What do the numbers used to differentiate Chinese slicer knives mean?

I have a Chinese slicer knife which I bought quite a few years ago, but never much used, it is a stainless steel 3 rams number 2.

I am doing more Chinese cooking now, but when reading in my cooking books what to look for in a cleaver struggling to work out what number it refers to (as that's how they are set out in my local Chinese supermarket).

I'm trying to work out if I have the correct sort of knife for the uses in the book, mainly chopping veg, and meat where necessary, but not through bones.

What are the knives of different numbers used for?

Thanks

Best Answer

3 Rams is the brand. Pretty popular Chinese Cleaver manufacture. The number 2 is the weight of the knife. I think the numbers range from a #1(heaviest; bone chopping) down to a #5 (lightest; vegetable knife). If you're looking for a vegetable knife yours is probably on the heavy side. It's more suited to chopping up poultry/fish.

A couple articles/forums, which seem to confirm my guess that lower is heavier: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-01-26/entertainment/8902280958_1_cleaver-chopping-high-carbon https://forums.egullet.org/topic/143953-is-this-chinese-knife-sufficient-for-chopping-poultry/

Edit and Disclaimer: The numbering system is also manufacture dependent; some go from a 1-3, some from a 1-5. I am sure there are others as well. Best place to verify, would be if you could scope out a chinese market/store that sells the knives to compare what you have.

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Quick Answer about "What do the numbers used to differentiate Chinese slicer knives mean?"

Pretty popular Chinese Cleaver manufacture. The number 2 is the weight of the knife. I think the numbers range from a #1(heaviest; bone chopping) down to a #5 (lightest; vegetable knife). If you're looking for a vegetable knife yours is probably on the heavy side. It's more suited to chopping up poultry/fish.

How do I choose a Chinese knife?

Also known as a Chinese chef's knife, the cleaver is a staple of the cuisine, rivaled in utility only by the wok and chopsticks. We reach for it for every task from crushing aromatics to filleting fish\u2014it's the ultimate do-it-all tool.

What knives do Chinese chefs use?

Choppers. The chopper is the most common Chinese chef knife. Its blade is thicker than the slicer, but not as thick as the cleaver. They can be used for lots of tasks like mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, herbs, and meat.

What kind of knife is most commonly used in China?

The Chinese cleaver is surprisingly thin and light if you're expecting a butcher's weapon. Known as a \u201cvegetable knife\u201d (caidao), it's typically the only knife in a Chinese home kitchen and used for practically everything.

🔪 How to Use a Chinese Chef Knife \u0026 🥩 How to Cut Meat for Hot Pot

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