Carl Mertens Country 6" Cleaver

Over a million years ago, the homo erectus species were using sharp and thin stones like hand axes, which archaeologists often refer to as cleavers. Those stone cleavers evolved like their users, and eventually became known as the rectangular kitchen knives we use today. Although we aren't using stones to cut through the animals we hunt, we use cleavers to cut through thin or soft bones, like when cutting up a chicken. The Carl Mertens Country 6" Cleaver is a high quality knife made from some of the finest knife makers in the world. Handmade in Germany, the Carl Mertens country line is made with quality and durability in mind.

The Country Line

In more than 40 operations - from forging to hardening, grinding and mounting - the traditionally hand-forged quality knives of the Country line are produced. Each blade is hot forged from a single piece of chrome-molybdenum-vanadium steel and then hardened to approximately 58° Rockwell hardness. Experienced knife sharpeners give the knives the right sharpness. The blades are pulled off a ceramic disc with an angle of 14° on each side. This results in the extreme sharpness and high cutting ability along the entire length of the blade - from the blade tip to the cropping. The bolster - the typical feature for forged knives - provides the optimal balance of the knife and secures the hand from slipping into the blade. The handles of smoked oak are permanently attached to the blade with three stainless steel rivets. The individual grain makes each knife unique, and is what make the Country line so fantastic.

Handmade in Solingen, Germany

Solingen, Germany is known for their high quality cutlery. In fact, Solingen is known as the steel capital of the world and the "city of blades", and is where all Carl Mertens knives are made. In order to mark a product with the name Solingen, all key manufacturing stages must have been processed and finished within Solingen. The product must also meet strict quality standards in order to be entitled to use the "Made in Solingen" mark. This means that a knife that was completely crafted and assembled in Solingen can not say "Made in Solingen" unless it meets these required quality standards.