Antique Hand Forged Butcher Cleaver Hog Bone Splitter 2.4 Lbs Turned Wood Handle For Sale

​Antique 19th-Century Hand-Forged Heavy Butcher's Bone Cleaver / Compact Hog Splitter

​Up for sale is a rugged, authentic late-1800s to early-1900s heavy-duty butcher's bone cleaver. Rather than the later 20th-century factory style with flat riveted handle scales, this early piece features traditional 19th-century edge-tool construction—characteristic of early American makers like Wm. Beatty & Son or August Nittinger, as well as custom stockyard blacksmith work.

​Weighing in at a hefty 2 lbs 4 oz, this cleaver was built for serious packinghouse or farmstead work. It is a fantastic piece for an antique tool or cutlery collector, a traditional butcher, a restoration project, or a standout piece of rustic farmhouse/kitchen decor.

​Key Features & Construction:

• ​Heavy Through-Tang Build: Features a heavy forged iron bolster/ferrule seated directly into the recessed heel of the blade, running through the handle to a thick iron pommel nut peened tightly over the end.

• ​Custom Forged Finger Stop / Belt Hook: Pinched beneath the heavy iron pommel cap is a curved, hand-forged iron hook—designed both to keep the heavy chopper from slipping out of a slick hand during heavy swings and to hang the tool on a butcher's rail or belt ring.

• ​Turned Hardwood Handle: Original lathe-turned hardwood handle with classic incised grip rings around the top, middle, and base.

• ​Carbon Steel Blade: Thick, forward-weighted carbon steel blade with a swept profile and a cleanly punched 1/2-inch hanging hole at the toe.

​Approximate Measurements:

• ​Weight: 2 lbs 4 oz (36.7 oz)

• ​Overall Length: Approx. 15.5" to 16"

• ​Blade Length: Approx. 8" to 8.5" along the cutting edge

• ​Blade Width: Approx. 4.5" at the widest point near the toe

• ​(Please see photos on the 1-inch grid mat and scale for exact visual sizing.)

​Condition Report:

• ​Untouched Antique Patina: Offered in untouched, "as-found" antique condition with a dark, even oxidation/rust patina across the steel and iron hardware.

• ​Maker's Mark: No visible maker's stamp can be seen through the current surface patina; we have not attempted to sand, wire-wheel, or clean the blade so the next owner can preserve or restore it as they see fit.

• ​Working Wear: The spine shows authentic heavy mushrooming and battering from generations of being struck with a wooden mallet to split thick bone. The cutting edge itself remains remarkably straight and solid with no major chips or cracks.

• ​Handle: The turned wood handle has great age character, expected surface wear, and dark staining from decades of handling, with the iron bolster, hook, and pommel cap all intact.

Please see photos for complete description and condition. Please contact me with any questions you have.