The 6 Biggest Oyster Knives of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

The exception to this was the Messermeister shucker, which had basically essentially the most distinctive design of all of them: all the knife (blade and take care of) is curved like a claw, and though the blade was sharp, pointy, and flat, it wedged into the oyster hinges surprisingly properly. That talked about, I’d depart this knife to additional expert shuckers as a result of it requires additional finesse and confidence to utilize.

A Sharp-ish Blade Was Helpful

Compared with an everyday kitchen knife, oyster knives are pretty boring. Nevertheless that’s intentional—wedging a razor-sharp blade proper right into a gnarly oyster shell may harm the knife, or on the very least shortly boring it. That talked about, oyster knives do desire a little little little bit of a thin, sharp edge so that they don’t merely butt up in opposition to the shell, and to permit them to slice the meat free from the abductor muscle. As I waded elbows-deep into shucking oysters, I found blades with a sharp tip tended to be larger at shortly dispatching the bivalve. This included the wooden-handled R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker, which sports activities actions a pointy, upturned blade tip that wedged into the hinge and easily sliced by the use of the abductor muscle. In distinction, thick, cumbersome blades similar to the Williams Sonoma struggled to penetrate the shell. I moreover found that longer blades with a rounded tip, similar to the Seki Japan Oyster Knife and Dexter-Russell 4″ Galveston-Sort Oyster Knife, had been equally ineffective, or on the very least required a additional expert shucker.

A Grippy, Rounded Cope with Was a Plus

Shucking bushels of oysters is tough on the wrist and forearm. And whereas there’s no getting spherical it, a snug take care of does make the obligation barely a lot much less tiresome. I truly favored the swish, picket take care of of the R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker, which curved inwards and match my hand like a glove. The OXO is one other selection in case you’re looking out for comfort as a result of it sports activities actions a easy, plastic take care of. And the knives from R Murphy, Dexter Russell, and Victorinox prevented slippage by coating handles in a bumpy plastic pattern. And whereas I favored the Messermeister oyster knife, as a result of it’s made out of a single piece of stainless-steel, the take care of did get a wee bit slippery with oyster liquor (certain, that’s what oyster juice is called), though a quick wipe solved the issue.

To Get Shucking, First Seize Some Gloves and a Towel

Whereas New Haven-style knives are a lot much less, er, stabby than others we examined (lookin’ at you Zyliss), they’re nonetheless dang sharp. (I’m saying this as any person who, as a novice shucker in a high-pressure setting, managed to stab herself—nothing vital, though!— with a boring oyster knife). Even basically essentially the most cozy of shuckers who can whittle by the use of a bushel in minutes sometimes placed on gloves or, on the very least, use a folded towel to hold down the oyster. We advise you to do the equivalent. Solely a discover about towels: choose one you don’t ideas primarily destroying since shucking numerous oysters makes an enormous mess (juice, shell bits, mud from the pores and skin shell, and so forth, and so forth).

The Requirements: What to Seek for in an Oyster Knife

Whereas expert shuckers have their preferences for knives, usually, for novice or intermediate shuckers I prefer to advocate investing in a New Haven-style knife. This sports activities actions a pointed, upturned tip that’s easy to wedge into the oyster’s hinge, which aids in popping the shell up and off. It should even have a cosy take care of and be sharp enough to slice by the use of the abductor muscle that attaches the oyster to the shell.

Our Excessive Oyster Knives

What we favored: This easy, beautiful oyster knife was sharp and simple to utilize, with an upturned tip that dug into the strong oyster shell and popped it open with ease. The curved picket take care of can be very cozy to hold, molding to the type of your hand.

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit on the expensive facet, however it’s a primary oyster knife for a function: it shucks like a dream. The take care of can be unfinished, so it’s best to supply it a lightweight coating of food-grade mineral oil sooner than use.

Key Specs

• Sort: New Haven
• Blade dimension: 2.75 inches
• Cope with dimension: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 1.5 ounces
• Provides: Stainless-steel, wood
• Care: Hand-wash solely

What we favored: Sporting a New Haven-style blade, this oyster knife made easy work of even large, deep-cup oysters (which may very well be pretty robust to shuck). The plastic take care of has a grippy texture, which prevents slipping even when coated in oyster liquor.

What we didn’t like: The arduous plastic take care of wasn’t pretty as cozy as totally different handles, and the blade felt a tad a lot much less sharp than the R Murphy New Haven oyster knife.

Key Specs

• Sort: New Haven
• Blade dimension: 2 5/8 inches
• Cope with dimension: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.8 ounces
• Provides: Stainless-steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash solely

What we favored: Just like the Dexter-Russell, this oyster knife carried out equally properly, dispatching oysters with ease. It moreover sported a textured take care of, which allowed for a powerful grip.

