Chinese vs. French

I recently bought a Chinese Cleaver, purely out of curiosity (and because it was super cheap), and I've come to enjoy using it very much. I also own a great chef's knife, which I also enjoy using. I'm curious if there are any others that use both and even more curious to know if there is a preference for one over the other. I've used my cleaver for pretty much everything that I've also used my chef's knife for and in some cases the cleaver was better. In most cases they performed the same. Just curious to know what the general consensus is. Thanks!

I don't have a Chinese cleaver anymore so I guess thats my answer to a chef's knife choice until last Mothers Day. VI and the Condiment Queen on my request bought me a Santou knife. The suprising thing is it is from Calphalon and only cost $40. The reason they told them is was that it was made in China and exactly like the Wustof Trident for $85. Needless to say my chef's knife has not been out of the block since. It even cuts tomatoes. Use it daily. By the way all my other knives are Henkels and I always thought they were the best.
Paulette

Chinese cleaver > *

except maybe for sushi... i prefer taiwanese made cleavers w/ better handles and typically harder steel, but they've become hard to find in the states. so i stole my mom's since she doesn't cook anymore...

I use both, and have since culinary school. So did a number of my classmates.

Might one or several of you who prefer the cleaver describe the reason(s) for your preference? I've never used anything except the 'garden-tool'-quality ones (wooden handle, awful metal) we could buy in the market in Wuhan... might could be that I should ought to try a good one, eh?

Much appreciated!

Geo

My preference for the cleaver so far is mainly in the weight difference between the two knives. The cleaver feels much more significant to me and I feel like I have more control over it. It's also great for scooping. I'm trying to get used to switching back and forth depending on the application, but so far it's been like warming up with a weighted bat. When I switch back to my chef's knife it feels so small and light, which is not my preference. My next test will be using a "good" cleaver versus a cheap one. I bought mine for $16, but it's very solid and since I had it sharpened will slice every bit as good as my chef's knife.

I prefer a chefs' knife for most purposes. I feel like I have more control. The cleaver is too heavy. I do use a cleaver when I really want to whack something apart. But for everyday chopping, I like the rocking action of a chefs' knife.