Thread: Meat cleaver

I wish to cut bone-in goat legs in to small pieces. Any recommendation for a manly cleaver to do the job and chances of retaining all fingers?

Cant recommend a cleaver sorry, but my advice is to rest the cleaver where you want to cut, then strike with a wood mallet or a deadblow hammer. Keeps fingers in tact and less bone fragments in meat

I use tree pruners that I keep especially for breaking down sheep and deer. Leg/shank bones, ribs, separating chops etc. Only ever use a saw for cutting down the spine.

The trouble with chopping is you get bone fragments which I find a pain. For cutting bone in sheep I use a bahco hand saw. I have also polished the paint off a recipro saw blade and use the reciprocating saw to cut it, although it can be a bit tricky to hold in 1 hand while your holding the leg or neck.

In my opinion a cleaver is good for separating chops and not much else. I'm with ruger man on this, slice cleanly to the bone then saw through and finish with the knife again.
If you have access to a bandsaw it's simplicity itself with a very chilled or frozen carcass.

Originally Posted by MB

I wish to cut bone-in goat legs in to small pieces. Any recommendation for a manly cleaver to do the job and chances of retaining all fingers?

For human consumption or for dog tucker?

If its for dog tucker, get one of the old flat bladed slash hooks and a good size chopping block. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

If its for human consumption buy a good meat hand saw (stay away from all the cheap crap ones and get a decent butchers saw), and buy a Triton super vice that you can set up outside. Freeze the shanks whole, and when you want to cook them, pull them out of the freezer, grab them by the knuckle in the Triton, and cut them into slices immediately while frozen. Meat saw will go straight through the frozen meat and bone and leave you with nice cuts. Throw them straight into a hot cast iron pot and brown them while frozen. Keeps the moisture in, then add all your other ingredients and slow cook.

This is how I process all of my game meat shanks now. Its my favourite.

@MB Been through all this years ago ,cutting bone with a cleaver or hatchet leaves bone slivers that are no good for humans or dogs ,we have been using the same thing we got switched on to using over 20 years ago ,while l was Guiding in Alaska .

Simply buy a cheap Reciprocating/Demo Saw (Currently have a 15 yr old Bosch ,but now mainly use a battery Ozito l brought over 5 yrs ago for $45 & never missed a beat) & a set of Stainless Steel, Food Grade, Reciprocating Saw Blades for Meat & Ice, last set l brought probably nearly 3 years ago was $10 delivered.

These have been a great add to the Farm tool kit ,as well as easily breaking down all carcasses ,it means we now just freeze large piles of frozen off cut meat ,from home kill beef,lamb etc for dog tucker & saw just slices through what is needed no fuss .

It is also great for cutting bones for marrow & for cooking ,all made to easy ,no vices needed ,no cut off appendages & clean & easy, missus often does it by herself on the kitchen bench ,when she is cooking up meat to cook up our Farm stew we feed our dog .

https://www.amazon.com/MRCGTCE-BXG-M...07WDW9PNW?th=1

I can take good advice, thanks. No cleaver, spend some more $$$.