Pro tip: Using a dull knife on the bone actually works better for certain cuts

Tbh I spent years thinking sharper is always better. Been a butcher since around 2015 in a shop near Columbus. Last month I was working through a tough chuck roll and my sharpest blade kept catching on the bone splinters. Out of frustration I grabbed this old beater knife I use for scraping. It actually slid along the bone way smoother and I got cleaner meat off the rib section. Anyone else go against the grain with their blade choice?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.casey10d ago

Nah you're right, dull catches less bone grit.

roberts959d ago

Yeah, "dull catches less bone grit" hit home for me. Last deer season I got lazy with my knife, didn't touch it up before a gut job. Thought I was being smart, saving time. Ended up sawing through the pelvis with what felt like a butter knife. Took me twenty minutes and my arm was cramping. Meanwhile my buddy with the razor sharp blade was done in five. Guess dull has its moments but not when you're actually trying to get work done quick.

kellys789d ago

Last year I actually broke a tip off my favorite field knife trying to chop through a pelvis with a blade that was basically a brick. @carter.casey I think you're both right though. Dull knives have their place when you're worried about hitting bone and chipping the edge, but man, trying to finish a gut job with a butter knife is pure misery. I swear I heard my joints popping louder than the deer's did. Sharp wins for speed, dull wins for not ruining your blade.