The 10 Best Chinese Chefs Knives
Updated by · How we research
Ten Chinese cleavers compared on steel, weight, handle and care, from Yangjiang clad blades to German stainless. The Dexter Russell S5198 is our top pick. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A Chinese chef's knife, or cai dao, looks like a cleaver but isn't one. Its thin blade is made for vegetables and boneless meat, and chopping bone with it can chip the edge. It suits cooks who push-cut instead of rocking the blade, and anyone who likes scooping a board of chopped food straight into the pan.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
Our new favorite is the Dexter Russell S5198, the thin, flat, wooden-handled cleaver Chinese restaurant cooks have used for decades, and it's still made by a Massachusetts company that has sold knives since 1818.
Seven knives from the earlier version had to go. The Zhen A5T, Shibazi Zuo F208, Shibazi Zuo F214 and Shibazi Zuo S2308 can't be bought anymore, and the Shun DM0712 has vanished. The Shibazi SBZ002 now stands in for the brand. We also let the Global G-49/B and the JapanBargain 1564 go in favor of knives with better documentation. The Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin and Wusthof 4686 stay, and the Kyoku Daimyo Series Vegetable Cleaver returns under its new name, the Kyoku Shogun.
To judge what a good cai dao should be, we leaned on Serious Eats' review of 10 cleavers, Milk Street's kitchen trials and cooking teacher Randy Lau, then held each knife's steel, handle and warranty claims up against forum threads about chipping, rust and loose handles. The Zhang Xiao Quan D101201 is new, a thin-front, thick-heel design from a Hangzhou maker with centuries of history.
September 02, 2020:
The first, and arguably the most important, thing to understand about Chinese knives if you want to keep them in good condition is that, despite how much they may resemble a Western cleaver, you should never cut through bones or similarly hard items with them. Instead, they should be used for the same purposes as a chef's knife, such as chopping vegetables, smashing garlic or ginger, and slicing boneless meat. Though often underutilized in most American kitchens, they are actually very versatile and will quickly become your go-to choice for a range of culinary prep needs.
While all will be lighter in weight than your average cleaver, the Global G-49/B takes that to the extreme, coming in at less than five ounces. This makes it a good choice for those who spend a lot of time prepping veggies, since it won't be very fatiguing. The caveat is that some may find the handle gets uncomfortable after extended periods of use, so if you are worried you might be in this group, you may be better off with something slightly heavier, but with a more ergonomic handle, such as the Shibazi Zuo S2308.
If you want something that is as eye catching as it is functional, the Shun DM0712 and Kyoku Daimyo Series Vegetable Cleaver immediately stand out. Both feature a large bolster that helps to balance out the weight of the blade, while also strengthening its overall construction and offering some finger protection. They also boast striking Damascus patterns, and the latter takes some inspiration from Western knife designs and features a triple-riveted handle, with the center rivet being a beautiful mosaic pin.
The Shibazi Zuo F208 and JapanBargain 1564 are both workhorses that would be well suited to a commercial kitchen where you don't want to waste money on fancy aesthetic features that aren't needed and simply prefer something that performs well. That being said, if you are willing spend just a little bit more, you may find the Zhen A5T offers a more comfortable handle, and, being made from VG-10 steel, can hold an edge longer.
March 23, 2019:
First of all, do not, under any circumstances, ever try to chop through as bone or other hard item with one of these. They may look a little bit like meat cleavers, but they are decidedly different. They're thinner, lighter, and made with harder steel, which prone (if not guaranteed in some cases) to chip when it's pounded through bones and joints. Aside from that, the caidao is a do-it-all workhorse knife, and it's important to get one that's comfortable and well-balanced, because if you do, you're liable to use it nearly all day long, finishing all sorts of different tasks. With that out of the way, you'll notice a handful of blades from Shibazi Zuo on the list. Believe it or not, these inexpensive models are actually used by legitimate pros around the world, and to get a higher-quality and more authentic caidao, you'll basically have to travel to China yourself. They may not look like super-fancy pieces, but they absolutely are some of the best. Shibazi's F214 is alittle bit different than most cleavers, as it actually has a tip, which is generally unheard of on a caidao. If you want to show off your taste a little, or these for any reason don't perfectly suit you, the Shun or Wustof almost certainly will, though they both come at steep prices. The JapanBargain is an interesting choce because of its rock-bottom price, though it will likely require a bit more attention than the rest to maintain in perfect working order. If your knife bag or case is already full of useful items and you are (like me) a knife nut, check out the Tojiro. It's awfully heavy and might not be suited to full-time use, but it's among the finest-crafted, and its fit and finish are both simple and supreme. And if you're just not a fan of the wa-style round handles common on traditional asian knives, try the Zhen or the Zwilling, which feature the more Westerm-familiar ergonomics, and are both reasonably good values at moderate prices.
