The saying goes "A sharp knife is
a safe knife". Keeping your Chinese cleaver sharp is important.
It help to cut food nice and neat with a single stroke. Do the
tomato test of sharpness.
If the cut with one stroke without squashing the tomato the
knife is sharp.
Maintenance of the knife sharpness are done when heavy cutting
and chopping is done. Otherwise sharpen it every few days for
normal daily used. During storing prevent knocking the edge,
will dull the blade.
How to sharpen or maintain sharpness of cleaver? You need a
cuttering board, steel or butcher steel and of course the good
old Chinese cleaver.
See images, hold the steel firmly and placing the tip on the
cutting board. (see top left image) Postiton the cleaver at
a 20 degree angle to the steel with the blade facing down the
handle. Than push the blade downwards along the steel pulling
it towards you. (see top right image)
Move the blade to to other side (see image bottom left) and
repeat the step above.
Repeat eight to ten times on each side
of the blade. Than do the tomato test.
If the blade loses it edge and become
dull or blunt, The steel will not replace back the sharpness.
Major sharpening have to be done using a whetstone.
