# Beginner Meat cutter



## KDOGG2011 (Nov 13, 2020)

Hello all my name is Kevin and I just started to learn how to cut meat. I've been thinking about getting my own knives to learn with and was wondering if anyone can help recommend the best butcher knives for beginning cutters? I work at a small local grocery store that has its own meat department and we cut our own meats. Which knives do I need and which knives do you think I don't need right now? I heard F.dick and Victorinox are the best, is that right?

Thank you,
Kevin


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Welcome Kevin. A quick answer and hopefully some of the knife experts will chime in. First, speak to the head butcher/manager to see what knives are allowed. Some places only allow Sani-Safe handles. 
He/She can also best tell you which ones you need for the job.. 
Otherwise, both brands you mention are good knives. The best knife is the one you will enjoy using. There are plenty of brands to choose from. You can start with those two brands for now but remember to learn how to keep them sharp.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

I suppose it depends on if you're going to be doing it for many years, and maybe you don't know yet if you will. Most professional meat cutters use fairly inexpensive knives, and there's not a huge advantage to having your own cheap knives vs using their cheap knives. It depends on if you're maintaining them yourself or if they're going it. Cheap knives like Sanelli and Victorinox are pretty soft and therefore easy to sharpen, at the cost of not really holding an edge all that well. I'm a chef with a lot of meat cutting experience but my needs are different than a butcher. I might break down five 80 lb cases of top butts into steaks three times a week but that's just one of my tasks. My main meat cutting blades area Tojiro Gokujo, a Kagiyaki Carbonext 300mm suji and a few good gyutos.

A good place to start might be a Victorinox boning knife and the granton edge slicer to see how things go.


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## ChefOfAllTrades27 (Dec 7, 2020)

If you want to start out with a good bang for buck I've always like Mercer. They use a similar steel as wusthof but a fraction of the cost. I would recommend a chef knife, boning knife, 12 inch slicer, mid weight clever and some culinary shears. With proper knife skills that should be all you need. As your skill and motivation develop you might decided to invest in more tools and higher end equipment


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## ShelteredBugg1 (May 1, 2019)

Sakai takayuki makes fairly affordable knives depending on size, length, and steel. Vg10 is a good starter steel to work with holds an edge for a moderate amount of time and fairly easy to sharpen. Check out seisukeknife.com ! No sales tax on any purchase.


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## Mischief (Dec 13, 2018)

There's a ton of good knives out there for relatively cheap compared to just a few years ago. The question you have to ask is what are the important features you want-/need your knife to have? How do you like it weighted? Will you personally sharpen or have sharpened? Do you want a single or double bevel? What %? Will you be cutting through bone?

Unfortunately, there's not a simple answer for you but I am a believer in utilizing the proper tool for the job (I also have a bunch of shit I never use). Just make sure you buy your knives for utility, not aesthetics.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

...nor should you buy a knife for "Ego" either. 
Heck I butcher deer with a hacksaw and a Walmart boning knife.... It's more about technique, but a nice sharp knife makes the job a whole lot easier.


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## Chef Piya (Dec 13, 2020)

Hi Kevin, I am suggesting Victorinox or Geiser at first. they are not expensive and have for each purpose to be use. but you need to check HACCP as well. the matter is your technique and how well you know to maintain your tools. if you know how to sharpen with water-stones I suggest to look into Japanese knives because if you are well-care your tools even VG-10 quality would also make your job faster. but knife are tradition to pass to next generation and should stay with you 5-10 years at least. so for practice to cut & care for knife. you can buy German or Swiss made. but for long run and satisfying result (Fine works) Japanese knife are the best for my opinion


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Before anyone suggests Japanese knives lets be clear. The Japanese have a knife for every job - chicken knife, beef knife, eel knife, squid knife, etc. etc. In the West you only need a few and they need to touch up on the fly because in a production environment time is still money after all. Stiff boning knife, flexible boning knife, slicing knife for steaks, etc. and a steel - either steel, or ceramic. A saw is your friend too if not provided. There is a wealth of knowledge on Youtube just waiting for you. I love cutting meat especially breaking down primals and venison(s), but I wouldn't do it for a living anymore. The thought of trimming 12 cases of spareribs, and prepping 40 chickens . . . well that ship sailed a long time ago. LOL


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

A bit off-topic, but check out scott rea's youtube video's on how to cut meat.....


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## RobiN0963 (Dec 18, 2020)

You need to speak to the butcher in real life, and show him what you already know and he will recommend you something


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

butzy said:


> A bit off-topic, but check out scott rea's youtube video's on how to cut meat.....


SRP Baby


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