Dexter Russell 5178 Traditional 8" x 3.25" Chinese Chefs/Cooks Knife

Pros: Takes and retains an edge Great bang for the buck Great intro to the Chinese cleaver form factor

Cons: Take care to dry after using because it will rust. The blade will take on a patina. Some like shiny knives, I kinda like the character of the patina on carbon steel knives

I am very happy with the Dexter Russel 8 inch cleaver. This was my first Chinese (style) cleaver and I absolutely love it. This is a vegetable/meat cleaver. Never use on bones. Also It is a high carbon blade which is susceptible to rust. Just wash and immediately dry it, or give it a forced patina like I did with mustard. As far as sharpening goes, make sure you use a sharpening stone at least 1000 grit to sharpen it. Those pull through sharpeners will absolutely destroy this blade. I have bought a couple of these for Christmas presents for family members that love to cook.

I've had this product since the 1990s and purchased as a gift for my niece. She is so happy. The only thing is the packaging was flawed. The sharp blade of the knife was sticking out of the box.