Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki "S" Grind Birchbark & Stainless

Forging cleavers, particularly Chinese cleavers is a huge challenge. With such a large piece of metal the potential for warping is quite high. Often the bladesmith will have to spend time to straighten and flatten the blade. With Honyaki, which are also inherently challenging to forge, this is even more challenging. So, suffice it to say that for Jonas to produce a clever of this size with such a thin, flat, and straight blade is very impressive.

Equally impressive is the geometry of the blade which features a very thin, high performance “S” grind and incredible distal taper. Being a cleaver, the profile is predominantly flat, but does feature a slight curve towards the nose giving the knife some rock-ability. At around 425g the knife is also relatively light weight, yet substantial and satisfying in the hand.

Turning to the looks and what an amazing job Jonas has done. The birchbark Rokkaku Hanmaru handle has become a signature feature of Jonas’s work and for the first time Jonas has paired this blade with a custom, friction fit saya with beautiful birchbark inlays to match the handle. There is something about the rustic beauty of the birchbark that feels so right when paired with Jonas’s incredible honyaki blades.

Overall, this is a stunning piece of work from Jonas Johnsson aka isasmedjan. The blade feels incredible in the hand and on the board, an amazing heirloom piece from our Swedish Honyaki master.