knife recommendation for butchering

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fisher2

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Oct 28, 2014
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well, i've been using my pocket knives for everything from gutting to table, but im looking for a set of fixed blades better suited for the task, say 70$ per knife max also anyone with tips on what to look for in a knife steel.

all i do is separate muscles and then cut steaks or grind, nothing else.
 
I don't know how big yer critters are. For (many) years I have used plain old Buck 121, 105, 102 or 118 pattern knives with black phenolic handles. No glamour here, but they sharpen up well, wash up well, hold an edge. This is for deer and pronghorns, and I have gone through (literally) 200 to 300 for myself and other people. If I was doing elk or moose or cattle on a "more-than-one-or-two" basis I might look at something else, like (duh) the 119 pattern. These are very reasonable in price if you shop the old auction site and do it smart. Used ones with some blade loss will easily last scores more years, more than a lifetime. I love non-stainless steel knives to collect and even to use a little, but, really, not in the kitchen or the boucherie. Anything beyond the basic Buck knife is certainly fine, to appeal to your sense of aesthetics or whatever. I think a seamless surface over the whole knife (no wood, no cracks, interstices, jigging, etc.) is good for cleanliness. Also, against all logic, the (overall) safest cutting boards are WOOD. (yes, yes, I know). Believe it. And read about it in one of the links Bernard Levine provides in his subforum. These are just my opinions, based on a lot of years, but you might get some better advice from someone younger, and therefore wiser.
 
For deer I use a skinning knife for initial gutting and hide removal. But for butchering I absolutely love my old fashion carbon steel knives, specifically an ancient 7" ForgeCraft butcher knife and an 8" Old Hickory Slicer. They take a wicked toothy edge and slice meat like butter. I use a honing steel handy to keep the edge at peak performance. I also use this combo in the kitchen for breaking down whole turkey and chicken. When I have meat to cut I reach past my very nice and expensive Wustoff and Henckles Pro knives for the Old Hickory.
They can be bought new for $10-15 or even cheaper used at thrift stores or yard sales.
 
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I use a Tojiro Western Deba for cutting up whole chickens. It is VG10, but the heat treatment is excellent. It holds an edge and is not chippy, and the edge does not roll when going through bone. This is more expensive than you would like. It replaced an Old Hickory butcher knife that I used for this purpose. The 1095 in the Old Hickory takes a good edge, but won't hold it long when dealing with lobster tails or other difficult chores. Tojiro makes excellent knives. Take a look at their boning knives online. The cost is a little above your budget, but they are worth it.
I also have some boning and other kitchen knives from Warthers. They make excellent knives in S35V steel. This is going to hold an edge for a long time, and is even better in some ways than the more expensive knives in VG10. Check them out online.
 
Just buy a couple boning knives by Dexter,F Dick or Victorinox Forschner. 5 or 6 inch blade get a straight and curved.No the steel isn't premium but they work and you won't find a more comfortable handle on any knife I'am talking the plastic ergo grip handles.For skinning a USA made Schrade Sharpfinger works as good as any.As far as cutting steaks a little longer blade works better.A tip for cutting the steaks put the meat in a freezer till it firms up.A thick bladed hunting knife is about the worse choice to use to debone and trim a fillet knife is better.Buy a couple inexpensive knives to try if you decide to spend more you will have an idea what blade style you like or you may find they are all you need.
 
I haven't seen anything here that isn't good advice, except I might add that the Buck knives I mention are not "thick bladed." Boning, trimming and cutting up meat for the freezer is not particularly demanding in terms of the knives used, anyway. How many hours a year would you need to dedicate special instrumentation for this task? Now, in the kitchen, that is a different story, because those of us that prepare food do it on most days, and some of us (not me) do it for quite a long time on most days. And that is where individual preferences and specialization begin to be important. Jmo.
 