Special Honors
Tojiro Japan's Tojiro makes a thin stainless Chinese-style cleaver that specialist reviewers, including Serious Eats, rate among the best. It's sold mainly through specialty knife shops. tojiro.net
Slicer Or Chopper: Thickness Decides
If you want one knife that does a bit of both, look at slice-and-chop designs with a thin front and a thicker heel, and use only the heel on joints.
The tall, rectangular blade fools a lot of shoppers. A Chinese chef's knife, called cai dao or "vegetable knife," is a slicer: a thin blade, roughly 2 millimeters at the spine, light enough to use all day. A Chinese chopper or butcher's cleaver is a different tool, closer to 3.5 millimeters or more and much heavier, made for small bones and hard squash. Zwilling and Sharp Edge Shop both warn that a thin cai dao used on dense bone will chip.
For most home cooks, the slicer is the one to buy. It handles vegetables, herbs, boneless meat and fish. A blade of about 7 to 8 inches and 3 to 3.5 inches tall gives room for your knuckles without feeling unwieldy, and anything under about 12 ounces is comfortable for daily prep. Knives in the specialist reviews we read weighed from about 10.7 to 14.5 ounces. If you want one knife that does a bit of both, look at slice-and-chop designs with a thin front and a thicker heel, and use only the heel on joints. Dexter Russell lays out the difference between its cleavers and its Chinese chef's knives in plain terms.
Carbon, Stainless Or Clad Steel
Carbon steel takes the finest edge and is the easiest to sharpen, which is why many Chinese cooks and specialist testers prefer it. The trade-off is care: it rusts and stains unless you dry it at once and wipe on a little oil. In Serious Eats' review of 10 Chinese cleavers, the carbon picks, including the Chan Chi Kee (CCK) small slicer from Hong Kong, needed that attention.
Stainless steel, such as the German alloys in Zwilling, Wusthof and Mercer knives, forgives a damp dish rack and suits beginners. It is a bit softer, so it needs honing more often. Clad blades sit in between: a hard core steel wrapped in softer stainless, as on many knives from Yangjiang, gives a sharp edge with easier care. Very hard cores, including Japanese VG10, hold an edge longest but can chip on bone or a glass board. Japanese single-purpose blades are a separate world, covered in our sushi knives list.
Using And Caring For A Cai Dao
A Chinese chef's knife works best with a push cut or a pull cut, not the rocking motion of a Western chef's knife. Curl your guiding fingers into a claw so your knuckles rest against the flat of the blade; Milk Street found the style very safe when held this way, and most of its cooks warmed to it after an awkward start. Use the flat side to smash garlic and ginger, and to scoop a board of chopped food into the wok. Cooking teacher Randy Lau explains on Wirecutter why he uses one for nearly everything.
Hand wash and dry every cleaver right away, even stainless ones, and keep wooden handles out of standing water. A carbon blade often ships with a protective lacquer that a light sharpening removes. The wide blade won't fit most knife blocks, so store it on a magnetic strip or in a blade guard. Keep a small paring knife for fine tip work such as peeling ginger, which a cleaver does poorly.
How we researched this
We compared 17 Chinese chef's knives and cleavers, read the makers' steel, handle and warranty claims for the 10 finalists, weighed specialist reviews from Serious Eats, Milk Street and Made With Lau, studied forum and owner feedback on chipping, rust and handle wear, and checked every brand against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records.
Sources (7)
- Serious Eats: I Reviewed 10 Chinese Cleavers
- Wirecutter: Why I Use a Chinese Cleaver (Randy Lau, Made With Lau)
- Milk Street: Just Cleave It
- Zwilling: Chinese chef's knives
- Dexter Russell: cleaver vs Chinese chef's knife
- Sharp Edge Shop: how to choose a Chinese cleaver
- CPSC SaferProducts recall search
Frequently asked questions
Is a Chinese cleaver better than a chef's knife?
For vegetables, herbs and boneless meat, a Chinese chef's knife does nearly everything a Western chef's knife does, and it scoops food better. It's weaker for fine tip work and takes some practice.
Can a Chinese chef's knife cut through bones?
No. A thin cai dao can chip on dense bone. Use a heavy chopper or butcher's cleaver for bones; a slice-and-chop design can handle small joints with its thick heel.
What is a Chinese chef's knife called?
In Chinese it's cai dao, which means vegetable knife. In English it's often called a Chinese cleaver or vegetable cleaver, though it isn't built for bones.
Should I buy carbon steel or stainless?
Carbon steel sharpens more easily and takes a finer edge but rusts if left wet. Stainless or clad blades need less care and suit most home cooks.
Where are Shibazi knives made?
Shibazi is based in Yangjiang, in Guangdong province, a city that makes a large share of China's knives and scissors.
