Looking for a Meat Cleaver

[Hoji]

What's this? Progress? Yes!

I'm mostly satisfied with the bevels so I'm calling that step done. They're not perfect, but...well, they're not perfect.

Clamped the Bonechopper into the vise to smooth out the handle profile, and now I've got one of the brass scales setting up with tape and superglue so I can drill out the pinholes and be certain they're 100% accurate. Then I'll peel the tape off, tape and glue the drilled brass to another piece, and I'll have accurate pinholes in both pieces to match the blade.

The trick is taping the pieces, then supergluing the taped surfaces. That way it holds tight, but when you're done you can just peel it all off and your pieces are clean.

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Awesome! Please don’t get heat stroke getting this finished. It is looking amazing

 

[no2gates]

Who I mean what are you going to test it on first @Hoji ??

 

[General Zod]

Awesome! Please don’t get heat stroke getting this finished. It is looking amazing

Yeah, this summer has seriously slowed the already slow progress. It was "only" 95° today with an actual cool north breeze throigh the shop so i put a couple of hours in cleaning the shop and working on the Bonechopper.

I'm grateful for your patience, though.

 

[Axxe55]

Yeah, this summer has seriously slowed the already slow progress. It was "only" 95° today with an actual cool north breeze throigh the shop so i put a couple of hours in cleaning the shop and working on the Bonechopper.

I'm grateful for your patience, though.

take care out in that heat it can sneak up on you!

 

[Hoji]

Who I mean what are you going to test it on first @Hoji ??

Probably deer, followed by more deer, maybe a bear, an aoudad hopefully, and finally a nilgai ( again hopefully)

 

[baboon]

 

[General Zod]

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I ain't forging that.

 

[Eastexasrick]

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Love it, but it won't fit in my knife drawer.

 

[Sasquatch]

Love it, but it won't fit in my knife drawer.

You need a bigger knife drawer, sir. Something 10,000 sq feet, air conditioned and heated, with other large implements.

 

[General Zod]

Current progress.

Still needs the touchmark stamp and heat treat, but I'm doing the basic shaping on the brass pieces in the meantime. I'm using steel pins to temporarily hold the pieces just because I don't have that much round brass. It's picked up a little surface rust but that'll clean up easily.

 

[popsgarland]

Looking good. Can't wait to see the finished product..

 

[baboon]

I have seen several cleavers over the years why do some have holes?

 

[Army 1911]

I have seen several cleavers over the years why do some have holes?

To hang from a hook or nail?

 

[General Zod]

I have seen several cleavers over the years why do some have holes?

Beats me. To hang it from a hook is my best guess. I only add the hole by request - I like the clean lines without it.

 

[baboon]

To hang from a hook or nail?

Hanging knives always seemed like a great way for someone to get cut. When I started cutting meat there were knife scabbards mounted to the block. If there was a cleaver it went between the blocks frame & the mounted scabbard. Back then no one would dare use another meat cutters knife. I wore mine on a hip scabbard. As things changed I would take my knives to the truck with me to keep them out of others hands.

The city of Houston really had a hard on for High Carbon Steel knives in the markets. Most of the cleaver I seen were high carbon. Instead of getting hammered for it the cleaver just went away. One Chinese guy I worked with started hiding his cleaver & the health department always found it. No one in management would say anything to him with his cleaver, and it wasn't even a Chinese cleaver.

 

[Hoji]

Hell. Yeah.

 

[General Zod]

I swear, the "half a year of grinding" video will be coming soon. Once I edit all those hours of grinding down into 15 minutes.

 

[General Zod]

Tonight, one of the most dangerous steps. All the temporarily mounted brass was removed, the forge was fired up, and the touchmark stamp was employed.



Now, I know it had a nice, shiny finish on it and now it's all scorched looking, but that smooth finish is still under the oxidation layer the heat put on it. And this is the first of at least three times I'll have to shine it back up. One more step forward.

Also, the brass is shaped close enough to be called "done" except for polishing and mounting. Right now the halves are temporarily mounted back to back so I could come closer to having them symmetrical.





I'm actually posting this from the forge - the Bonechopper is still too hot to touch. More work tomorrow.

 

[larcat]

Just FWIW, most of those chineae cleavers aren't really cleavers --- they're knives with a blade shape like a cleaver.

Helpfully, they're often called "Chinese cleavers" instead of "Chinese chef's knives" which is what they are.

Trying to chop bone or joints with one will ruin it quick.

 

[General Zod]

Just FWIW, most of those chineae cleavers aren't really cleavers --- they're knives with a blade shape like a cleaver.

Helpfully, they're often called "Chinese cleavers" instead of "Chinese chef's knives" which is what they are.

Trying to chop bone or joints with one will ruin it quick.

This one's not a Chinese cleaver...so no worries there.