Characteristics of a breaking knife

Matt Rochester

Matt Rochester

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Nov 28, 2014
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I'm going to make a breaking knife for breaking down shoulders and such and to cut steaks or slabs off a roast. My understanding is they are similar to a carving knife. My plan is to use 3/32 AEBL. So I'm thinking an 8" blade around 1" tall, slightly upswept blade with a little distal taper? I think it doesn't need too be flexible like a fillet knife but not stiff either. I will draw one up tonight and post it. Any tips or recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!
 
For those scratching their heads - A breaking knife is also called a butchering knife for breaking down carcasses and larger cuts.

The blade is slightly upswept, and runs 8-10". It isn't very wide, with 1" being good. A sturdy and simple handle is standard. 3/32" to 1/8" would be fine. AEB-L is good, as is CPM-S35VN.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
For those scratching their heads - A breaking knife is also called a butchering knife for breaking down carcasses and larger cuts.

The blade is slightly upswept, and runs 8-10". It isn't very wide, with 1" being good. A sturdy and simple handle is standard. 3/32" to 1/8" would be fine. AEB-L is good, as is CPM-S35VN.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. I have mostly been using CPM154 but am wanting to give AEBL a try. I'm assuming that a full flat grind would be better than a hollow since you would be cutting through large pieces of meat?
 
Matt, if you go to butcher shops, you'll find that one of the most popular knives is the Victorinox "scimitar."
If you google that, and talk to a few butchers, you'll have a good idea why they use what they use.
Anything will work- you can cut up a carcass with a pocketknife, but there are reasons why the breaker or scimitar (often 'simitar') is shaped the way it is.
Another one that's extremely popular in butcher shops is the Vic. 12" butcher- I see these a lot in shops that I go to, for carcass disassembly.
The thinner (1") boning knives are used not so much for shoulders and sides as for preparing roasts and such.
3/32 to 1" thickness is pretty standard for all.
 
Here is a pic of my dads old breaking knife. Its almost as old as I am. He was a butcher when hogs still came in halves and beef came in quarters. Its 1/8" at the Ricasso and 1/16" 1" behind the tip. It takes 2.5" stock to make this pattern.
Hope you post pics of the finished product.
 

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I do the sharpening and rehandling for a kosher butcher ear me, so no hog but lots of beef. They use a design a lot like that cimitar. Theirs is more eastern European take on it where the point comes back further and the handle has a touch of recurve, but the design is very similar.
 
I would say that looks pretty good. Depending on style you could bring the tip back a touch bit it's not required
 
There was actually a thread about this very style of knife in the kitchen knife sub forum, and there too I recommended a very grippy handle to deal with the fluid and meat juices involved. My personal suggestion would either be a very rough canvas micarta, or stabilized bias cut palm that has been sanded and given a heavy buff. It raises the darker fibers slightly proud and gives a very grippy surface.
 
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