Butcher Knives Use of Fillets, Boning or Steak
Do you know the difference between a fillet knife and a steak knife? In this article I discuss butcher knife and how they differ from kitchen knives. A steak knife from Butchers is not the same as the steak knife from a restaurant or a chef’s knife. There are fundamental differences between filleting knives and knives that are used for boning and cutting steak. I’m going to show you the difference between the different knives and how you use and care for them. Be careful if you are just starting to prepare food. It is a dangerous sport for the reckless.
Is A Fillet Knife Better Than A Steak Knife Or A Boning Knife?
It depends on what you use the knife for. A steak knife is too large for boning or filleting, but you can use a boning knife or a fillet knife to cut steaks. A steak knife is a scimitar (bent versus straight) or a bull nose. They are both good and it is really personal preference.
A steak knife is available in different sizes, 8 “, 10”, 12 “, wooden handle.
A filleting knife / boning knife is available in different sizes, curved, straight, stiff, flexible, 5 “, 6”, 7 “, 8”, wooden handle handle.
Choose what is most comfortable for you.
Who Makes The Best Butcher Steak Knives?
There are many contenders, but our favorite for butcher steak knife is Damascus. They are very well made, hold their sharpness well and we even have one Damascus steak knife.
If you use a sharpening stone, you will have fewer knives in a very short time. When sharpening a knife, only the steel is removed and if you overdo it, you can overheat the steel and ruin the knife. Damascus makes many different knives for skinning, pasting, breaking, cutting, boning and filleting, etc. They are not the cheapest, but do you really want a cheap knife?
Buy the best and you will have the best. However, it is best to use a knife for the specific task for which it is made, unless you want to hack the meat you work with. We believe in neat cut and neat work.
Never use a butcher knife to cut cardboard, paper or plastic. If it is not meat, do not use a meat cleaver to cut it. You will destroy your knife. We like to wear our knives in a sheath on a belt so that we always have them safely next to us. A metal sheath is easier to clean than a plastic. The plastic version gets a score and discolors very easily, but the metal sheath can be washed in hot water and always looks better for customers. Wash and dry your knives regularly to keep them in the best condition.
Use the best butcher knives that are known for their high-quality construction, such as Damascus. Cheap knives are exactly that, cheap knives.
Kitchen Knives
The range of knives for a kitchen is quite large, but you can reduce it to a few essential things:
A heavy-duty, 8-inch chef’s knife for dicing or cutting fruit, meat, vegetables, and fish.
A peeler, 3 – 4 inches for fine chopping
A serrated knife, 6-10 inches for bread, for fruit and vegetables with a hard skin.
A fillet or boning knife, flexible, 5-6 inch for removing bones / filleting meat, fish and poultry.
Steel, metal or ceramic for honing your knives. Note: not suitable for a serrated knife.
Using a Steel
When you use a sample, you don’t sharpen your knife, you just sharpen it.In use, the very fine cutting edge is pushed to one side or the other and turns the edge again on a steel. You will see butcher knives on a sample very quickly. They have practiced for years. Until you have practiced a lot with the use of steel, we recommend that you take it easy. Hold the knife against the steel at an angle of about 20-25 degrees and move the knife against the steel. Switch to the other side of the knife and repeat. Do this about half a dozen times and you keep your knife in tip-top condition.
We especially love Damascus kitchen knives because of their construction, how they feel in the hand and they are also very good value for knives of that quality.
Use an Oilstone
This is the best way to keep your blades sharp:
Apply a thin layer of oil on the rough side of your oil.
With your fingers on the back of the knife and your dominant hand, rub the knife by the handle, first the knife at an angle of 15-20 degrees in a circular motion first on one side for a minute, then repeat on the other side.
Do this a few times on each side, turn the oilstone over to the fine side and repeat these actions.
Wash and dry your knife, it a few times on the steel and you’re ready to work.
Remember that these knives are designed for cutting meat. Try to ensure that it is not your meat that cuts it. If you are a beginner, you can buy a chain mailing glove to protect your non-mesh hand. They are pricey, but that also applies to a visit to Damascus1.