• Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – detail view
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – side profile
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – handle detail
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – blade close-up
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – view 6
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – view 7
  • Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki 'S' Grind Birchbark & Stainless – view 8
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Cleaver 225mm X 105mm Honyaki "S" Grind Birchbark & Stainless

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

By Isasmedjan

No longer available

Jonas Johnsson

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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.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 225mm
  • Spine Heel: 2.8mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.2mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 2mm
  • Blade Height: 105mm
  • Weight: 425g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 64
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Matte Polish
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Birch Bark, Stainless Steel
  • Handedness: Ambidextrous
  • Saya / Storage Included: Yes

Blade type

Cleaver

A broad, heavy, rectangular blade — and a term that covers two very different tools. The heavy Western butcher's cleaver is built with a thick spine and robust edge to chop through bone and joints; the lighter Chinese vegetable cleaver (càidāo) has a tall, thin blade that is a surprisingly nimble all-purpose knife, with a wide face useful for scooping. Knowing which one is meant matters.

A true butcher's cleaver trades all finesse for the mass and durability needed to split bone, and it has little place in delicate work. The Chinese vegetable version is far more versatile than its size suggests but is not built for bone at all, despite the shared silhouette. The shape promises power; the specific knife determines whether that power comes with any subtlety.

View full knife type guide →

Cutting edge steel

135Cr3

Plain high-carbon tool steel

Typical HRC
62–65
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
AFNOR / DIN; closely overlaps 1.2008

Editorial note: despite the "Cr3" suffix, which superficially suggests a low-carbon case-hardening grade, 135Cr3 is in fact a through-hardening high-carbon tool steel. The name is occasionally a source of confusion when buyers see the steel listed in older catalogues alongside true case-hardening grades like 16MnCr5; in practice 135Cr3 is interchangeable with 1.2008 for kitchen knife purposes.

The editorial profile follows 1.2008: a respectable, traditional European high-carbon at 62–65 HRC, with moderate edge retention, good toughness for the hardness, and conventional patina behaviour. It is most often seen in French and German workshop production where the carbon-steel idiom is part of the maker's identity. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Yanick Puig, Milan Gravier, Guirec Péron, and Jonas Johnsson work in 135Cr3.

Also known as:1.2008

View full steel guide →

Blade construction

Honyaki

The traditional Japanese single-steel forging technique, in which a high-carbon mono-steel blade is differentially hardened — clay is applied to the spine before quench, leaving only the edge to fully harden. The result is a hard cutting edge and a softer spine that improves toughness, plus the hamon (temper line) that defines the visual signature of the technique.

Honyaki is the high-water mark of Japanese knifemaking. The technique is unforgiving; a failed differential quench cracks the blade. Honyaki knives are almost always from a single high-purity carbon steel — Shirogami #1 is the canonical choice — and are priced and treated accordingly.

View full construction guide →

Handle construction

Hidden Tang

A construction in which the tang runs into the handle but stays concealed inside it, rather than showing between two scales. A narrower tang — a full-length stick or a shorter projection — is set into a drilled or burned channel in a one-piece handle and secured with adhesive, a friction fit, or a threaded fitting drawn up against the blade. This is the traditional construction of Japanese wa-handles and many European hidden-tang knives.

The design puts the handle material in charge of the look and feel: a single piece of wood, horn, or composite — often with a ferrule or spacers at the front — is shaped into any cross-section the maker wants, from the classic octagonal and D-shaped wa profiles to fully rounded Western forms. With no steel showing along the grip, the handle can be slim and light, and is frequently made to be removed and replaced, with the balance sitting toward the blade.

View full construction guide →

Shipping & Returns

Shipping

We process orders 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) and ship from our shop in Sydney, Australia. We ship with FedEx, UPS and DHL.

We are happy to offer free international shipping on a variety of orders depending on location and order value.

Free Shipping Regions and Minimum Order Values

For Australia and New Zealand the minimum is $500AUD. For the rest of the world it is approximately €1000EUR. The discount is applied automatically when you reach the minimum cart value at checkout.

Returns

If you're not entirely happy with your purchase, you can return it within 14 days of delivery for a refund. The item must be in its original condition with all original packaging.

  • Returns are accepted for 14 days
  • The customer is responsible for return shipping costs
  • A 15% restocking fee may be applied to change-of-mind returns
  • We do not accept returns on second-hand items for change of mind

Faulty or Damaged Items

You must notify us within 5 business days of receiving your order. Photographic evidence of damage is required. Once approved, Modern Cooking will cover return shipping costs.

Product Care

Cleaning: Clean by hand with warm water. Avoid wetting the handle when possible.

Sharpening: We advise using whetstones to sharpen your knives and a honing rod or steel to maintain the burr between sharpening sessions.

Reactive Steels: Reactive steels like Aogami Super, Apex Ultra or premium reactive German and Swedish steels are susceptible to rust if not properly cared for. Keep the knife dry between uses and when storing for longer periods, wiping the blade with Tsubaki oil or another food-safe oil is a wise choice. A patina can be a beautiful personal feature on your knife and helps to stop rust forming.

Handle Care: For non-stabilised wooden handles, apply Tsubaki oil or another food-safe oil from time to time. Food-safe wax can be applied to both stabilised and non-stabilised wooden handles. Never apply hot wax or oil as you risk warping or damaging the handle.

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