He can buy two or three knives designed for the job for the price of one of the Bucks you listed.The knives designed for boning and and trimming work a lot better and easier than any hunting knife
 
on venison i do about 3 deer a year, i do between 80 and 100# of pork on top of that so i do between 200-300# every year, but mostly what im looking for is after the primals have already been removed, something thin for removing silver skin, cutting the steaks out quickly, cubing and such
 
For me it would be F Dick or Victorinox Forschner I only have one or two Dexters they seem a little harder to sharpen.Make sure you get a curved blade one.They look a little different but that's what every full time butcher I know uses
 
fisher, by all means follow the advice of the other posters. I just wanted to chime in and correct some bad information which really has no bearing on your needs but does need to see the light of day. Buck knives in the patterns I quoted have hollow-ground blades which are thinner and more silky smooth in their course through raw meat than the bulk butcher knives quoted above which are marketed to packing houses and butcher shops. They are more expensive when purchased in the box with paperwork and sheaths. I use them because I already owned them and there was therefore no reason to buy additional knives which would have been no better for the job. I hope this clarifies my earlier post. I did not mean to suggest you buy Buck knives. The bulk common butcher knives like Victorinox are a good choice. Just stay away from non-stainless blades and wooden handles, which collect bacteria in the interstice or joint between the handle and the tang. Those knives have a retro or nostalgia appeal but have been obsolete for decades. Enjoy your meat-cutting work and the wonderful meals which ensue! I just made a great gumbo tonight with venison, kielbasa and shrimp. Yum!
oh, here is a p.s.: Do not throw out the possibility of using ordinary fillet knives. If properly sharpened, they may do the best job of all. And, of course, we tend to forget the number one consideration: sharpness. Any pattern knife, however inappropriate to the job, will be better than the perfect knife if it is dull.
 
Whats the difference between a boning knife and a fillet knife?You say the knives I recommended are no better than the hunting knives you recommended but then you say a fillet knife may be best of all?
 
fisher2 said:
on venison i do about 3 deer a year, i do between 80 and 100# of pork on top of that so i do between 200-300# every year, but mostly what im looking for is after the primals have already been removed, something thin for removing silver skin, cutting the steaks out quickly, cubing and such
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I tend to stick with a pretty simple kit, I like having a 4" trainling point of some kind, a similar in length petty, and bone saw for primals of that size.
 
Fujiwara FKM Stainless Boning 145mm would be an inexpensive option. A Japanese Honesuki would be my suggestion for use when not in the field.
 
salmonkiller said:
Fujiwara FKM Stainless Boning 145mm would be an inexpensive option. A Japanese Honesuki would be my suggestion for use when not in the field.
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+1 on the honesuki. I have a single beveled honesuki from Konosuke, and its a beast for breaking down primals. Perhaps a honkotsu?
 
salmonkiller said:
Fujiwara FKM Stainless Boning 145mm would be an inexpensive option. A Japanese Honesuki would be my suggestion for use when not in the field.
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Great recc. :thumbup: I typically bring these knives into the field and for the cost you'll get years of service out of them.
 
Having worked as a meat cutter for several years, this is what I recommend:

Victorinox Cutlery 6-Inch Curved Boning Knife, Black Fibrox Handle
This will be your boning knife and will be the knife you use 90% of the time

Victorinox Cutlery 10-Inch Curved Breaking Knife, Black Fibrox Handle
This will cut your steaks and break down pork butt. You will use this 10% of the time.

Some prefer this knife to the Curved Breaking Knife.
Victorinox Forschner Fibrox Yellow Handle Butcher Knife w/ 9.5" Stainless Steel Blade
I've used both and slightly prefer the Breaking Knife for breaking and cutting steaks. If you wanna split chicken the Butcher knife is better though.

For $60 or less you'll have all you need. Working commercially we wanted effective knives that wouldn't break the bank or break our hearts if borrowed, lost, or damaged and the Vics fit the bill. Now if you want something a with a little more class the sky is the limit. There are plenty of high quality production knives that will do the same as the Vics but look nicer (ie. Henckels, Wustoff, Shun, etc.). Above that there are custom makers on the forum here that would gladly make exactly what you want. But bang for the buck you can't beat the Victorinox butcher knives. Some of the knives listed with Fibrox handles also come in a version with rosewood for a couple of dollars more.
 
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