Chinese Cleaver Sharpening 

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Surface of the stone

Diamond stones cut very fast and stay completely flat but don't have much feel too them; good diamond stones are also very expensive. A good whetstone will feel good, sound good and give feedback as you sharpen; most quality whetstones are also less expensive than diamonds stones. A whetstone is probably better to learn on as diamond stones can cut so fast that if you mess up it can be hard to correct.

I have a CCK 1912 and like it, its metal is a little soft so I have to sharpen it more often. No experience with the Dexter s5198, but it looks like it might have a little more belly (roundness). I prefer a flat belly like on the CCK. CCK will be more pricy though

I have not tried thinning mainly because most chinese cleavers are already thin usually thinner than gyutos and chef knifes, go to thin and the edge will not be supported enough. if you do thin it out make sure to match the angle already on the knife and be consistent across the whole length of the blade. I don't think the dexter is clad steel, but make sure it is not because thinning a clad steel could cause issues.

Just a comment-on how to thin-the 2 what I consider “dual purpose”cleavers you have are nice if you have proper Chinese cutting techniques . To thin for more performance you should learn to sharpen your cleaver like traditional “old school” Chinese cooks. Not western style like this video-no offense Cooper. To sharpen you approach sharpening more similar to a single bevel style knife. The front half of your cleaver is on the stone at a fairly shallow angle say 12-15 degrees for starts. Fine cutting & veggies are handled with the tip to middle area of cleaver.The back half/heel of your cleaver is for scoring bone & light bone cutting (ie chicken,fish) That area the last 1.5-2.5”hit the stones around 20-25degrees to maintain edge strength. So if you’re right handed your bevel is on the right side blade face away from you. When you get your “burr” you finish your sharpening flat on the backside.It can be your preference for it to be flat with blade face or a shallow angle/microbevel of your choice if you have steering issues cutting.If you ever come across an old cleaver from a veteran cook (20-30yrs+)trained in China they will in general all be sharpened this way. Their cleavers will all be customized to thinness they prefer to blade size & type. IE-pros often use “hotel caidao” a larger,taller 220mm-ish blade-around 2mm thick-light but larger.Hope this gives you another insight-cheers

Oh forgot to mention your Dexter S5198 is a type of molybdenum stainless steel cleaver. It was meant to be a “dual purpose or all purpose “ cleaver. Yes,I would suggest “thinning “ the front to middle cutting edge. It may take some work because the bevel area above the cutting edge is not very thin. You can do it in a Western dual bevel approach if your knife is newer. Or you can convert it the way I described previous post- but that takes more time. I’m commenting here because I own a predecessor to your Dexter- mine is Wustof caidao -looks exactly the same but steel from Solingen,Germany & it’s basically single bevel now. Probably more than 40yrs old & still being used along with my CCK’s & other stuff. Cheers

​@@dnari6698interesting, but also doesn't seem very beginner friendly. You have to like roll your wrist or something to change the angle while you thin/sharpen. I know I would probably end up with a larger bevel than I wanted across the whole blade

@@Nickporter17 yes ,you’re correct in that it’s not beginner friendly. My previous suggestions was to describe the proper thinning/sharpening & traditional professional setup of a dual purpose cleaver/caidao. There are no shortcuts or hacks if the user has learned correct Chinese knife skills & wants this particular cleaver to perform at its best in that cooking style. If you’re a beginner sharpener & knife skill user with western approach/ideas -you will just hit it up on a sander/grinder of some combo of stones & double bevel it til it’s as thin as you want it & the steel will still hold edge. Do what you want & that’s ok, but bear in mind there are proper ways for things to be done if you’re willing to put the work/effort in. Cheers!

If you are willing to do the necessary maintenance for carbon steel, the 1302 is the better choice. the 1302 gets sharper and holds an edge better than the 1912. Can't go wrong with both, in fact on my in use knife rack I always have one stainless and one carbon knife, I use the carbon most, but if I am in a rush or have someone else in the kitchen the stainless is there.

@@cookingwithcleavers6842 I think I’ll go ahead and get both. Thanks!

its just a cat/dog food mat that you can get on amazon for about $10 nothing super special

Duh

@@lawrenceragnarok1186 it’s a carbon steel knife certain wetstones aren’t suitable for certain steels. Duhhh

David, even when I read your comment with the best of intentions, you come across uppity and rude. I am using a new iPhone with the brightness on full, so it’s not my reading. Please, give your criticisms in a more casual, constructive, and friendly way and people will take you more seriously. And omit the snide jabs at the end of your comments.

DR looks more round to me, but I don't have any experience with them. S5198 would be similar to CCK 1912