• Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – detail view
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – side profile
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – handle detail
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – blade close-up
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – view 6
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – view 7
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – view 8
  • Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai – view 9
1 9

Chinese Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai

Chinese Cleaver 185mm x 90mm Silverline 1.2842 San Mai

By Martin Huber

No longer available

Martin Huber

Reserve your place

We'll only email you when there's something to say. Invitations go out in signup order as new work becomes available.

A blade full of hidden beauty. Taking a closer look at the steel and you notice beautiful grain structure, like flowing lines and water droplets. Almost ironically the hefty cleaver (420g) features so much subtle beauty and delicacy. Setting aside the beautiful grain structure of the steel, blade has a lovely thin and razor-sharp edge, a beautifully soft blue/grey stabilised handle and a super precise balance that suits the cutting style used on the Chinese cleaver to perfection.

Perhaps contrary to popular believe the Chinese cleaver is typically wielded with a push cut action that is delivered from the shoulder and elbow with a straight or locked wrist, rather than an up and down chopping action from the wrist. The edge geometry on this blade is perfectly suited, flat yet angled towards the spine with a subtle increase in angle towards the end of the blade.

The blade features a subtle distal taper from 2.78mm down to 1.74mm at the spine, slightly thicker in the middle of the blade allowing for a more aggressive convex geometry. The overall feel of the blade on the board is very satisfying, an absolute pleasure.

Completing the blade is a Rokkaku Hanmaru handle in soft blue/grey stabilised curly maple with a custom milled stainless bolster. The handle is super comfortable in the hand and the fit and finish is absolutely 100%.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 185mm
  • Spine Heel: 2.84mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.6mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 2mm
  • Weight: 422g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 64+
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Brute de Forge, Acid Etched (Forced Patina)
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Stabilised Curly Maple, Stainless Steel
  • Handedness: Ambidextrous

Blade type

Chinese Cleaver

A tall, thin-bladed all-purpose knife — not a bone chopper, despite the silhouette. The broad rectangular blade is ground thin and razor-sharp, built for slicing, push cutting and fine vegetable work, while the tall face doubles as a scoop for carrying prep from board to pan. In practised hands it covers most of what a kitchen asks of a knife.

The trade-off lives in the shape. Because it shares its outline with the Western butcher's cleaver, it is often mistaken for a heavy chopper — but the edge is fine, hard and thin, and bones or frozen food will damage it. Driven from the shoulder in a controlled push cut rather than swung from the wrist, it is one of the most versatile and satisfying knives on the board.

View full knife type guide →

Cutting edge steel

1.2842

Low-alloy manganese-vanadium oil-hardening tool steel

Typical HRC
60–63
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Germany (DIN 90MnCrV8)

1.2842 is the European workhorse oil-hardening carbon, identical to AISI O2. About 0.90 percent carbon, two percent manganese, half a percent of chromium and a small vanadium addition give it deep oil hardenability and predictable behaviour in the workshop.

For the cook it is a familiar "everyday carbon" — the steel behind a great many German and Austrian Solingen working knives, including a substantial portion of the post-war production tradition. It sharpens easily, takes a competent edge, holds it modestly, patinas politely. Toughness at hardness is good; the manganese-induced inclusions can mean the apex is a little less perfectly clean than a Hitachi white paper, but the difference is noticeable mostly to those who go looking for it.

Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Martin Huber works in 1.2842. See O2 for the same alloy under its AISI name; see O1 for the closely related lower-Mn cousin.

Also known as:O2

View full steel guide →

Blade construction

Laminated Steel

A category covering knives built from multiple layers of different steels forge-welded together. The hard cutting steel is sandwiched between softer outer layers (cladding) that protect the core, add toughness, and often contribute visual contrast.

The most common laminated constructions in the Modern Cooking catalogue are:

SanMai (三枚) — three layers: hard cutting steel in the centre, softer cladding on both sides. The traditional and most common form.

GoMai (五枚) — five layers: a hard core, two intermediate layers, and two outer layers. Adds visual depth and structural complexity.

KuMai (九枚) — nine layers: similar logic, with more cladding layers for additional pattern and structural variation.

GoMai and KuMai are often chosen not only for the additional layers and visual depth, but also because the intermediate layers can act as a nickel diffusion barrier — limiting carbon migration out of the core into the cladding during forge welding, and protecting the core's intended carbon content through the heat of the forging process.

In all cases the cutting performance is determined by the core steel; the outer layers are cosmetic and structural. The lamination contributes corrosion protection (when a stainless jacket clads a carbon core), reduced reactivity, and the visible boundary between core and cladding that gives the knife its character.

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.

View full details