Cleaver recommendation

[skarcher]

I saw the other cleaver thread, but it didn't have a lot of recommendations. I've been doing more Chinese cooking and want to get myself a cleaver, mainly for fun (I don't think there's much of a chance it'll replace my primary knives).
The main thing I'm looking for is stainless (I have carbon knives, just don't want it for the cleaver). I do have a nice nakiri, so one thing I'm wondering is if the small cleavers are going to be too similar? Otherwise I'm gravitating towards those. I don't eat meat, so while I want something robust, I won't be chopping anything harder than a squash .

Two options I'm looking at are the Kohetsu Small Slicer (https://www.chefknivestogo.com/ko1k6stsmsl2.html ) on the splurgy side or the Tojiro Chinese one (https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toststchcl.html ) as a frugal option, but very much open for others.

[Kerneldrop]

I have a Chopper King White #2. Here is the AUS10 version: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/taknkiau.html

I have nothing bad to say about it. It's big, beefy, thin grind, heavy, sharp.
I made a basic unfinished stand for it out of a scrap piece of 2x4
I rounded the non-cutting edges for comfort.
The heat treat mut be good because It took a while to round the edges on my 1x30 belt-sander.
I've sharpened well into the 100s of knives on my belt sander and the Chopper King by far took the most effort to reshape steel -- which is a good thing.

I admit to preferring smaller more sleek blades. But that's just me.
Hard to go wrong with a $60 option.

I think CCK dominates the cleaver scene. The grind pic on this stainless looks super thin, which is my preference: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/ccksmstcl.html

Here's the link to the Chopper King White #2 just in case: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/knkish2cl.html

[Kekoa]

Chopper King has stainless options that are priced between the two you are looking at and just based on the pictures, appear to have quite thin grinds. They look like they would perform quite well.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/taknkiau.html
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/chkivgsmsl21.html

As a disclaimer, I don't own a Nakiri, but I do own a Chinese Cleaver. I imagine that in general a Nakiri is going to be used the same way that most other knives are used, and specifically with the same grip. I find that the sheer height of a Chinese Cleaver makes it a very different knife to use, and is excellent it you want to get a knife that has a very different dynamic to it's use. That height allows you to use a grip that has three fingers on the blade with only two stabilizing the handle, which is what I usually do with my cleaver. This puts my hand farther forward and allows me to put my hand closer to above the ingredient rather than behind it, which again has a different dynamic and some advantages over grips that you are restricted to without that extra height.

In short, they are very different knives and very fun, great if you want some more variety available.

[JASinIL2006]

Since it’s your first cleaver, I’d suggest you don’t break the bank on a new knife style that may not ultimately be to your liking. The CCK listed above is a classic but it has become more expensive than it merits, IMO. The Chopper King is much more reasonably priced for a first foray into the world of cleavers. (I have a CCK and I like it, but it’s $50 more than the Chopper King.)

In any case, these are slicing cleavers; I am not sure I’d be choosing them if the goal is breaking down large, dense produce like squash.