White River Knife & Tool makes some of the most well-designed and well-built bladed implements on the market today. I’m far from being the only person with that opinion. I mean, there’s a reason several other knife brands outsource their own products to the company. This is why it is always worth taking notice when White River releases products like its Camp Cleaver.
The White River Knife & Tool Camp Cleaver
I’ve owned a dozen or more knives that White River produced, and there’s not a dud in the bunch. So, I came to the table with zero apprehension and 100% excitement when I had the opportunity to play around with their Camp Cleaver.
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It’s billed as a versatile camp and hunting tool that’s built for both cutting and chopping. I don’t use cleavers all that much in my daily life. However, I do use choppers from time to time to process firewood and such. Given the belly on this Camp Cleaver, I could tell straight off that it would be excellent for food prep. I wasn’t disappointed, either.
Cleaving Through the Details
One of the first things anyone new to White River Knife & Tool probably notices is the box they receive. Instead of the standard white cardboard box most knife makers use, you get a wood display box.
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It’s lined with foam to cradle your knife as it ships to your door. I don’t know of another production knife company out there that routinely tops White River when it comes to packaging and presentation.
As befitting the cleaver moniker, this is a fairly large tool. It measures 10.25 inches, with a 5.5-inch blade. They chose CPM S35VN steel for this knife. It weighs 9.3 ounces. They offer a few choices for handle material, and mine is natural burlap micarta. Also available are black burlap micarta and a black and OD green burlap micarta.
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The tang is slightly proud, protruding just a touch from the scales all the way around the handle. I was worried that this might prove bothersome, but that wasn’t the case at all. If anything, it provided a bit of extra traction when I was using the Camp Cleaver with wet hands.
There is a hole near the top of the blade, so you can hang the cleaver out of the way as you’re using it in camp. For example, if you’re butchering meat, you can hang the knife as you’re moving things around, so you don’t bump into it.
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The spine is slightly rounded, enough so that I was unable to generate sparks from a ferrocerium rod. Personally, that’s not a deal breaker, as this isn’t a knife I’d likely carry as my primary blade in the field. Plus, a rounded spine is more comfortable under the thumb when making push cuts.
On the Hip
The Camp Cleaver comes with a very nice leather sheath. It’s a pouch-style sheath, where the knife rests deep inside. There is a belt loop on the back that should accommodate up to a 2.5-inch belt.
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I’m generally not a lanyard guy, but in this case, I’d recommend it. If for no other reason than to make drawing the knife from the sheath a bit easier. When I say it rides deep in the leather, I’m not exaggerating. There’s only about 1.25 inches of the handle exposed.
Cutting and Chopping with the Camp Cleaver
A cleaver’s purpose is to cleave, so that’s where I started. It was lunchtime, and I grabbed a couple of apples from the refrigerator. I’m sure my wife was wondering why I felt it necessary to chop the apples in half. Then again, she’s used to me doing odd things when I’m working on a knife review. The Camp Cleaver chopped through the apples like they weren’t there. No hesitation, no problems at all.
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I then used it to slice up the apple. I thought using such a large knife for this small of a task would be cumbersome, but not so much. While slicing an apple is hardly delicate surgery, I was surprised by how nimble the blade was with this sort of task.
Moving outside, I used the Camp Cleaver to chop up a few branches. Each swing dug deep into the wood, even with only moderate effort. Some might understand when I say the blade seemed hungry.
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We have a couple of black walnut trees on the property. At certain times of the year, they are the bane of my existence. I used the cleaver to vent some of my frustrations on a green walnut. I’m not going to say it cleaved the nut in half like some sort of magic sword. However, it did a lot of damage with just a couple of swings.
Over the last few months, I’ve used the Camp Cleaver for cutting cordage, slicing cheese, breaking down cardboard boxes, and more. After all of that, and without touching up the blade at all, it still cut paper with ease.
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Is it wrong that I want a permanent outdoor kitchen now? Specifically, so I have a place to hang and use this Camp Cleaver?
Who Needs the Camp Cleaver?
White River Knife & Tool has long been one of my favorite knife companies. They’re good people producing exceptional products. The Camp Cleaver is no exception. That alone nudges it toward the Must Buy column.
That said, this isn’t a knife every person needs. If you’re a casual camper or a day hiker, it’s probably a bit too much knife for you. If you don’t do much scratch cooking, you probably won’t have much use for it.
Tell you what, though. You’d be cooler if you had one anyway.
White River Knife & Tool Camp Cleaver Specs
| Overall Length | 10.25 inches |
| Blade Length | 5.5 inches |
| Steel | S35VN |
| Weight | 9.3 ounces |
| MSRP | $255 |
