If you are looking at trying your hand at preparing more of your own meats in the home kitchen, you are going to want to check this article out.

Top 3 Review for Best Knives for Chopping Bones

When you are preparing your own meats at home, it often involves a few different knives (or tools) in order to achieve clean cuts and neat pieces of meat (and bone) to cook with.

In this article we are going to focus on cutting into bones and the tools/knives you will need to achieve a cleanly cut bone safely and with minimal effort.  We will also provide a TOP 3 list (below) of the Best Knife for Chopping Bones.

Best Knives for Chopping Bones

DALSTRONG 7 inch Cleaver Gladiator German 

The Dalstrong is an impressive looking knife.  With it’s 7 inch cleaver blade and professional looking handle, it is clear why this cleaver is a favorite.

The blade of the cleaver is made up of Forged ThyssenKrupp German High Carbon Steel with an edge that will slice through bone like butter.  It is specifically designed to have a 14 – 16 degrees angle on the blades edge which affords it precision sharpness and durability to make it last.

The handle of the Dalstrong Cleaver is expertly designed with ABS Polymer materials and ergonomically designed to fit all grips.  The handle is also laminated with a coating to prevent bacteria from growing for the highest hygenic standards.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Dalstrong backs their products with a lifetime warranty with a promise of 100% guarantee satisfaction or your money back.  Now that’s saying something about the company’s belief in their products.

Pros

• stylish design and sheath to store the cleaver that will impress in the kitchen
• ergonomic handle design with anti-bacterial properties to prevent harbouring of bacteria
• lifetime warranty and risk-free purchase of the cleaver

Cons

•  some customers have found the handle to be too small for their hands, eventhough they say the cleaver is a well balanced knife

Imarku Meat Cleaver High Carbon Stainless Steel Butcher Knife 

The main highlight with the Imarku Meat Cleaver is the hgih density materials the cleaver is forged from.  The material that the blade comprises is a High Carbon German Stainless Steel which makes it extremely rust resistant, corrosion resistant, and highly durable.

What is different about this knife when compared to other cleavers is that the blade is only 2.5 mm thick.  Which is considerably thinner than most.  First impressions may leave you thinking that this just an oversized chef’s knife.  However, this is the brilliance of the Imarku cleaver.  It is lighter and thinner than most other cleavers, yet will achieve a perfect cut through bone to the same degree (or if not better) than it’s competitors.

Imarku boast an ergonomic handle to accompany the blade which is made from Pakka wood, which again is corrosion resistant.

Imarku also back their cleaver with a lifetime replacement guarantee, which means you can free reassured that you are receiving a quality knife.

Pros

• blade is made from High Carbon German Stainless Steel which is resistant to rust, corrosion and extremely durable
• thin, extra strong blade that is lighter than most other cleavers, but yields the same results
• lifetime replacement free warranty

Cons

•  not on the budget friendly side of the cleaver price range
• some customers have said the weight of the knife is a little bit unnerving that it is so light

Dalstrong 9 inch Obliterator Meat Cleaver 

Another brilliant meat cleaver from the Dalstrong range, but this one is a more heavy duty cleaver that sports a 6mm thick blade.

This Dalstrong 9 inch cleaver is the complete opposite to the Imarku cleaver.  It is heavy, it is chunky and it will slice through bone with little resistance.  Dalstrong claim the Obliterartor Meat Cleaver will achieve a clean chop of any bone with one swift chop.

Again, the Obliterator is made from Dalstrong’s infamous high quality preimium high carbon steel that has been heat tempered for extra strength and durability.

The G-10 handle is military grade and designed into an ergonomic style for ultimate comfort and control over the cleaver.

The Obliterator is also back by Dalstrong’s 100% satisfaction guarantee of your money back warranty.

Pros

• thick extra strong and durable blade for easy chopping of bones
• ergonomic handle design for comfort and control
• comes with a knife stand to display and store your cleaver
• lifetime warranty

Cons

•  this is a BIG knife.  It may not fit in your utility drawer and may have to sit on the kitchen bench top
• some customers have felt it is too big to be useful

Why you need a Separate Knife for Cutting Bones

Let us tell you from experience, you need a completely separate knife for cutting bones.

If you try and use your regular knives that are designed for cutting vegetables and other soft foods, you are going to blunt and warp them.  We have ruined many knives in the process of chopping bones, and it is extremely frustrating.  For one you won’t get through the bone (or you won’t have a clean cut).  And your knife will be mishaped and useless once you have finished.

The reason is because bone has a completely different type of denisty and make up of other foods.  And so it should, it holds us and animals upright for hours each day!  It also has what professional chef’s refer to as a ‘grain’.  This means the make up of bones is intertwined giving it extra strength that regular knives are not meant to cut through.

The best type of knives for chopping bones are cleavers.

Cleavers are designed to tackle the harder materials that you come across in the kitchen.  Their thicker blade design and tough steel materials make them the ideal candidate.  Let’s take a quick look at the features that you should be looking for in a cleaver for easy use of chopping bones.

Buyer’s Guide – Features to Look for in a knife for Chopping Bones

Construction and Material of Knife

For a cleaver that is going to be cutting through bone you will want to choose one that is made from one of two materials.  The two metals that you can consider are stainless steel or hardened carbon steel.

The nature of these two materials means they are tough enough to withstand the force exerted on them when chopping throught the bones.  And their dexterity means they can be shaped with a sharp and durable edge, for cleans cuts into the bone.

Handle Design

Another important feature to look at when choosing a cleaver is the handle design.  Ideally the handle will be ergonomically designed to provide a comfortable grip while using the cleaver.  It should fit into your hand snugly and have some texture to the surface to provide additional grip.  This is important to avoid the cleaver slipping out of your hand and potentially injurying yourself or someone else.

Weight of the Cleaver

A cleaver by its very nature is a chunky kitchen tool.  It needs to have some weight behind it to assist with the chopping action on the bone.  However at the same time, you don’t want to have a cleaver that is too heavy.  As this will become cumbersome and could cause you to lose control and accuracy over your chopping technique.  So it is a little bit of a Goldilocks story, you don’t want a cleaver that is too heavy, or too light.  You just want the cleaver to be just the perfect weight.

Final Verdict

Chopping bones in the kitchen can be a daunting task – especially if you do not have to right equipment.

If you are going down the path of cleaning your own meat in the home kitchen, do yourself a favor and invest in a cleaver that will make chopping bones a breeze.

We have suggested three very reputable cleavers that will make chopping bones like cutting through butter.  There is a mixture of light sharp cleavers, right through to the obliterator that is a heavy duty cleaver for the larger tasks.

Whichever cleaver you choose, you won’t go wrong with any of our suggested knives.