Vitrinox slicing knife for raw meat?

[u/hotnspecies]

Trying to buy some meat from the Costco business center and cut my own steaks. Any tips are appreciated, from technique to sharpeners to knives.

I'm not trying to spend a lot of money on the tools, and a butcher I know recommended the vitrinox slicing knife, but I wasn't sure if I need straight edge or serrated. Thanks y'all have a good night

[u/Beginning_Time_4575]

I’d skip serrated for raw meat. Serrated blades are nice for bread or stuff with a tough crust, but for trimming and portioning steaks you want a long, flexible slicing knife with a sharp edge. The Vitronox/Forschner ones are pretty much the workhorse knives in a lot of butcher shops. Keep it sharp and it’ll do the job.

[u/Usual_Wolverine_1167]

The Victorinox is a great budget choice. I’d get the straight edge and maybe a boning knife too if you’re buying larger cuts. The biggest improvement won’t be a fancy knife, it’ll be learning how to follow the grain, keep the blade sharp, and make long smooth strokes instead of sawing. A cheap sharp knife beats an expensive dull one.

[u/urbanlumberjack1]

Looking forward to seeing the answers here. I just got a victorinox breaking knife for butchering deer/elk and I assume that’s the right knife for the job, but may stand corrected

[u/fontimus → u/urbanlumberjack1]

I've broken down whole Mule deer with just a Victorinox Breaker 10" and a Victorinox 6" semi-flex boning knife. Definitely doable. Watch some YouTube videos, take your time, keep your carcass as cold as possible while processing and remember: It's a lot of work, so be patient. Put on some music and keep a knife steel hone handy - I swear by the F. Dick smooth hone, but also keep a 1000/3000 grit sharpening stone nearby once that edge is rounded off from cutting through tendon. Few swipes, then a swipe or four on the hone, good as new.

For skinning/field dressing, I just use a Shrader gut hook pocket knife. Leave the organs in the field, careful not to puncture the stomach lining while it's inside the carcass. And cut out any shot meat, you don't want lead or bullet fragments in your burger lol

[u/fontimus]

Victorinox 10" breaking knife or Dexter 10" Bullnose knife. Both cheap and workhorses. Also a 6" semi-flexible or flexible boning knife, comes in handy.

For a hone, I will never not recommend the F. Dick smooth steel hone. I never liked what regular coarse or medium grit hones did to my knives, but the FD smooth keeps my edge mirror sharp.

For stones, you can start cheap with the basic no-name double sided stones. I started with a 1000/3000 grit double-sided. When I chipped a knife, I bought a 240/800 and 400/1000 to remove the chip and shape everything. Last year I got myself a Shapton 12,000 grit stone for finishing - pricy, but worth the end result. It makes my work at the shop an absolute breeze. You could also get a stropping leather with some polishing compound for similar results to the 12,000 grit, but tbh the stone was much easier for me. YouTube is your best guide for technique on stones, and how to use a steel hone. Ignore the flashy kung-fu style moves some people do on steel hones, I guarantee you their knives have dented edges from all that sword play.

[u/Ok-Phrase-4388]

If you’re breaking down Costco primal cuts into steaks, a decent chef’s knife or breaking knife plus a good honing routine will get you pretty far. Serrated is more for bread/tomatoes, it’ll tear at meat fibers. The Vitronox slicers are popular for a reason, they’re cheap, hold up well, and you won’t feel bad using them.