Cleaver Handle Router Template (Clear Acrylic)
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Cleaver Handle Template - Clear Acrylic
Create a cleaver-style handle detail in your charcuterie boards, serving boards, and butcher-inspired woodworking projects with this reusable clear acrylic handle template. This template is designed to help you trace a consistent cleaver handle shape onto your board before cutting it out with a jig saw or band saw.
The cleaver handle style is a great option when you want a board that feels a little more unique, bold, and kitchen-inspired. It works well for charcuterie boards, serving boards, cheese boards, butcher-style display boards, and gift pieces where the handle becomes part of the overall design.
What You Can Make With This Template
This cleaver handle template is a great fit for board-making projects where you want a more recognizable handle shape, including:
- Charcuterie boards with cleaver-style handles
- Serving boards, cheese boards, and snack boards
- Butcher-inspired display boards and kitchen gift projects
- Live edge boards with a unique handle detail
- Square edge boards made from dimensional lumber or cutting board blanks
- Market products, housewarming gifts, wedding gifts, and small batch production pieces
- Boards made from walnut, maple, cherry, white oak, ash, exotic woods, or mixed-species glue-ups
A cleaver-style handle can make a finished board feel more custom and memorable. It is a strong choice for makers who want to offer something different from a standard round, oblong, or rectangle handle design.
Why Use a Clear Acrylic Handle Template?
A clear acrylic handle template makes it easier to place the cleaver handle exactly where it looks best before cutting. Because the template is transparent, you can see the wood grain, live edge, colour variation, knots, epoxy details, and overall board layout underneath.
- Reusable for repeat projects: Trace the same cleaver handle shape across multiple boards.
- Clear for better placement: See the wood underneath so you can position the handle around grain, knots, live edge movement, or epoxy details.
- Distinctive cleaver profile: Adds a bold kitchen-inspired handle detail to charcuterie boards and serving boards.
- Great for live edge and square edge boards: Use it on natural edge boards, rectangular blanks, or mixed-species glue-ups.
- Designed for tracing: Trace the shape onto your board, then cut it out with a jig saw or band saw.
Recommended Products to Use With This Template
For best results, pair this handle template with the right accessories, wood, and finish for your project:
- Template Tape - Use this to secure the acrylic template to your board while tracing the handle shape.
- Flush Trim Plunge Bit - Useful if you choose to refine a rough-cut profile with a router and suitable setup.
- UltraTrim Spiral Flush Trim Bit - Great for cleaning up profiles when used with the proper routing process and safe workholding.
- Dimensional Wood - A great option for making square edge serving boards, cheese boards, and charcuterie boards.
- Live Edge Wood - Ideal for natural edge charcuterie boards and serving boards with character.
- Cutting Board Strips - A simple way to build your own cutting board, serving board, or charcuterie board blank from ready-to-use hardwood strips.
- Cutting Board Accents - Great for adding colour, contrast, and detail to mixed-species cutting boards, serving boards, and charcuterie boards.
- Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil - Best for projects that will be used as actual cutting boards.
- Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil - A great finish choice for charcuterie boards and serving boards that will not be cut on.
If the board will be used for cutting, choose a cutting board oil. If the board will be used mainly for serving, charcuterie, display, or entertaining, a hardwax oil finish such as Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil or Rubio Monocoat can be a great option.
How to Use This Handle Template
- Choose your board: Start with your live edge board, dimensional wood blank, cutting board blank, or serving board material.
- Plan the handle location: Place the clear acrylic template on the board and adjust it until the cleaver handle looks balanced with the shape, grain, and size of the board.
- Secure the template: Apply Template Tape to the back of the acrylic template and press it firmly onto the wood.
- Trace the handle: Trace the cleaver handle shape onto your board using the acrylic template as your guide.
- Cut the shape: Cut out the traced shape with a jig saw or band saw, then refine and sand the edges as needed.
- Remove the template carefully: Once the handle is traced, remove the acrylic template and store it safely for future use.
- Sand and finish: Sand the handle and board smooth, then apply the right finish based on whether the board will be used for cutting or serving.
Watch: How to Use Acrylic Router Templates
This video walks through the basic process of using clear acrylic woodworking templates, including securing the template, routing safely, and getting repeatable results. For this cleaver handle template, follow the product-specific guidance above and use it primarily as a tracing template before cutting with a jig saw or band saw.
Template Details
- Product: Cleaver Handle Template
- Material: Clear acrylic
- Template Thickness: 1/4"
- Template Size: 11.5" wide by 5.25" tall
- Cleaver Cutout Size: 5.5" long by 1.5" on the blade side and 1/2" on the handle side
- Template SKU: 01-002
- Use: Tracing cleaver-style handle cutouts for charcuterie boards, serving boards, and woodworking projects
- Reusable: Yes
Helpful Router Template Guides
New to woodworking templates or looking to get cleaner results? These guides can help you choose the right template, router bit, and process for your project:
- Template Guides
- Best Templates For Charcuterie Boards
- Handle Template Guide
- Router Template Guide
- What Router Bit Do I Need?
- Template Routing for Beginners
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this a cleaver handle template?
This template is used to create a cleaver-style handle shape for charcuterie boards, serving boards, and other kitchen-inspired woodworking projects. It gives the finished piece a more distinctive look than a standard round or rectangle handle.
Is this template meant for routing or tracing?
This cleaver handle template is designed to be traced onto your wood and then cut out with a jig saw or band saw. You can refine and sand the shape after cutting.
Can I use template tape with this template?
Yes. Template tape is recommended because it helps hold the acrylic template in place while you trace the cleaver handle shape onto your board.
Can I use this template for charcuterie boards and serving boards?
Yes. This template is a great fit for charcuterie boards, serving boards, cheese boards, butcher-inspired boards, kitchen gifts, and similar woodworking projects.
Does this work on live edge wood?
Yes. The clear acrylic makes it easier to position the cleaver handle on live edge wood while working around the natural edge, grain movement, knots, and other board features.
Can I use it on square edge boards?
Yes. This cleaver handle shape also works well on square edge boards made from dimensional lumber, cutting board strips, cutting board accents, or mixed-species glue-ups.
Can I reuse this template?
Yes. This clear acrylic handle template is reusable and can be used for multiple boards as long as it is handled carefully and stored properly between uses.
Should I use cutting board oil or hardwax oil?
If the board will be used as an actual cutting board, use a cutting board oil such as Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil. If the board will be used mainly as a serving board, charcuterie board, or display piece and will not be cut on, Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil or Rubio Monocoat can be a great finish choice.
Add a bold cleaver-style handle to your next charcuterie board, serving board, or kitchen gift project with a reusable clear acrylic template made for accurate layout and repeatable results. Pair it with quality hardwood, template tape, careful cutting, clean sanding, and the proper finish to create boards that feel custom, functional, and ready to use.