What we didn’t like: Identical to the Dexter-Russell, it wasn’t pretty as sharp as a result of the R. Murphy knife and didn’t decrease the abductor muscle pretty as merely.

Key Specs

• Sort: New Haven
• Blade dimension: 2 5/8 inches
• Cope with dimension: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.8 ounces
• Provides: Stainless-steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash solely

What we favored: It’s squishy! The take care of, that is. Which made it large cozy to hold even whereas I was throughout the trenches shucking and shucking some additional. The sharp, upturned blade eradicated the oyster shells cleanly and with little effort.

What we didn’t like: It was ever so barely a lot much less sharp than the R. Murphy, nonetheless I’m splitting hairs proper right here. It’s an essential oyster knife!

Key Specs

• Sort: New Haven
• Blade dimension: 3 inches
• Cope with dimension: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 2.7 ounces
• Provides: Stainless-steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash solely

What we favored: This claw-like oyster knife was surprisingly easy to grip and use. The pointed blade, which is flat, was pretty sharp on all sides and easily decrease into oysters’ hinges. It was a pleasure to utilize and made shucking fast and simple. I moreover assume this is ready to serve admirably as a clam knife if a calming plate of raw littlenecks is asking to you.

What we didn’t like: It sports activities actions a curved type and pointy blade, that, whereas sharp and environment friendly, made it considerably more durable to utilize than a New Haven-style knife. The take care of moreover acquired a bit slippery all through shucking, and it’s on the expensive facet.

Key Specs

• Sort: Verging on Duxbury-style (pointy, flat blade)
• Blade dimension: 2 1/8 inches
• Cope with dimension: 4 inches
• Weight: 3.3 ounces
• Provides: Stainless-steel
• Care: Hand-wash solely

What we favored: Whereas I often stay away from straight oyster knives (why use one when you might use the all-powerful New Haven shucker?), this one was surprisingly respectable. Like, I didn’t give myself a wrist train wriggling it into the shell. It entered neatly, popped simply, and decrease the oyster out decently.

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit prolonged for comfort, and in case you’re new to shucking oysters, may present additional of an issue than an upturned blade.

Key Specs

• Sort: Boston
• Blade dimension: 3 inches
• Cope with dimension: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.3 oz
• Provides: Stainless-steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash solely

The Opponents

• Zyliss Oyster System: This odd, pointy oyster knife acquired right here with a rubbery glove of varieties (it kind of looks as if a slipper) that you just stick the oyster into while you assault it from the alternative end. Apart from, a towel proved additional useful; the rubber glove/sleeve was too large and didn’t grip the oyster. To not level out the knife itself was boring, pointy, serrated, and common scary (nonetheless on the same time, not). I struggled to open a single oyster with it.
• R. Murphy/Ramelson Duxbury Oyster Knife: Whereas this isn’t a unhealthy knife (don’t want to offend anyone from Duxbury!), it’s pointy and straight, making it more durable to utilize.
• Made In Oyster Shucker: The robust picket take care of was cumbersome and ugly to hold, and the blade, whereas pointy and sharp-looking, felt boring. Whereas I shucked some smaller oysters with it, the bigger, thicker ones gave me grief. Plus, at $50, it was considered one of many costlier oyster knives throughout the lineup.
• Dexter-Russell (S137PCP) – 4″ Galveston-Sort Oyster Knife: As soon as extra, not a nasty oyster knife, per se, nonetheless the prolonged, flat blade was robust to wedge into the oysters and it didn’t current the carry that New Haven-style blades did.
• Williams Sonoma Seafood Oyster Knife: Wanting additional like a medieval dagger than an oyster knife, this chunky blade carried out poorly. It was too thick to slip into the divot near the oyster’s hinge, and too boring to do any harm. Nevertheless in case you’re into LARPing, properly, it could be good for that.
• Seki Japan Oyster Knife: Whereas this was an undeniably beautiful knife, the blade was too prolonged and the tip too spherical to wedge into chunkier bivalves.

FAQs

How do it’s important to retailer oysters?

One of many easiest methods to retailer oysters is on a sheet tray with a moist towel on prime. The towel must be re-dampened each day or as wished. When accurately saved, oysters can last about 10 days.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Grace Kelly is an editor at Crucial Eats, the place she’s been testing gear for two years.
• She as quickly as labored as a prep prepare dinner dinner and gard manger and shucked oysters to order.
• Grace examined oyster knives by shucking 150 oysters (and making her bivalve-loving buddies very, very glad), evaluating them on their effectivity and ease of use.