Kitchen Gear: Oyster Knife

I have shucked thousands of oysters in my life and in my restaurant career and can open oysters cleanly and relatively quickly, yet even with all that experience, I am in awe of professional shuckers who can open oysters seemingly effortlessly. At various events, I have stood by and chatted with many pros who make the job seem trivial. They have a level of experience that I will never have.

The one thing I have noticed is that each shucker that I have encountered has a different oyster knife and I have been able to try many different styles. Often the choice of knife comes down to the type of oyster to be opened. Smaller oysters require smaller blades and softer, flakier oysters require thinner blades in my experience. My big hands prefer longer handles. Oyster knives come in myriad sizes and blade patterns, something for everyone and every oyster.

My Old Dexter-Russell Oyster Knife

Never knowing what type of oyster that I would be putting on my menu, I opted for a general purpose knife that has served me well for tiny Olympias from Washington State to flat Belons from France to massive Atlantic oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. I prefer a longer blade to a shorter one and I prefer a thinner one to a thicker one, but that's just me. Each shucker ultimately develops a preference.

My knife is nothing special, an inexpensive readily available middle of the road knife, suitable to my skill level. Moving up to a high-end knife would not make me a better shucker any more than buying a Ferrari would make me a better race car driver. Besides, this old knife and I have history. We've been through the wars together. I've seen and held others that are works of art, but this old knife and I will not be parted.

No matter the knife﹘I have used everything in time of need from a screw driver to a butter knife﹘opening an oyster is more a matter of skill than brute force. Opening an oyster cleanly is about deftly sensing the opening between the shells and delicately twisting them open before slicing through the adductor muscle to separate the shells. All without breaking the shell and cutting through the oyster.

One hears horror stories of people who have cut their hands terribly shucking oysters, a clear sign that they are using way too much force. Shucking oysters is about finesse. And certainly I have seen all manner of cut-resistant gloves for sale at trade shows, but if you're using good technique, a crummy kitchen towel suffices to hold the oyster down while you open it.

Local Kumamotos

Down the Hatch

If you live in oyster country as do we and you like oysters on the half shell, you should make a minimal investment in an oyster knife. And when you're next at an oyster bar, be amazed at your shucker's skill and tip accordingly. A good shucker will make it look like child's play. I assure you that it is not.