While the first thing that may come to mind when you think of a cleaver is an old-timey butcher shop, there are actually plenty of uses for the modern home cook, too. While cleavers are perfect (and often necessary) for breaking down chickens or taking apart a whole pig, they’re also ideal for chopping tough vegetables like kohlrabi or daikon radishes, smashing whole heads of garlic, or transferring ingredients from your cutting board in lieu of a bench scraper. In some restaurant kitchens, the cleaver is the default do-it-all blade.
When designing our Olive Wood Cleaver, we made sure it was up for all these tasks and then some—the unique shape combines the best parts of both vegetable and meat cleavers, so you’re able to handle any task in the kitchen. Crafted in France by fifth-generation bladesmiths, each Cleaver is equipped with a Spanish Olive Wood handle, an exacting blade angle and thickness, and a unique olive green leather sheath for added safety and protection.
Learn more about four of our favorite features of our Olive Wood Cleaver before it launches Tuesday, 3/21 at 10 AM EDT. Sign up for first access below—these limited quantities won’t last long.
Olive Wood Handle
With a handle made from wood from Spain’s famous olive trees, the Cleaver joins our legacy Knife collection—good news for collectors or those who want a uniform knife set. The unique grain of this wood ensures no two handles will be the same on this limited quantity drop.
French Construction
Like all of our other knives, the Cleaver is made in France by a fifth-generation foundry and is fully forged from a single rod of X50CrMoV15 stainless steel. A full-tang blade means the steel extends from the tip of the blade through the butt of the handle, which results in unparalleled cutting ability and control—absolutely necessary when handling a knife of this size.
Olive Green Leather Sheath
All Cleavers come equipped with an olive green leather sheath—both to continue the olive theme and to protect the blade and your fingers whether stored in a drawer or displayed on your counter. Manufactured at a multi-generational tannery in the US, the sheath comes coated with lanolin to condition the surface and protect the leather.
Bevel Angle and Thickness
The bevel angle, or the angle to which your knife is sharpened, indicates how sharp your knife is—the smaller the angle, the sharper the blade. Our Cleaver is sharpened to 30 degrees—slightly less sharp than the 25 degrees of our Chef Knife, but stronger, more durable, and chip-proof, even when handling thick-skinned vegetables or large cuts of meat.
Besides the hole in the corner of the blade, the most recognizable feature of a Cleaver is the width of the blade. This thickness helps the Knife cut easily, whether it’s through large pieces of meat or hearty vegetables. Our Cleaver is 3.81 mm at its widest part, which means added power behind every slice and chop. For comparison, the blade of our Chef Knife is 2.6 mm at its thickest point. The added heft of the Cleaver means you can use less force, further improving its safety.
Ready to Shop?
From the Spanish wood handle to French construction, the Cleaver is a masterclass in artisan craftsmanship—and a testament to skill of the craftsmen we partner with. Whether used to chop gourds or take down a whole turkey, this blade is a must-have in every kitchen.
