Oyster Knife Edge

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BlakesHitch

Joined
Dec 24, 2003
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The Messermeister Oyster Knife that I just bought has a factory edge that is intentionally blunt. The blade is 1/16" thick and the edge measures 0.022" thick! I know that oyster knives are more for prying than cutting, but should I sharpen it just a bit?
 
Sharpen the two side edges, which are used to cut the muscle that holds the two shells together, once the knife has been inserted between the two shells.

File the tip square, like a screwdriver, so there is about 1/8" to 1/4" flat tip. Then sharpen this new edge. This is used to wiggle in between the two shells. I find that a squared-off tip is more controllable than a pointed tip...I really don't like a skipping oyster knife, especially when it seems to like my flesh! The squared-off tip also seems to "find" the crack between shells better than a pointed tip.

Pocketknife, the oyster shucker guy.

P.S. Don't believe that stuff about oysters being excellent aphrodisiacs. I ate 12 of them one night, and only 5 of them worked. :D
 
Oyster knives are intentionally blunt for a reason. They don't need to be sharp, either for prying open the shell or for cutting through the soft muscle to release the oyster. I recommend that you use it with the factory edge. If you do sharpen it, be sure to use very good hand protection (such as a steel mesh fillet glove).
 
I disagree, Jim, having worked at an oyster processing plant, as well as having shucked oysters recreationally for a few decades. (mainly Japanese AKA: Pacific oysters). A blunt edge on the knife tip is apt to skip off the shell, which is annoying, and dangerous. A blunt side edge is not that big a deal, but if sharp, cuts the muscle cleaner, rather than tearing it.

Professionals' oyster knives ARE sharp, and are kept sharpened, with the file that sits to the side of the shucker's table. Perhaps "consumer" oyster knives are blunt as a manufacturer's cost saving, and possibly also the manufacturers think that if dull, they would be safer in the hands of people who rarely shuck oysters.
Speaking of consumer vs. professional oyster knives, the pros' knive have no guards. Guards would be painful on the fingers, over a long work day, but are okay if you're only openning a doz or so.

BlakesHitch, I forgot to say in my first reply, that a single-cut bastard file is all that's necessary for sharpening your oyster knife....no need to fuss with a stone.
 
Pocketknife, I defer to your expertise. I've done a lot of oyster-shucking with fairly dull, factory-edge knives, but not professionally. Maybe I should try sharpening sharpening up one of those suckers and try it out.
 
BlakesHitch said:
The Messermeister Oyster Knife that I just bought has a factory edge that is intentionally blunt. The blade is 1/16" thick and the edge measures 0.022" thick! I know that oyster knives are more for prying than cutting, but should I sharpen it just a bit?
Click to expand...

No! An oyster knife is not meant to cut nor to pry, but to pucture. Sharpen to a very fine but sturdy point. Hold the oyster with the joint towards you in your left hand the flat lid facing up (leftys are screwed...sorry). Insert the knife in between lid and bottom about 1/3 from the front of the oyster or 2/3 from the joint (it takes a lot of skill and practice to see the transition, it may help on some to chip away the flakes that the Oyster is covered with). Grab the blade short till you can slip the blade into the crack (hence sharpening would only endangering you). You should grab the blade so short that you never get close to injuring the left hand. The right index finger may get cuts from the oyster though. Push the blade in all the way to the hilt while keeping it as close to the lid as possible (do not push down) and make one back and forth motion (about 150 deg ark) which will sever the muscle that holds the lid down. The muscle is very strong along the length but is very easily severed even with a blunt plastic ruler, so no cutting edge need.

The professional oyster shucker (yes, there are even competitions in this) who taught me at an oyster fest at which was working to make some money felt that the oyster knifes with a shield are actually more dangerous than the ones without, since they don't allow you to grab the blade short. There are some cookbooks that advice you to pry the lid open by the joint. He felt that this is an atrocity and to slow for him anyways (try to open 6000 oysters in an afternoon, even with 2 people it's a hard job). Instead always go for the structural cut of the muscle which is on the right hand side about 1/3 from the front of the oyster (joint being the back). Once the muscle is cut you can easily open the oyster and remove the lid. Good luck!

After reading Pocketknives post, I wonder if we use the term "sharp" differently. When I say "knife sharp" then I am talking about something similar to a regular kitchen knife with an edge which I wouldn't want to work with. Everything that lets you grab the blade short and doesn't skip of the shell is ideal. Personally I wouldn't want to work with that rounded point in mete's pdf. I have mostly worked with oysters from the Normandy (eastern northatlantic), which seem to be a little more elongated that you see here in the Boston area.
 
Here's the reason I asked the question:
OysterEdge2.jpg

You can see that the factory edge was actually flat--the two sides did not even meet. I ground enough steel to make it at least look like an edge, but it's still far from what anyone would call sharp.
 
It would still sever the muscle without problems (the muscle is not like a slice of beef), but I agree, I would prefer something a bit sharper. Makes a cleaner cut, too, and leaves the Oyster a little cleaner looking. Most important though is the tip area.
 
Just be careful which muscle you sever! Consumer knives are designed to be heavy and dull to pry the hinge open, cut the meat, and crack the oyster's mouth open if the hinge is uncooperative. They are also designed to crack or bruise the bones in your fingers or hands if you miss, or slide through the hinge, the oyster, and into your hand. If you don't shuck alot of oysters, and want to use a sharp knife, use the knife with a guard. And a Tetanus shot if you can't remember when you last had one.

Most of the career shuckers I know use an assortment of knives dictated by the type of oysters they are shucking (cup, scissorbill, etc.) and a shucking machine which resembles a grinder motor with blades.

Oh yes, make sure you use good hot sauce too!
 
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