Background (1): I'm not Asian, but I've been using Chinese cleavers for over 30 years. I used to own a restaurant, and when I first started cooking I gravitated toward Chinese cleavers (somewhat unusual for a white guy); they just seemed to me to have a very practical, common-sense design when you pick one up and use it. (The wide blade makes it much easier to guide the blade on the knuckles of your food-holding hand so that you can't cut yourself; and it also allows you to scoop up what you've chopped so you can easily move the food wherever you want it to go.)
Background (2): I used a Dexter/Russell Chinese cleaver for many years. After that I bought a Chinese cleaver made in Japan by Mac, for Martin Yan (same approximate dimensions of the Dexter), which I really loved; but I broke the blade cutting frozen chicken and couldn't find another since they stopped making it. Since then I've purchased maybe 10 Chinese cleavers -Martin Yan; Joyce Chen; Messermeister; Forschner; a heavy-duty Chinese cheapie ($6) for whacking through bones; and a few others. But I've never purchased a super-expensive one (e.g., one of the Japanese ones sold at JCK, some of which sell for close to $400). The most expensive Chinese cleaver I own is the Kershaw Shun DM0712, which now sells for $200, more or less. The Shun is very finely crafted, but it's small, heavy for its size, and, because of the weight of the blade, not particularly well-balanced.
Now, as for the Zhen Damascus -My initial impression is: (1) It's very very sharp; (2) It's extremely and surprisingly light for its size -light to the point that I'm a bit worried that it might be fragile. (Only time will tell.) The blade is thin at the spine (less than 2 mm.), and narrows severely to the edge -almost like a straight razor. However, there is no taper on the spine, from the heel to the point. (3) The craftsmanship is good to very good, but not obsessive/perfectionist, like top-level Japanese craftsmanship is; (4) It's well-balanced and well-designed (assuming, again, that it holds up); (5) The handle is very comfortable -but this may be a matter of personal preference; (6) Over all, it's pretty much what you should expect it to be, given its description and price.
$130 for a knife is not cheap; but it's less than half the price of top-tier Japanese knives of similar design. And the Zhen is clearly a knock-off of the Kershaw Shun -similar metal in the blade; similar handle design. But the dimensions (of the Large, which is what I bought) are very different from the Shun; and the workmanship is not quite as good. The blade out of the box, while literally razor sharp, had tiny burrs on the side of the edge. I could feel them with my fingernail. They were easily removed with a honing steel or fine stone, but it's the kind of thing that a high-end Japanese craftsperson would never have let go. Similarly, you can feel just a bit where the rear bolster attaches to the handle -it's not perfectly smooth. And where the bolster is welded to the blade, it's not as uniform and nicely done as the Shun. I attribute these slight imperfections to the fact that this is a $130 knife, not a $330 knife. If I had paid $330, and the knife was made in Japan, I'd be seriously disappointed, even though none of these things affect the knife's functionality.
That's about as much as I can say after just a day's use. I personally like this particular handle design -I find it very comfortable (similar to the Shun, but without the bulge toward the palm). So far the knife has been easy to use, though I'm still adjusting to its dimensions. (It's about 8" x 4"; the other cleavers I own are about 3" wide; but many of the top-end and commercial Chinese cleavers are 4" wide, or wider.) My primary concern is that the blade will prove to be fragile. (While I don't plan to whack bones with it, I do expect it to hold up when used as intended. And I'm trusting Zhen that the knife is really made from first-class Japanese steel. I hope they are telling the truth, but how can one really know?)
[Regarding fragility of blades: I've been surprised before. I found that the blades on my Dexter/Russels were easy to deform and knick. But the blade on my Messermeister -which I bought on E-Bay for $40 a few years ago -seemed very thin and light, to the point that I was worried that, though made in Japan, it could be fragile. But I was surprised to find that that thin and innocent-looking blade was actually really tough. Since it was only $40, it became my work horse, and I kept pushing it to see what it could handle. I eventually starting using it to chop chicken bones (both raw and cooked), including leg bones -and the blade doesn't bend or knick or anything. Pretty amazing.]
Anyway, the bottom line for the Zhen Damascus is that it seems well designed; it's very very sharp; craftsmanship is fine but not perfect; it's too early for me to report on the quality of the blade; and finally, relative to high-end Chinese cleavers it seems to be reasonably priced at $129.
UPDATE 6/15/12
Well, I've been using my new Zhen knife for about a month now. Overall, I'm very happy with it. For the first couple of weeks I was very cautious; the knife and I were getting to know one another. Among other things, it's so sharp that it tends to catch on the cutting board when I scoop up veges. (The remedy is to scoop, spatula-style, at a very very low angle.) But just a few days ago I realized that I was becoming very comfortable with the knife. At first I would have been more comfortable using one of my old knives, because that's what I was used to. But I now prefer the new one to my other knives -a good sign.
As with any razor-sharp blade, the edge dulls with use. But I've been able to keep it sharp with a few strokes on a stone (my main stone is soft arkansas) or, my favorite, a ceramic sharpening rod.
I still find the handle very comfortable. And I'm liking the extra width -it's great when cutting something big, like napa cabbage, or watermelon. And it also means I can scoop up a larger pile of stuff in one scoop.
Having said all of that, if you've never used a Chinese cleaver before, but you're thinking of giving one a try, IMHO this would not be a good choice. I say this because a 4" wide blade is indeed quite big; and the width of the blade definitely alters the ergonomics. All of my previous chinese cleavers had 3" wide blades. If you're thinking of trying out a Chinese cleaver, I'd suggest getting one with a 3" wide blade first. There are plenty to choose from. Get used to that. The 4" wide blade makes for a big knife.
Ergonomics note: If you get a chance, watch some cooks and prep-cooks in a Chinese kitchen. Chinese kitchens are set up very ergonomically -but they are very different from standard western kitchens. With respect to chopping and food prep, the counters tend to be lower, to make room for (1) the big fat round of a fir tree that is the chinese chopping block, and (2) the wide chinese cleaver. With a standard American kitchen counter, you may find (depending on your height, of course) that the 4" blade of a big chinese cleaver requires you to raise your arm and wrist higher than you're accustomed to. To a certain extent, this can off-set one of the advantage of a chinese cleaver -which is that you don't have to "push" the knife very much, because the cleaver's weight does much of the work.
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a few things to consider 1. this is not the top shelf Wusthof, this is an economical line, and as such the quality is above most knives but if you are looking for the best break out you checkbook because they cost alot more. 2. You should use an asian blade sharpener for sharpening this and other asain style blades you have. the angles are different and the blades are thinner so it dulls more easily but also sharpens faster. 3. overall I love this knife and even though I have more expensive blades I reach for this one first. I use it everyday!
