Putting a notch in a cleaver blade?

Curious.
Trade-signature?

An indicator to show how much metal is removed over the years due to sharpening?

Anchor point for an as yet unseen edge guard?....

A mystery to me.

Todd.

They usually have to do with sharpening, I think to show you when to stop. I never used them but some do.

Maybe a sharpening choil. I'm not sure why they don't just grind it all the way to the end of the blade. Tops knives has a cleaver out called El Chappo that has a similar profile. The funny thing is that if you look at the promotional image it has a blade ground the full length, but the actual product has a significant unsharpened area.

It doesn't make me a real difference. I'm in the market for something unique, and think the El Chappo might be fun in the kitchen. I wish it were sharpened the whole length, but it's not a big deal on a 6" cleaver.

However, my guess is that since he is a traditional Cambodian blacksmith, the notch may have a meaning...even if no one knows what it is. Much like the traditional khukuri has a notch or sometimes called "cho", maybe this is the same deal. The thing is, the kamis who craft the khukris don't REALLY know why it is there. Its just part of making the knife. Some call it a blood drip to keep gore off the handle (unlikely), some think it may have religious implications be it a hoof print to honor the sanctity of cattle or a fertility godess symbolizing womanly anatomy. It's hard to say given the Hindu/Buddhist mashup of religions in parts of Nepal.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

About as functional as the decorative chasing he puts on the blade. In fact less functional as the notch won't cut or slice. And I assume that a person buys a knife to cut or slice. Maybe not everyone.

No notches on this cleaver



Neither on this one



nor this one

ApacheCoTodd said:

An indicator to show how much metal is removed over the years due to sharpening?

Click to expand...

Ahhh ... I like that one. Perhaps an indication of where the hardening ends so that someone will know at what point to re-heat treat.

EDIT:
Does anyone else here get the willies watching someone holding an item like he does at the end in his bare hand and start whacking away, close-in, with a cleaver, machete, ax, etc? Jeeeeeez!

GBExpat said:

Ahhh ... I like that one. Perhaps an indication of where the hardening ends so that someone will know at what point to re-heat treat.

EDIT:
Does anyone else here get the willies watching someone holding an item like he does at the end in his bare hand and start whacking away, close-in, with a cleaver, machete, ax, etc? Jeeeeeez!

Click to expand...

Yup - and also, isn't he wrapping the handle AFTER honing it? Must have turtle-shell grade calluses for that.

Todd.

And I assume that a person buys a knife to cut or slice. Maybe not everyone.

Click to expand...

I figure a cleaver is for chopping.

Like guns, cars and other stuff, some just buy for looking at or a conversation piece.

Here in Cambodia, they use cleavers to chop into the fruit or nut and then slice what they can off, just like he does at the end of the video. a cleaver is used both in the kitchen to chop meat or veggies and at the shop to cut or chop meat, veggies, coconuts, or sugar palm fruit(what he is cutting in the video).

Why the notch, no idea.

In most respects that I'm aware it is the stop point for the sharpened edge. There may some specific uses for that notch that I'm unaware. Like some electricians that will grind out a section on the spline for stripping the insulator from common wire gauges.

I also noticed this among custom handground knives where in my eyes it was to hide the asymmetrical bevel. If I ground a bevel off it went circular file or if fixable it was ground so that it was symmetrical when examining the bevel.