Zhen Light Slicer 8in Cleaver Review (Amazon available Chinese Chef's knife)

[@kiltedcripple]

Thank you, very informative review.

[@caidaodreamer6221]

Very astute review. I own this blade along with its discontinued, larger and thinner brother. Both were disappointing for the reasons you cite. My experience is that VG-10 is a highly over rated steel. Yes, it can take a very keen edge but it is simply too brittle. The result is chipping to which it is particularly prone when used in the Chinese cutting style of chopping. Despite all the talk of super steels the one steel I like best so far is AEB-L. It takes and holds an edge incredibly well and sharpens up with just a few strokes on a strop. Unfortunately, my blade is a 9 inch Gyuto and not a Chinese cleaver. There is another factor which is that each steel has a particular way it "bites" into different materials. This is due to quite a number of factors including the size of the carbides. In the end each user must find the combination that suits them best. Few will find that Zhen's meet that criterion.

[@thiago.assumpcao]

There is a lot of fake VG10 being sold in China. Usually the fakes use 10Cr15MoV, which is a Chinese version with the exact same metal composition of VG10. The quality of 10Cr15CoMoV varies a lot from brand to brand. Many people complain about it being prone to chipping but that's probably just bad heat treatment and not an issue with VG10 or 10Cr15CoMoV. My experience is with Xinzuo 10Cr15MoV, the quality is great for the price. Edge lasts a long time and when I abused it cutting pumpkin the edge rolled hard instead of chipped. I don't own any blades on AEB-L but I know its a great steel if properly heat treated. Its an excellent choice for survival knives, AEB-L on 60 HRC is tougher than 1084 and 1095 on same hardness with the advantage of also being stainless. Its great choice for kitchen knives since it can reach 63-64 HRC and still be tougher than 1.4116 on 57 HRC. AEB-L is a fucking beast and its cheap to manufacture. The only downside of AEB-L is that rust resistance is not that great. Another issue is that you are unlikely to find any affordable blade on it properly heat treated. Good AEB-L knives I found cost more than 100 dollars, usually a lot more. Good 10Cr15MoV knives cost about 35 Dollars.

[@Jk-cx7ko]

Hi! Which cleaver would you recommend to a beginner to cleavers? The shi ba zi zuo S208 or F208?

[@cookingwithcleavers6842]

f208, it has better steel and doesn't cost much more

[@Jk-cx7ko]

@@cookingwithcleavers6842 Thank you!

[@r.h.w.1776]

Any experience with CCK KF1102?

[@cookingwithcleavers6842]

I have no direct experience with the KF 110X line-up, but they are kitchen slicers meaning that they have taller blades than the small slicer line up. I believe the KF 1102 is carbon steel and has a blade length of 23 cm with a height of 12cm. I like that length but I find a good blade height for my needs is usually around the 10cm mark, extra height, 2cm in this case adds a little weight, and makes it a little less nimble in daily use. For a most people I would recommend a more manageable height like the 10cm on the CCK KF 1301. That being said CCK carbon steel knives are very good and the extra height may not bug you, it can also be good if you are frequently cutting large amounts of food.

[@r.h.w.1776]

@@cookingwithcleavers6842 Thank you. One of my first cook books was written by Ken Hom and I’ve used it frequently since 2008. Do you use any specific cookbooks?

[@davidhartley6232]

How terrible would it be to reprofile the edge to be more flat? P.S. I have a variety of stones; but am a novice.

[@cookingwithcleavers6842]

It is doable, but I would recommend just getting a different knife. to flatten the profile you would probably want to use a belt sander or a super coarse stone like 120 grit. Make sure to use plenty of water to avoid overheating the blade. I don't know how far back the core VG-10 steel goes into the cladding. probably enough to not cause much issue.

[@davidhartley6232]

@@cookingwithcleavers6842 In other words, just get a CCK KF1912?

[@cookingwithcleavers6842]

@@davidhartley6232 or Shibazi F-208, both CCK and Shibazi are good options. CCK is thinner, Shibazi is cheaper and probably has better steel, both are better than the Zhen

[@davidhartley6232]

@@cookingwithcleavers6842 Thank you 🤗

[@exploreraa983]

TEP = TriEthylene Polymer = Plastic