cleaver myself....not a beaver cleaver.


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## mlau (Mar 12, 2018)

I'll try to post some pictures sometime. 
A friend got them in Hong Kong and was reselling them for $30.


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## mlau (Mar 12, 2018)

Oh, the cheap cleaver was made out of plain carbon steel.
It's tempered a bit on the soft side, but extremely lightly balanced.

I think you can find similar in places with a Chinatown.
It's not a CCK, but one of their competitors--apparently a one man shop.


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## dafox (Mar 13, 2018)

mlau said:


> Oh, the cheap cleaver was made out of plain carbon steel.
> It's tempered a bit on the soft side, but extremely lightly balanced.
> 
> I think you can find similar in places with a Chinatown.
> It's not a CCK, but one of their competitors--apparently a one man shop.



Thanks much. There are a few Chinese supermarkets and a Chinese restaurant supply store in Denver that I'm going to check out.


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