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Unpopular opinion: I switched from a scimitar to a breaking knife for primals and I'm not going back
For about eight years, I used a 12-inch scimitar for everything from splitting a side of beef to cutting chuck rolls. It was what my old boss in Fort Worth taught me with, and I got fast with it. The curve felt right for following bone. But last fall, I was breaking down a whole hog for a custom order and grabbed my 10-inch breaking knife by mistake. The straighter blade and heavier tip just powered through the shoulder socket in a way that felt cleaner, with less sawing motion. I've used it on beef ribs and lamb saddles since, and I find I have more control for straight cuts. The scimitar still comes out for certain curved cuts, but my main setup is different now. Has anyone else made a switch like this with their core tools and stuck with it?
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hart.mark1mo agoMost Upvoted
Stick with the scimitar, man. That curve is key for getting around bones without forcing it.
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the_piper1mo ago
Absolutely right. Tried a straight blade once on a big job, got stuck on a rib. Had to really work it loose. The curve just slides right through.
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samwalker29d ago
Whoa hold on, a straight blade isn't quite the same as a scimitar though. The scimitar's got that belly near the tip, so when you hit a rib the curve acts like a little guide, it just rides around it. But a straight blade like a breaking knife, that's got a different shape altogether, it's more of a pull cut. Yeah, getting stuck on a rib with a straight blade sounds like a nightmare, I've had that happen too on a pork shoulder once, had to grab the bone with my other hand to work it free.
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