# Butcher Shears?



## brentr (Oct 5, 2011)

I'm looking for a recommendation for a good, sturdy, sharp (and reasonably priced) make/model of kitchen or butcher shears to add to my harvesting equipment.  What makes/models do all you meat rabbit raisers use?  Please share, and include where you bought them if you don't mind sharing.

The pair I currently have are poor excuses for shears, and I won't use them again.  Do you find that cutting through leg bones dulls your shears quickly, or do they stand up to the use?

Thanks!


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## lastfling (Oct 6, 2011)

You might try anvil pruners - they're a garden type hand pruner with blade on top that hits against flat surface on bottom.


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## hoodat (Oct 6, 2011)

brentr said:
			
		

> I'm looking for a recommendation for a good, sturdy, sharp (and reasonably priced) make/model of kitchen or butcher shears to add to my harvesting equipment.  What makes/models do all you meat rabbit raisers use?  Please share, and include where you bought them if you don't mind sharing.
> 
> The pair I currently have are poor excuses for shears, and I won't use them again.  Do you find that cutting through leg bones dulls your shears quickly, or do they stand up to the use?
> 
> Thanks!


I'd ask my local butcher for recommendations but if you don't do a lot of butchering garden shears work fine.


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## doubled (Oct 6, 2011)

Just bought a pair from Bed & Bath & Beyond don't remember the brand name but it cost 19.00, I cut the backbones length wise out of all my rabbits to save space, cut like a charm without much force. They were about 7 inchs long and even had a bone cutter notch in it for the leg bones so they don't shatter and leave sharp pieces to penetrate my Vac Bags.


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## AZ Rabbits (Oct 10, 2011)

Home Depot has some heavy duty scissor-like things that works really well. Just make sure they're scissors, with both sides sharp and sliding against each other. Not the ones with a sharp end and a blunt end (in my experience). They cut through bone and hide really efficiently. I'll find the link to them and post here later.

The Gerber pruning tool is a terrible tool for butchering rabbits. It breaks bones good, but doesn't penetrate the hide at all. Just thought I'd let you know...

I went through quite a few until I found one I really liked.


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## oneacrefarm (Oct 13, 2011)

AZ Heat said:
			
		

> Home Depot has some heavy duty scissor-like things that works really well. Just make sure they're scissors, with both sides sharp and sliding against each other. Not the ones with a sharp end and a blunt end (in my experience). They cut through bone and hide really efficiently. I'll find the link to them and post here later.
> 
> The Gerber pruning tool is a terrible tool for butchering rabbits. It breaks bones good, but doesn't penetrate the hide at all. Just thought I'd let you know...
> 
> I went through quite a few until I found one I really liked.


I use scissor type shears for the skinning and garden pruners to cut off feet and head. Like you say, they don't cut skin/fur at all, but they do well with feet and heads.

Shannon


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## AZ Rabbits (Oct 13, 2011)

oneacrefarm said:
			
		

> I use scissor type shears for the skinning and garden pruners to cut off feet and head. Like you say, they don't cut skin/fur at all, but they do well with feet and heads.
> 
> Shannon


The only garden pruners I used was the Gerber ones. I tried them for head and feet but it just crushed, didn't cut. So be careful which ones you get. I guess some work and some don't. I thought I was getting a good pair through Gerber. Although they work great on branches. Do you skin the feet and heads before cutting? Or do you cut through the skin and then cut with the shears? I was just cutting through the feet and neck, skin and all before skinning.

The scissor type I got had extra leverage too and work great even cutting through small bones and cartilage. I guess everyone goes through the process of finding what they want and like, which makes it fun and expensive but adds to your tools...


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## oneacrefarm (Oct 13, 2011)

AZ Heat said:
			
		

> oneacrefarm said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Mine are "bypass" pruners, I got them from TSC. http://www.tractorsupply.com/lawn-g...-reg-deluxe-drop-forged-bypass-pruner-4433124 I skin down to the head, then cut off head and feet with the pruners. They won't cut thru the skin well and the fur ruins the blades...

Shannon


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## hoodat (Oct 19, 2011)

With a bit of practice you can learn to quickly disjoint the feet. Just bend the joint backward to open it up and cut the tendons. You can open the joint at the neck by giving it a good twist and then cutting through. The only place I have to use shears is on the tail.


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## Rocky Knolls Rabbits (Oct 20, 2011)

hoodat said:
			
		

> With a bit of practice you can learn to quickly disjoint the feet. Just bend the joint backward to open it up and cut the tendons. You can open the joint at the neck by giving it a good twist and then cutting through. The only place I have to use shears is on the tail.


I always remember my father disjoining the feet and head.  With a old sharping steel (knocked them in the back of the head) and an old good knife (that he used from squirrels all the way up to deer and goats) he killed and butchered many rabbits when I grew up.


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## cottinpickin (Nov 4, 2011)

Sam's Club carry one that is real good and also NFS certified.It came in a 2 pack and I've used one pair on 150 rabbits so far this year and just now starting to get dull.


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