Death Valley Magazine is releasing a limited series of handmade 'pocket cleavers' over the next five months - 10 per month, until they hit 50. The DVM Pocket Cleaver was designed by James G. of DVM and will be made by Robert Scheppman of R. Scheppman Knives. You can pre-order now; they will be shipped first come, first serve with a 30+ day lead time starting in December.
The idea, says, the designer, was inspired by several things.
"...way back in the day in another life I was a chef, one of the most used and best multipurpose knives in a professional kitchen is the Cleaver. There really isn’t anything that you cant do with it. And from living, traveling and working in Asia for so long you cant help notice the 30 year old cleaver being used in every chow shop from Bangkok to Hong Kong. It is just that versatile.
I am also a big fan of smaller Wharncliffe style knives for self defense. So when I was designing this I knew I wanted a straight edged blade. On a resent trip to Indonesia I saw a Pineapple street vendor chopping with a cleaver that had an edge ground into the front. I thought it was a brilliant idea, basically you get two Wharncliffe style cutting surfaces on a single blade that can be used for cutting on every imaginable motion..."
Realizing the impracticality of carting a full-blown cleaver around a la Bill the Butcher, they reduced the size and based the handle on that of the R. Scheppmann Drop-Point PDK but using a cleaver head and a dual flat chisel-grind. Steel is A2 Tool Steel; primary edge is 3", 2 1/2" front edge, 1/8" thick blade.
There you have it. Something you can cook with, fight with or just intimidate the hell out of someone with. If Mr. Wu and William Poole were running convoys or doing PSD work, this is what they'd have on their plate carrier.
Pre-order yours now. $350 US.
Mad Duo Clear
About the Authors: Richard “Swingin’ Dick” Kilgore and Jake “Slim” Call represent a writing team of about a dozen current and former military, LE and PMSC personnel. The HMFICs at Breach-Bang-Clear (www.BreachBangClear.com), they are the most door-kickingest, trigger-pullingest action figures in the tactically operational tactical operator world. Subscribe to them and stay informed about TTPs, new kit, and latest in what's stoopid (and occasionally inspiring) in the military and modern society or check them out on Facebook. No pansies, pussies, anti-gunners, fans of Rachel Maddow or unwashed hippies, please.
