Serbian Cleavers
A mysterious hooded chef sitting on a rock next to a bubbling stream takes a massive knife, a cleaver shaped like a quarter circle, and chops through vegetables or a huge grilled steak. Next to him, a wood fire around some dark stones crackles and pops while birds chirp in the distance. This is the bushcraft phenomenon—the aspiration to get more rustic as technology gets more advanced—and cleavers are often the stars of its ubiquitous videos. So much so that Almazan Kitchen, a YouTube channel based in Serbia, made the uniquely-shaped cleaver so popular that they’re now simply known as Serbian chef knives.
They’re the culinary equivalent of off-roading through the Utah desert or building makeshift shelters in the snow. While they prompt the tingling sensation that comes with roughing it, cleavers don’t have to live only on a pile of rocks and a small cutting board. They can be practical tools in a home kitchen. And because they’re often sold with a thick leather sheath, they can be packed into the camping bag and go with you when it’s time to head outdoors.
Companies like Forged Blade and Almazan Kitchen tout these cleavers for kitchen use, but are they actually any good? In practice they represent a give and take. They do nothing a regular chef’s knife couldn’t do except hack away at beef bones. The wide blade does, however, make picking up food from the cutting board easier. Typically, the steel for these knives is softer, which means they will dull faster. However, sharpening them is also easier.
Still, it’s hard to deny the popularity of Serbian chef knives. Amazon sellers carry versions of them in a dizzying array of styles and quality. Some have gone so far as to create layered Damascus steel versions that are almost too elegant to use by a campsite. That defeats the charm of these cleavers. They look best with weathered blades and worn handles. Like when your Range Rover is covered in mud after fording a stream—just badass.
