Shoutout to the old timer who told me to chill with the trimming knife
I had this 60 year old retired butcher come into the shop last spring, Mike was his name, and he watched me hacking at a pork shoulder for like 5 minutes. He pulled me aside and said 'son, you're fighting the meat, let the blade do the work'. I thought he was just being a cranky old guy, but I tried slowing down and using longer, smoother strokes instead of jabbing. Turns out I was bruising the meat and leaving ragged edges, plus I was going through three knives a shift because I kept chipping tips. After a week of his way, my cuts were cleaner, my hands hurt less, and I actually felt like I had more control. Anyone else have a mentor who made you rethink something basic you thought you already knew?