Street food market in Chiang Mai put my knife skills to shame

Watched this vendor break down a whole pork shoulder in like 90 seconds using just a cleaver that looked 20 years old. Made me rethink how much I rely on my fancy kit, anyone else had a humbling moment like that on vacation?

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1 Comment

young.thomas4d ago

Was the cleaver actually dull or just beat up looking? I've noticed a lot of these old blades have a wicked edge that's just hidden under years of patina and wear marks. My expensive chef's knife probably couldn't keep up with that speed either, but I bet it's more about their muscle memory than the tool itself. Did you try asking the vendor about their sharpening routine or did the language barrier keep you from getting the real answer?