Tried a new boning knife against my old one for a full side of beef

My old 6-inch Dexter felt fine, but this new 5-inch Victorinox just glided through the seams and saved me maybe 20 minutes on the whole breakdown. The thinner blade and different handle angle made a huge difference for getting around the ribs and pelvis cleanly. Anyone have a favorite boning knife brand for pork shoulders?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason.julia27d ago

Saving 20 minutes on a whole side of beef... that just seems like a tiny amount of time for such a big job. I've used a bunch of knives and the differences feel pretty small to me. It's still just a sharp piece of metal you have to push around. Maybe you were just having a better day or something.

the_jenny27d ago

Remember my buddy who swore by his cheap hardware store knife for everything? He helped his uncle break down a hog last fall and brought his own blade, said it was "just as good." Came back the next weekend with a boning knife I lent him, totally different story. He said it wasn't about speed at first, but his hands and forearms didn't feel like cramped concrete after an hour, and that let him focus on the cuts instead of fighting the tool. He finally admitted that the right metal just moves through tissue and around bone differently, less pushing and more guiding.

reese_singh8711d ago

Tell that to your tendons after five years. It's not about saving time on one job, it's about your body not being wrecked after a hundred jobs. The wrong tool makes you work harder to get the same result. That extra force adds up in your joints. Good gear reduces the wear and tear on you.