Lynn Thompson's Choices for Meat Prep/Food and All Around Kitchen and Work Knives
Key Takeaways
8 inch Chef’s knife (kitchen classic series)
Butcher knife 8.9-9 inch blade
Stiff pointing knife
Hunting knife (all around knife)
Scimitar (steaking knife)
Cleaver
Transcript
Meat & Food Prep Knives
By Lynn Thompson, Founder of Cold Steel Knives
Today, I notice a growing trend of people taking part in butchering and preparing their own meat for personal or family consumption. I want to talk about the different knives that might be appropriate for that task. When I think about meat preparation, the first knife that comes to mind is the quintessential kitchen tool: the chef's knife.
This is an 8-inch chef's knife from Cold Steel's Kitchen Classics series. It’s the single most used knife in my kitchen and in my hunting camp. I always keep about five of these knives razor-sharp. I tend to host parties and barbecues where I prepare large quantities of meat, such as 15-pound briskets. A versatile meat prep knife is essential, and this blade shape has been used for centuries. Historically, this was the European peasant knife. Steel was expensive back then, and people couldn’t afford to own a variety of specialized knives. They needed one knife that could do it all—and this blade shape fits that role perfectly.
The chef's knife features a fairly acute point, which is more than adequate for tasks like butchering a pig. The blade has a lot of sweep from the choil to the tip, making it effective for skinning. Because it’s flat-ground, it also excels at slicing meat into portion sizes, as well as chopping vegetables and other food prep tasks. If you could only have one kitchen or prep knife, my first choice would be a chef's knife. For most people, an 8-inch blade works best, but if you’re processing a lot of vegetables, you might prefer a 10-inch blade for faster work. Just keep in mind that a longer blade can be a bit unwieldy.
If you’re doing a lot of meat preparation, you might also want to consider some specialized knives. The next most versatile knife I recommend is a butcher knife. This one has an 8.5 to 9-inch blade with a short clip point. While not primarily designed for stabbing, it can be used to stick a pig if needed. Its strength lies in its versatility—it’s excellent for cutting meat, skinning, slicing steaks, and general butchering tasks. It has plenty of belly for skinning and a flat section for slicing, making it a valuable addition to your knife collection.
Another must-have for meat preparation is a stiff boning knife. Unlike flexible or medium-flex boning knives, which have their uses, I prefer a stiff blade. This knife is sharp, lightweight, and incredibly useful. It’s also surprisingly effective for self-defense due to its acute point and ease of handling. In the kitchen, it excels at separating meat from bones, including getting into tight spaces like between ribs. If you’re processing your own game—deer, elk, or moose—and want to maximize the amount of usable meat, a stiff boning knife is invaluable. It’s also compact enough to carry discreetly in a sheath, making it a practical tool for both the kitchen and the field.
If you’re looking for an all-around knife for camping or hunting, the hunting knife I’m showing here is a great option. It has a lot of sweep to the blade, making it suitable for slicing steaks and breaking down muscle groups. The point is acute enough for detailed work, such as running the blade across the belly without puncturing the internal organs. While it’s not as versatile as the chef's or butcher knife, it’s smaller, more compact, and handy to carry.
For more specialized tasks, I recommend the Scimitar, which I refer to as a "steaking knife." This is ideal for cutting large chunks of meat into steaks. You can measure out your desired thickness and make long, clean slices with ease. It’s also great for carving meat at parties. For those who fish, it’s effective for breaking down large fish into steaks. The blade has a slight amount of flex but is still sturdy enough for most tasks. Its long strokes make it particularly suited for large-scale slicing.
Lastly, let’s talk about the cleaver. I made a special handle for this cleaver to make it more comfortable for handling heavier tasks. I include a cleaver in my recommendations because it can handle jobs that would otherwise require a saw. Personally, I dislike using electric saws because of the cleanup involved. A good, heavy cleaver can accomplish nearly any task quickly, whether it’s cutting through ribs, joints, or bones. Just be cautious of tiny bone chips, which can be brushed off the meat to ensure they don’t remain.
These are my recommendations for food preparation, meat preparation, and general kitchen knives. With this assortment of tools—a chef's knife, butcher knife, stiff boning knife, hunting knife, Scimitar, and cleaver—you’ll be well-equipped to handle any task. I don’t think you can go wrong with these choices.
