Global Meat Cleaver G-12 Knife

Although many chefs do use this excellent G-12 Meat Cleaver from Global to chop through bones, Global advises against that and recommends the cleaver for slicing meat instead. You'll still love this knife, and most of us already own a beater for cutting up soup bones. Keep the G-12 for the finer work.

The 6-1/2-inch high carbon stainless steel blade of the G-12 Meat Cleaver has a thinner edge and a harder temper than most butcher's cleavers. That gives the cleaver a sharper and faster-cutting edge but does reduce the impact strength. Global recommends cutting through small bones only, by placing the edge on the bone and pressing straight down with one hand on the spine of the blade. Cleaving cuts in poultry and fish carcasses are more practical for this knife than smashing through the harder bones of pork or beef.

Global lists the weight of this cleaver at 15.5 ounces, which is light for a chopping cleaver, but it's a weight that most people will find easy to handle and accurate to use. The 15-degree sharpening angle makes the G-12 cut much more efficiently than most cleavers. Thicker steel makes the G-12 stronger than vegetable cleavers but better at cutting through skin, tendons, and gristle than at the delicate work of slicing vegetables. As refined as the G-12 is, it's still a butcher's tool.

Clean the Global G-12 by hand in mild detergent immediately after using, and wipe the knife dry before storing it away. Leaving food or even clean water to dry on the blade could discolor the steel.

See the Victorinox Restaurant Meat Cleaver if you need a cleaver for the really hard jobs.

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