what's your best knife for the deed?

[Life is Good!]

Looking for advice for the BEST knife to use for the deed. I've got about 12wks until the knife is needed...which gives me some time to find one for the best price I can.

Scapel?
Knife from hunting store? or outdoorsman sports type store
Super sharpened kitchen knife?
Butcher knife from high end kitchen store?

What works best for you? (I'm a 150lb female with medium sized hands).

Thanks for sharing!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

It really doesn't matter what kind of knife you use, it just has to be sharp. There is nothing worse than a dull knife. I have Cutco knives that I really like.

 

[Ibicella]

This is a tough question because everyone is different. I invested in two Wusthof kitchen knives. One is a 6" chef's knife, and the other is like a small pairing knife. They are expensive high-end kitchen knives, but I was able to get them on sale. They my best buddies in the kitchen, and I use them for EVERYTHING every single day.

For chickens, I use the pairing knife for throat slitting and pithing, and the chef's knife for cleaning. They are sturdy, long lasting, comfortable, take a sharpening like a champ, and will last me probably the rest of my life because they are built with a solid full "tang," which means that the handle bit is all one piece with the knife part itself. So I highly recommend them.

But what you really need to look for in a knife is something you can sharpen repeatedly and feels comfortable in your hand. You need to expect to sharpen your knife a lot, at least before every butchering session. I end up sharpening my knives every two to three birds.

You also need to be able to try it out, because knives that are the wrong fit for your hand will start becoming a safety hazard. Too heavy, too big, too tough to work with. If you go to a proper kitchen store, they will be able to let you try out knives and see how they fit.

 

[ericsplls]

I would use something with a 3-4 inch blade that is sharp. A good cone makes it alot easier.

 

[CowgirlJules]

I use a scalpel. I have a folding handle made by Havalon, and it's really convenient. I slit the throats with it, then hose it off and put it in my pocket while I bring the birds over to the scald pot. I do everything with that knife; I don't even bother bringing the big kitchen knives outside any more. It's all about the sharp blade and the placement. Don't try to saw through bone with a scalpel and the blade will last you for several birds.

 

[PotterWatch]

We use a scalpel for killing and very sharp paring knives for gutting. I sharpen the paring knives before every processing and they often need sharpening during the day as well if we are doing more than 40 or 50 birds.

 

[Chickenaddict]

We use a machetti (sp) If we need to cull a bird, but we don't eat ours

 

[Greg in Carpinteria]

When I'm not messing with chickens, I'm a commercial fisherman and have a wide assortment of knives. For years I have used this short wide bladed Dexter Russell knife to bleed tuna, and I've found it to be very efficient, humane and effective at dispatching chickens. I do think that a properly sharpened knife is more important than any particular style of blade.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DEXTER-RUSSELL-Slime-Knife-2TLJ6

 

[mohillbilly]

I have a set of 75-100 year old Old Hickory butcher knives...The one i use is 6 inches long and stays razor sharp all day

 

[Sunny Side Up]

While everyone seems to have their favorite kind of knife, we're all in agreement that it should be SHARP. Another essential component is WHERE you slice the birds. Even a very sharp knife will have trouble sawing through feathers. Find the bare/nearly bare spot just behind the point of the jaw, pull the head & bend away to make the skin taut, and make a deep decisive cut right there.

My slicing knife is a fish filet knife I bought cheap at WalMart in the fishing supply aisle.