Swapped my old cleaver for a scimitar and it messed with my rhythm for weeks

Used to break down whole pigs with a 10-inch cleaver I got from a flea market in Philly back in 2012. That thing was heavy and I had to muscle through every joint. Then last spring I bought a Victorinox scimitar on a whim and suddenly I was fighting the blade because it wanted to slice instead of chop. Took me about 30 pounds of pork shoulder before I stopped trying to hack with it and actually let the curve do the work. Now I can't believe I ever went without that curved edge. Anyone else switch knife styles and feel like you forgot how to cut for a while?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair_davis1mo ago

Man, I gotta disagree with you here. That heavy cleaver does something a scimitar just can't do - it powers through bone and cartilage without even thinking about it. You give me a scimitar and I'm fighting the blade every time I hit a joint, having to adjust my angle and pressure. That Victorinox might be good for slicing through tenderloins, but when you're breaking down a whole animal you need something that commands the cut, not something that tries to be delicate. I've seen too many guys mess up a shoulder because they let the curve take over and ended up with ragged edges. My old 10-inch cleaver from a yard sale in Ohio never let me down, no learning curve needed.

xena_miller311mo ago

Have you actually tried powering through a shoulder with a heavy cleaver or is this just what you think would work? Because I've seen guys swing those things and they still get stuck in the collarbone, then they have to yank it out and go again. That Ohio yard sale cleaver sounds like a lucky find, but what happens when you hit something dense like a hip socket? The scimitar might need some finesse but at least you aren't fighting blade weight too.

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