# best knife styles for butchering?



## poultryand bees (Feb 7, 2010)

I use a knife with a serated edge for butchering rabbits, but it doesn't work well for skinning.  What is the best style of knife for skinning and for deboning rabbits?


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## JuJuBear (Feb 14, 2010)

I have been having knife problems.  I was using a filet knife that I bought at Walmart and a stone to sharpen it.  It would not stay sharp long.  I would struggle through 4 rabbits.  I was using the knife to cut through the neck bone too.  So, I bought a very expensive knife and had the same (if not worse) problem.  

Knife went back to the store and I started using a Sharp Steel (sp?) which looks like a steel stick with a handle.  I rubbed the (walmart) filet knives on that, per instructions and the knife sharpened well.  I have only done a few rabbits since then, but so far so good.  I think the knife may have been between $10 - $20.  

It was recommended to me to use shears to remove the heads instead of cutting through with my filet knife.  I have not bought any yet.  I believe the shears recommended have a slight curve to them.  

I do use a small set of curved shears that was made for hedge trimming.  I use it to cut the legs.  (If only I had known back then to buy a bigger shear)

Lord Bless,
Julie


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## Lil Chickie Mama (Feb 14, 2010)

I watched a youtube video on how to process a rabbit and she only used shears.  She broomstick-ed the neck then cut it off with shears.  She cut the skin up the middle with the shears and skinned the rest of it by hand like removing a shirt or jacket.  She just cut the feet clean off.  I was amazed at how fast she did it!!!  She never used a knife though, just shears.  I recently bought a good pair according to the sales guy from Cabela's and they were only $20.  He said they'd work great for either chickens or rabbits.

If you want a skinning knife for anything larger though it depends.  I just bought one today from Bass Pro Shop that was about $25 but I'll have to sharpen it so I bought a sharpener for another $10.  It has a 4" blade and a "gut hook" that you would use to "unzip" the animal.  I plan to use it on goats but again haven't used it yet.  We killed a pig the other day and it would have been nice to have!  With a pig though the connective tissue to the skin is thicker I guess and we used a little knife (I think it was fillet but not sure) to cut the tissue away from the skin.  There may be much better ways to do things, but I can only speak from what I've experienced and been told.  I hope that helps.


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## JuJuBear (Feb 15, 2010)

Lil Chickie Mama, If you come across the youtube video again, could you post it here?  I'd like to see her do it all with the sheers.  I've heard someone else say they do it that way.  Did she also remove the guts?  The fat usually pulls off, but sometimes I just swipe the knife across the flesh to get the fat off.  

Cute goat picture.  I can't have that kind of farm animals in my neighborhood.  Just Rabbits, ducks and chickens.

Lord Bless,
Julie


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## Lil Chickie Mama (Feb 15, 2010)

Okay I found it.  I saw it about a week ago in the link of a previous post.  The post wasButchering your rabbits a few lines down on the meat rabbit page if you wanted to read the thread.  If you just want the link to the video ChickenPotPie posted it and here it is. I hope that helps, she goes fast but is thorough.  Caution though, it's graphic.  Yes she removes the guts.  It's not really hard at all, most will kind of plop out if you let it but it's important to take care of the intestinal stuff first so it can't spoil the meat.  She said she was making dog food so she may separate some of the organs later and use them but it doesn't show you.  I don't know if people save the organs on a rabbit like they do on a chicken, but that would be interesting to know how they use them.

Thank you on the pic, that's my new goat baby Buffy!  She isn't old enough to bring her home yet but she's just so cute.  I think it's great that you have rabbits, ducks, and chickens!  Most people don't realize they CAN have them or wouldn't want to anyway.  I think they don't know what they're missing!


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## Goatzilla (Feb 15, 2010)

Seems pretty quick with the shears, but you would gain all the time saved back by trying to remove the enormous amount of fur/hair that she puts all over the carcass. I can see the shears to cut feet and head off, but a sharp knife for making the initial skinning cuts would eliminate all the stray hairs that she creates by starting her cuts with the shears. Maybe it's just me, but I can't stand finding stray hairs on my meat. And anyone who has tried to remove the scattered hairs from a finished carcass knows exactly what a pain it is to remove them.


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## Lil Chickie Mama (Feb 15, 2010)

Goatzilla said:
			
		

> And anyone who has tried to remove the scattered hairs from a finished carcass knows exactly what a pain it is to remove them.


That was the only problem I had with the video.  Maybe she does it differently for human consumption animals, I don't know.  Removing the hair from the meat is SO annoying.  We did a pig recently with coarse hair and it still didn't want to come off very well even under the hose and our fingers.   I don't think I'd want to mess with it on soft hair.  The least amount of work the better.


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## JuJuBear (Feb 15, 2010)

I'm glad she pointed out that it was for dogs.  I also did not like to see the hair being left on the legs and it looked like part of the digestive track was being left, at least not for human consumption.  Not that it would hurt anything, but it's not presentable for humans.  For dogs, not a problem.  

I think I already said this, but I use a filet knife for all but cutting the 4 legs off.  I use small pruning shears.  I also use a butcher knife for the pelvic bone.  I probably could use the shears though.  I place the butcher knife on the pelvic bone and hit it with my hand and it cracks through the pelvic bone.

I cook the kidneys and liver for human consumption.  The hearts I give raw to my cat, chicken or ducks.  The wait around for them.  The rest I throw away.  

One other thing I do is have a hose near by and rinse my hands and knife as I work.  

Lord Bless,
Julie


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## poultryand bees (Feb 15, 2010)

I am going to try the shears for removing the feet.  That would be much easier than trying to find a joint and cutting with a knife there.  I am also going to try a filet knife for skinning.  Thank you.


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## kelsystar (Feb 16, 2010)

I use 3 knives in butchering: a filet knife, a meat cleaver, and a paring knife.

The filet knife is for cutting the throat after broomsticking. The meat cleaver is for taking off heads and feet.

The small, good quality paring knives are for skinning. I'm a little clumsy, and these short knives keep me from nicking the guts and my fingers!

I use a steel while I'm butchering if my knife gets dull. Between butcherings, though, I use a ceramic sharpener. They're expensive, but put a nicer edge on your knife than a stone does.


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## Citylife (Feb 24, 2010)

Here is the best processing video I have seen and it sure is easier then the last time I did it with good sharp deer hunting knives. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYv3I9cCgo

This looks like the way I will try when I am butchering.
Hope this helps


The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 2 bunnies more to be and a lizard


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