Debate: Is the $60 'premium' Chinese cleaver from that Instagram ad worth it or just a waste?

I fell for one of those ads for a hand forged Chinese chef's cleaver from a small shop called something like 'Iron River Forge' or similar. Paid $60 for it after shipping. The thing arrived and the edge was dull out of the box, the handle felt cheap, and after three uses chopping vegetables it started to rust a little near the tang. I'm guessing the steel they used is garbage. But I've seen other people swear by these same $50-$80 cleavers from random online sellers, saying they hold an edge for months. So is it just luck of the draw with these small shops, or are these things always a scam and you should just buy a $40 Dexter or a $100 Shibazi from a known source? Anyone else get burned on one of these?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_lee1mo ago

Man, that's frustrating. It's the same pattern I see everywhere these days with anything that gets hyped up on social media. People see a cool video of some guy hammering hot metal and think they're getting artisanal quality, but really they're just buying into a vibe more than a product. It's like those cheap tools at the hardware store that look decent in the package but strip out the first time you use them, you're paying for looks and a story, not durability. You either get lucky with a batch that accidentally turned out good or you get the normal experience, rust and all.

joseph_coleman1mo ago

I got burned on one from "Blacksmith's Bloom" or something like that. Same story, dull edge, handle felt like painted pine, and after one onion the blade had these weird spots. The thing with these cheap forged cleavers is the steel is usually mystery metal from who knows where. Some people get lucky with a batch that actually got heat treated right, but most of them are just stamped and shaped without any real quality control. The ones that rust that fast probably have too much carbon and not enough proper forging technique. You're better off saving for a Shibazi or just grabbing a Dexter, because at least you know what you're getting with a factory that has standards.