Dexter No. 5288 Cast Steel Butcher's Cleaver with Hickory Handle View Watchlist >
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Lot # F467
System ID # 29155016
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Dexter No. 5288 Cast Steel Butcher's Cleaver with Hickory Handle
A solid working cleaver by Dexter (John Russell Cutlery Co., Southbridge, Massachusetts), stamped "DEXTER" across the blade and again on the hickory handle alongside the model number 5288. The carbon steel blade carries a deep, mottled patina earned through years of butcher-block service, with a hang hole punched at the spine for shop storage. Three brass rivets secure the two-piece wood scales to the full tang.
An old hand-inked inventory label remains adhered to one side of the handle, reading "5288 Cleaver". Dexter cleavers of this pattern were the workhorse tool of American meat counters and home butchers from the late 19th century through the mid-20th, and the brand continues today as Dexter-Russell. A heavy, honest tool with the weight and balance the job demands.
CONDITION
Good. Heavy oxidation, staining, and surface pitting across both sides of the blade consistent with decades of use; the maker's stamp remains legible. Hickory handle is sound with light scuffing, the original paper inventory label partially intact.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall Length: 14"
- Blade: 4" × 8"
- Weight: 2 lb 6 oz
- Maker: Dexter (John Russell Cutlery Co.)
- Model: 5288
- Materials: Carbon steel blade, hickory handle, brass rivets
