Best Knives For Trimming Fat From Briskets, Butts, etc.?

[Willy]

Do you have a "special" type knife for such things or do you just use a chef's knife?

[EdF]

I like a "boning/fileting" knife for this. With a somewhat flexible blade. Seems to let you conform your cuts to the places between the fat and the meat a little bit better.

[Willy]

I have a Rapala "fishing" knife in my tackle box. Sounds like that might fit the bill? BTW, there is no more expensive fish than the one or two 7" stocked trout I catch every year--well, some years, anyway. I still remember the ten-incher that got away...

[EdF]

Willy I suspect your "fishing knife" fits the bill!

[W.A.]

Willy - filet knives work like a charm and when they get chipped and cant be ground anymore - just chuck it and buy another.

[FireMan]

I'm a Meathead / Rapala convert. Love it.
And in more than one place I have written that with somethings I can be very cheap.

[hogdog6]

What EdF and FireMan said.

[SoCalTim]

My advice is to go to a fishing/sporting good store and purchase an inexpensive curved boning knife, 10 bucks or less. Use it til it wont go anymore then toss it. Sure you could buy one of the 100 dollar numbers, but why ... then you gotta ge it sharpened, etc ..

[Baltassar]

Thin, flexible blade. Whether to shell out for an expensive one is a matter of taste (and, of course, money). But thin and flexible are what you want. Don't have a Rapala myself, but it seems like the right kind of deal.

Baltassar

[Jerod Broussard]

I have three Rapala's just for trimming butts and briskets and the like.

[JCGrill]

I also have 3 filet knives, mainly because I'm always leaving one in a buddy's truck when we go fishing. They work great. If you ever hang a deer and butcher it yourself, you'll use the same knife for that, so why not for a cut you buy?

[Notavegan]

Kershaw 7 inch filet. 15 buck delivered. Compared to the crap I had been using for.... my whole life as it turns out, it's a light saber. I would say comparable to the Rapala from what I've read.

[rototiller78]

I used to use my santoku knife for the fat trimming then I decided to try to use my filet knife for sh*ts and giggles and I found out the filet knife is so much better to use.

[rototiller78]

Mr. Bones Ja, das stimmt.

[Mr. Bones]

¡Ja, Doch, das ist wahr, Mein Bruder! Du hast recht.
¡Ich kann ja bestimmtlich sehr gut Deutsch; trag' es mir an! ¡Feuer Frei!
¡Morgen, BDW!
¡Na denn prost!
>Aus!!!

[rototiller78]

Mr. Bones We are fellow BBQs of the same cloth (AmazingRibs). Aren't we supposed to bear our food w/ fire? Hehehe.

[Willy]

Rapala it is! Thanks! Best part is I already own one.

[Notavegan]

You'll love it. AND, best thing written above imho? It's 15 bucks, when it's beat chuck it and get another one.

[Omega-Man]

Wusthof Classic 7-Inch Fillet Knife with Leather Sheath
Pricy but very well made.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...usthof+classic

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/wusthof-reg-grand-prix-ii-7-inch-fillet-knife-with-leather-sheath/1016594415?Keyword=Wusthof+7-Inch+Fillet+Knife+with+Leather+Sheath

Nice and thin, flexible, nice size handle and sheath if you want to take it fishing.

[JCGrill]

Two of my knives are Rapala, but the other one is this Wusthof one, I was given as a gift. I do like it.

However, if you are in the market for a REALLY NICE filet knife, try this one.

http://www.leechlakeknife.com/Home.html

[PaulstheRibList]

Well, I'll partially confess: I have no idea how many boning knives I have to trim brisket and other bbq. Several, over a dozen different varieties. OK, more than that, as I sit here and try to guess.

Most of them are the lower-cost variety. The Dexter, Update, Victronox and similar models of various lengths and stiffnesses. Like em all! I've bought a couple with the carbon steel blades, to see if they hold an edge longer, meaning we trim briskets faster. Not enough testing yet to let you know. (Have some Ole Hickory's in the packaging to test, haven't gotten to them yet.)

And several filet knives, including the beloved Rapela. My Daddy used the classic wooden handle Rapella, so I, obviously, love it unconditionally. I confess, however, that I don't tend to use the filet knives in trimming brisket.

And I've purchased a couple of more expensive knives, and one of them is the one I reach for the most often...

Want to guess which one?

The Six Inch, flexible boning knive, the Wusthof Classic 6" flexible, about $115. Holds and edge great, and is the just right kind of flexible to help me trim those briskets when the fat is cold and my desire to get that magic 1/4 inch of fat is high! I bought is from cutlery and more, https://goo.gl/MBRnlF

All that said, there is a new member of theRibShack family, and, man, is she pretty!

Say hello of Ms. Shun. This one is the 6 inch, Shun TDM0774 Premier Gokujo Boning Fillet Knife, Silver. The folds, the cool wavy surface, the wooden handle, the razor sharp blade...WOW! She cuts great! I've only used her a couple of times, so I'll need to get more time in to give a full comparison to the Wusthof. Costs $145.

I'm experimenting with the harder blades, seeing if I can trim several briskets all at the same speed with no blade diterioration. Slowing down a trim is expensive on labor. If you are going to trim 20 briskets a week (or more!!!), then having sharp steel in hand will pay off.

Isn't this fun!

paul

[Spinaker]

I love my Global boning knife. It holds a great edge and is razor sharp. I love using it.

I also use my Rapla knife from time to time, but I keep going back to my GLOBAL.

[PaulstheRibList]

This on, Spinaker?

https://www.amazon.com/Global-Cromova-G-21-Flexible-Boning/dp/B00005OL41

[Steve Vojtek]

Global here as well...They are razor sharp!