Louis Martin Custom Knives
Cleaver Knives for Sale: Handmade Damascus & High-Carbon Cleavers
A cleaver knife is a large, heavy-bladed kitchen tool with a broad rectangular blade designed for chopping through bone and dense meat. Louis Martin cleavers are hand-forged in high-carbon and Damascus steel for clean, powerful chopping.
Quick Answer
A cleaver knife is a large, heavy-bladed kitchen tool with a broad rectangular blade designed for chopping through bone and dense meat. Louis Martin cleavers are hand-forged in high-carbon and Damascus steel for clean, powerful chopping.
The cleaver is the powerhouse of the kitchen — brute force and precision combined in a single heavy blade. Louis Martin's handmade cleavers are forged to deliver authoritative chopping force while maintaining the edge quality that produces clean, controlled cuts through bone, dense root vegetables, and thick meat.
Characteristics & Construction
These notes describe cleaver knives in general. Lot pieces are picked from stock, so features such as blade length, handle material and construction vary piece to piece.
Blade Weight and Thickness
Blade length, height, and thickness vary from piece to piece. The mass of the blade does the work: the chopping motion becomes an arm-drop rather than a forced stroke.
Edge Grind
Cleaver edges are sharpened at 25–30° — a higher angle than most knives — to maintain a robust edge that withstands the shock of bone contact. Convex and flat grinds are used depending on the intended application.
Chinese vs Western Cleaver
Western butcher cleavers are heavy and bone-oriented; Chinese cleavers (also called Chinese chef knives) are thinner and lighter, suitable for vegetable prep and slicing tasks. Styles vary from piece to piece.
Handle Strength
Cleaver handles must withstand repeated shock from chopping. Handle materials and construction vary from piece to piece; before heavy work, check that the handle sits tight against the blade.
In Stock In-Stock Lot
Cleaver Knives: 10-Piece Lot
A hand-picked lot of 10 cleaver knife pieces from stock. No two are alike, and features vary piece to piece. Choose your steel below.
Assorted is a mixed lot of cleaver knives, no two the same. 10% off all lots for a limited time. Free US shipping. 60-day returns. See our shipping and return policies.
Also on our eBay store (97.4% positive across 57,600+ ratings) and in our daily live Whatnot auctions (4.8★, 12,800+ reviews), at in-person shows, and for wholesale volume. Carry rules vary: see knife laws by state.
Care & Maintenance
Full care guide →- 1
Hand wash only
Dishwasher heat and moisture cycling will crack even the most durable handle materials over time and cause blade oxidation. Hand wash with mild soap immediately after use.
- 2
Dry immediately
Dry the blade completely — especially the heel corner where water pools — immediately after washing.
- 3
Sharpen at higher angle
Maintain your cleaver's 25–30° edge angle. Lower angles (15–20°) create a thinner, sharper edge that chips on bone contact. A more obtuse angle is appropriate for this tool.
- 4
Use a sturdy cutting board
Cleavers require a heavy wooden butcher block or thick end-grain board. Thin plastic boards flex under chopping force and cause the blade to deflect unpredictably.
- 5
Store on a magnetic strip
Store cleavers on a horizontal magnetic knife strip — the weight of a cleaver in a crowded knife block causes edge-to-edge contact that damages both the cleaver and neighboring blades.
Cleaver Knives: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cleaver knife used for?
What is the difference between a Chinese cleaver and a Western cleaver?
Is Damascus steel good for cleaver knives?
What cutting board should I use with a cleaver?
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One of a kind
Each piece is the only one we made. Sold once, gone for good.
Hand-forged since 1993
Forged, ground, and finished at our own facility.
Warranty in the box
Every knife ships with our warranty card.
Free US shipping
Dispatched within 3 business days.
What Live Buyers Say
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