My uncle's question about my knife angle stopped me mid-cut

I was breaking down a pork shoulder last Sunday at the shop when my uncle, who ran a slaughterhouse in Ohio for 30 years, wandered in. He watched me for a minute and said, "You're fighting the blade, not using it." I laughed it off, but then he showed me how he tilts his wrist 15 degrees lower on the downstroke, letting the weight of the knife do the work. I tried it on the next few cuts, and honestly, my forearm felt less tired after 20 minutes and the slices came out way more even. I've been cutting for 8 years and never once thought about my angle beyond what felt natural. He also told me he sharpens his boning knife every 30 minutes on the job, which blew my mind since I only touch mine once a shift. Do any of you adjust your blade angle based on the meat, or is that just an old timer thing?

0 comments

0 Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this discussion.