Starter · Updated 2026-10-24
Saw Cleaver
The messengers in the Hunter’s Dream offer the Saw Cleaver as a starting weapon. If you picked something else, the Saw Hunter Badge lets you buy it. The folded cleaver form counts as serrated. The extended form does not. Strength scaling beats skill scaling.
For an early PvE route, the cleaver offers fast attacks and a useful serrated form without extra starting levels. The Saw Spear is an alternative with serration in both forms; choosing between them is about moveset and attribute investment, not a universal strongest-weapon label.
Requirements and a second chance to buy it
The Saw Cleaver requires 8 Strength and 7 Skill, so every origin can equip it immediately. Choose it from the Hunter's Dream starter gifts, or collect the Saw Hunter Badge in the Central Yharnam aqueduct near the giant boar and buy it from the Dream Bath Messengers.
Forms and a simple PvE build
Use the folded form for quick, low-stamina attacks and the serration bonus against enemies flagged as weak to serrated damage. The extended form gives reach but does not retain that bonus. Not every enemy called a beast in the story shares the same damage flags.
As an editorial first-playthrough plan, raise Vitality toward 30 while upgrading the weapon, then build Strength toward 25; Skill can follow for a mixed physical build. This is a practical progression suggestion, not a measured best-DPS allocation. Reserve stamina for an evasive step after each short combo.
Upgrades and gems
The standard path uses Blood Stone Shards through +3, Twin Shards through +6, Chunks through +9 and a Blood Rock for +10. Gem slots open at +1, +3 and +6. Use the Blood Gem Workshop Tool in the Dream to fit compatible gems; the gem guide covers that separate unlock.
Questions
Is the Saw Cleaver serrated?
The folded form is serrated. The extended form is not. The bonus applies to enemies with the relevant weakness, not automatically every creature.
Can I get it if I chose the axe?
Yes. Collect the Saw Hunter Badge beside the boar in the Central Yharnam aqueduct and buy it from the Hunter's Dream Bath Messengers.