Daily food preparation routine is different. Like the knife that you use for cutting garlic may be not good for slicing a tomato. It also depends on what you are cooking, sometimes it requires various things at the same time.
But the most demanding and versatile knives which are used in the kitchen are chinese cleaver and serbian chef knife. The difference between these knives is the shape of the blade. The chef knife has a small blade with curved edge taper to point while the chinese cleaver has a large rectangular blade with a flat edge.
Moreover, the chinese cleaver is weighty and thicker than a chef knife. Different designs of both knives make them great for various tasks. This Serbian chef knife vs chinese cleaver article will provide you help to decide which knife is best for you according to your requirement.
Serbian Chef Knife
The other name of Serbian chef knife is chef knife that comes with a longer and wider blade as compared to other western kitchen knives. It has a very sharp blade with a thick and powerful spine.
These knives always come with different designs in order to improve your efficiency in the kitchen and do your cutting tasks faster. It is always made with a perfect quality of steel and it will make all the food without any resistance once it passes through it.
The hand-forged Serbian chef knife is versatile and heavy but highly sharped and can be used for any chopping and slicing of food items.
Furthermore, it can debone small animals like chicken, its pointed end gives you the ability to make more precise cuts. You can say, with amazon serbian chef knife cooking will be easy for you. A Chinese cleaver, when compared to the thin, pointed knives used in Western kitchens, can seem like a vulgar and vicious object.
A four-sided piece of metal extending straight up to the handle indicates that the knife was intended for butchering or killing rather than cutting vegetables.
In other countries, such as China, such a knife is an essential tool in the home and professional kitchen, as delicate and sophisticated as it is versatile.
Chinese Cleaver Knife
Commonly, Chinese cooks use only one knife for various kitchen tasks and their blade is a large, square-tipped cleaver with hard and compact handles. Due to that reason, Chinese cleaver knives are highly appreciable.
Furthermore, Chinese cleaver knives come with a variety of blade thickness and density like:
Though, each of them performs all the tasks performed by a complete set of German chef’s knives such as from chopping garlic to slicing chicken.
It also enables you to cut the potatoes faster as compared to a German knife. It is safer knife because you can protect your fingers from blade while cutting.
Serbian Chef Knife vs. Chinese Cleaver Knife
The serbian chef knives have a simple and plain look. The hand hammered texture on the blade along with the vintage wooden knife handle gives it a bit of an old traditional look. Disparate of cleaver, the serbian chef knife is top quality hand-forged believer knife.
The main differences between Serbian chef knives and Chinese cleaver are their appearance, flexibility, durability, blade thickness and most importantly their sharpness. No doubt, both knives are excellent but also necessary to keep in mind their differences.
On the other hand, the chef knife gives a little bit thicker, sharper and flexible blade for using. The condemned appearance on most of the options makes it more demanded in the market.
The chinese cleaver has a thinner and taller blade with nice flexibility. The surface area is amazing for taking out prepared foods and shifting them to the pan for cooking.
Read Also: https://knifeplatoon.com/chinese-cleaver-vs-chef-knife/
| Knife | Chinese | Serbian |
| Blade Length | 6-9 inches | 5-8 inches (usually 7) |
| Blade Thickness | 0.07- 0.31 inches | 0.1- 0.3 inches |
| Flexibility | Moderate | Low |
| HRC | 60-62 (but depends on the manufacturer) | 57-62 (usually higher) |
| Main Purpose | General kitchen prep, crushing and slicing veggies, softer bones, and meats. | Sharp, precise work. Raw meats, general kitchen prep. |
Thickness
In general, serbian chef’s knives feature a slightly thicker blade and the variety of thickness are available for chinese cleaver higher than usual but tend to be thinner than the serbian chef knives.
Flexibility and Sharpness
Some statistics depend upon the manufacturer you will use. Like the chinese cleaver tends to be more flexible than a serbian chef’s knife. The chef knife is also great in respect of maintaining its sharpness just of its high carbon content.
Read now >> How to test knife sharpness?
Frequently Asked Question
What is the Best Way to Store a Chinese Cleaver ?
Chinese cleaver knife care is similar to other knives, Almost all knives will get damaged if they are carelessly thrown in a drawer. It is important to invest in good knife cover or find a home for your cleaver on a magnetic knife strip. Furthermore, it is also necessary to properly clean and dry your knife before storing it.
How to Sharpen a Chinese Cleaver ?
The best way to sharpen a chinese cleaver knife is using a sharpening stone himself or sending your knife to some professional sharpening expert. If you want to take some guidance regarding sharpening then you can read our previous articles.
Can We Hone a Chinese Cleaver
Yes, it is possible. You can hone your chinese cleaver knife but it will not be sharp enough. To get knowledge in detail regarding honing and sharpening of knives, you can visit our previous contents.
How Can I Use a Chinese Cleaver Knife ?
The chinese cleaver looks like a butcher cleaver knife but it is nothing like that. The butcher cleaver is heavy and used for breaking the bones while the chinese cleaver knife is a chef knife and you cannot use it to hack through the bones. It has a thinner blade that is strong enough for cutting the whole chickens and meat but not good for chopping the fruit and vegetables. While using a chinese cleaver knife, you should apply rocking motion instead of up and down motion.
Read now >> Meat Cleavers vs Vegetable Cleavers
What are Chinese Cleaver Knives Used For ?
The main uses of these knives are dicing and slicing and it will get dull if you try to use it to hack the bone. With the use of vegetables you can also use it for cutting boneless meat.
Conclusion
The Choice of knife between the cleaver and chef knife is a little bit difficult. Once you figure out your preferences and needs then you can easily select the knife for yourself based on their features. The above article will help you to make an educated decision before going to buy any knife.