Hand Forged Butcher Knives

What is a butcher knife used for?

Turning a big piece of meat into pieces you can cook. In practice that takes two kinds of blade. A short, stiff knife follows seams, strips silver skin off a tenderloin and trims a brisket before it goes in the smoker. A heavy blade goes through the joints that the short knife cannot. The Hellfang covers the first job and the cleavers in this collection cover the second. If you are still deciding which one you actually need, our guide on meat cleaver vs butcher knife compares them job by job, and the rest of our chopping blades are in hand forged meat cleavers.

Can a butcher knife cut through bone?

That depends on which one you pick up. The Hellfang is a trimming knife and is not meant for chopping. The 7.5" butcher cleaver handles joints, ribs, poultry and pork bones, and the edges on the Butcher's Trio are made to stand up to bone and cartilage. The Kodiak 8" is shaped for meat, joints and game rather than heavy bone. For primal breakdown and dense beef bone, reach for the Grizzly 8.7" or the Mammoth 9.1" at about 1500 grams. Frozen meat is off the menu for all of them, and thick marrow bones are still a job for a saw.

Is a butcher knife set better than single knives?

A set pays off when you will use every piece. The Butcher's Trio puts three cleavers side by side: a 7.5" butcher cleaver (11.5" overall, 370g, wenge handle) that carries its weight forward, an 8" drop point cleaver (13" overall, rosewood handle) with a tip for detail work, and a 7" sheep foot cleaver (12" overall, 400g, black rosewood handle) for push cuts and mincing. What the set does not do is slice a finished brisket thin, which is what our BBQ knives are for. If you only process meat a few times a year, a two knife kit makes more sense: the Hellfang for trimming and the 7.5" butcher cleaver for chopping.

How do you choose the best butcher knife for the way you cook?

Start with what lands on your board most often. Hunters who quarter their own deer should look at the Kraken 8", whose hammer textured flats stop venison clinging to the steel. Pitmasters get the most from the Kodiak, since its drop point scores a fat cap and its curved belly carves after the cook. If you buy a side of beef every year, the Grizzly is the one. The Mammoth is for cracking bone and splitting the heaviest cuts, and it is honest to say that weight gets tiring for everyday prep. Whatever you pick, a small trimming knife earns its place next to it. For the fine work right along the bone, look at our boning and fillet knives.

How the butcher knives compare

How do you keep a high carbon steel butcher knife in shape?

High carbon steel only rusts when water is left on it, so the routine is short. Hand wash after cutting raw meat, dry it right away and rub a thin coat of food safe oil on the blade before it goes back on the rack. Keep it out of the dishwasher and never leave it in a sink full of greasy water. The steel darkens into a patina with use, and that is normal. It also takes a keen edge and is easy to sharpen at home. The high carbon steel knife care guide covers the details, and unused knives can be returned within 30 days if the one you picked is not the right fit.

Read before you buy

A butcher knife trims and a boning knife follows the bone, and boning knives versus fillet knives explains which of the thinner blades suits meat and which suits fish. If the meat you break down ends up on a smoker, which knife slices brisket best covers the other end of the cook. To buy the whole kit at once, look at our cleaver and knife sets, or start with the best selling hand forged knives.