So I am not going to post any really cool pictures of my oyster knives in action at a bad ass oyster roast or behind the bar of a pool party. But I had a request by a good friend to talk about the best oyster knife you can buy. Here in the Low Country we are particular about our oyster knives. I mean, if you are going to shuck, best to shuck it up with a knife that can get you two things:
- Open that oyster fast.
- Open that oyster clean.
You want an oyster knife that can get the oyster “hinge” open. In order to do this the knife has to be strong, have a good grip, and not cut your fingers off. I have opened oysters with screw drivers, pliers, butter knives, and lots of other ridiculous tools. Sometimes when we are on the boat and pull some oysters we are forced to use less than civilized methods of getting the “goodie”. Anyway, the main things are to open the oyster easily, make sure you don’t “chip” oyster shell bits into your oyster, and to keep from spilling the ever wonderful oyster “liquor” (got to drink the liquor and eat the oyster, thems the rules). Take a look at this video to help all of you rookies out there (and check out his knife….just so happens to be my favorite….great minds right?)
So here are my oyster knives. All in all I have 8 knives. I feel that you have to have enough to let all your guests go to town without having to share knives. The picture shows the 4 different kinds I have, although I have a few of each (I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I can possible earn on qualified purchases, so use my links if you would like).
I am going to start with the coolest one. It was a gift and I bring it with me to every oyster roast. It is a salvaged old railroad spike made from high carbon steel. The company that makes these custom knives is Carolina Shuckers. There are all sorts of really awesome oyster knives out there. My boys down here in the Low Country give them as groomsman gifts, Christmas gifts, or for special occasions. They can run from $40.00 to $200.00, look them up @carolinashucker. Check this link to Garden and Gun for a great article on BAD ASS oyster knives.
Here is my favorite oyster knife. This knife is made by a company called Dexter Russel. I am a big fan of this company. If you have read my article about kitchen knives you will know that I like the steel, balance, and price point of most of their products. But hands down, my favorite is the shape of the “Galveston” type knives. The cost is somewhere between $6.00 -$20.00. This is the 4 inch Galveston model. Great grip, strong as hell, and the tip is not so sharp. You can really get on a trouble oyster with this knife and not end up in the emergency room. Give me this knife and a dish towel and I can get into any oyster in the bushel.
Second favorite. Similar knife, same company, same price point, but with a sharper point and a little spot for your thumb to rest (I like this). This is the 4 inch Boston model, a great oyster knife; I just find it to be a bit too pointy. I tend to break a bit of the “hinge” when I am getting after it. Sometimes it gets me an oyster with a bit of shell in the well.
Last, the Blue Devil by Carolina’s Best (it is not really called the Blue Devil….just my term of endearment). I see these knives at oyster roasts all the time. This knife has a 2 1/2 inch blade and it is sharp as hell. You can buy these for about $10.00 each. So I guess it makes sense that if you need to buy 50 oyster knives this is the way to go. Anyway, they get the job done, but damn, I have nearly killed myself with these. I guess there is a time and a place for them. The one good thing about this knife is the hand guard at the base of the blade (good for beginners).
Check on line for a full assortment of knives by Dexter Russel. Also look up Victorinox (you know, the Swiss Army folks), they have a great knife with a red handle that is worth a look. You can check other companies like Norpro, Winco, and OXO for some other great alternatives.
Get an oyster knife you feel comfy with. Bring it with you. Some people might think you are pretentious by showing up at a roast with your own knife. I don’t. That just lets me know you are probably the person I need to hang out with. Shoot, I have friends that bring their own hot sauce to parties (and they don’t give a rip if you think they are weird). All in all, eating oysters is fun. Buying them is fun, shucking them is fun, eating them is fun, how you get them open is fun. The whole deal is part of what make oysters awesome. They are pretty, delicious, bizarre, and downright cool. That is all I got on this topic. Go buy a bushel, invite your friends, and if you don’t have an awesome time I will give you your money back (…………….oh, you did not pay anything for this awesome advice).
Oh, and check out my recipe for Low Country Cocktail Sauce and article about The Real Deal About Oysters.
Thanks for reading!