9 Types of Butcher's Knives Used by Professional Butchers
Professional butchers don’t use just one all-purpose knife. Every stage of meat processing—from cutting large cuts to delicate boning—requires a different type of blade. The right butcher’s knife allows for more precise cuts, higher meat yield, and safer work.
Let’s take a look at the most important types of knives that belong in a professional butcher’s toolkit.
1. Boning Knife
The boning knife is a basic tool for every butcher. It has a narrow, pointed blade that allows for precise work around bones, tendons, and cartilage.
It is primarily used to separate meat from bones and to trim meat. Thanks to its narrow blade, it can precisely follow the shape of the bone and minimize meat loss.
The typical blade length is 12–16 cm.
2. Breaking knife
The breaking knife is used to divide large cuts of meat into smaller portions. It has a longer, narrow blade that is slightly curved.
This shape allows for long, smooth cuts when portioning muscles or separating individual cuts of meat.
The typical blade length is 20–25 cm.
3. Scimitar (Cimeter)
The scimitar is a typical butcher’s knife with a long, distinctly curved blade. It is ideal for portioning large cuts of meat and slicing steaks.
The curve of the blade allows for a long, sweeping cut, which is very effective when portioning larger cuts of beef.
The blade length is usually between 25–35 cm.
4. Skinning Knife
The skinning knife is primarily used for removing the skin from game or for processing meat after a hunt. It has a shorter and more curved blade, which makes it easier to separate the skin from the meat.
5. Trimming knife
A trimming knife is a smaller knife designed for detailed work with meat. It is primarily used for removing fat, membranes, and tendons.
6. Classic butcher knife
A classic butcher knife has a wider blade and a more robust construction. It is used for general-purpose work when processing meat.
7. Membrane knife
The membrane knife is a specialized knife used for removing membranes and thin layers of fat from meat. It has a very narrow blade that allows for precise cuts without damaging the muscle tissue.
It is mainly used in the preparation of high-quality steaks or in professional meat processing.
8. Steak Slicing Knife
This type of knife has a long and very thin blade. It is primarily used for slicing steaks or portioning pre-prepared meat.
Thanks to the long blade, a single smooth cut can be made, preserving the meat’s texture.
9. Meat Cleaver
A cleaver is a sturdy tool designed for working with bones and tough cuts of meat. It has a wide and heavy blade that allows for cutting through bones or portioning large cuts of meat.
It is primarily used in butcher shops or when processing larger cuts of meat.
Flex vs. Semi-Flex vs. Rigid: Which Blade Flexibility Should You Choose?
With boning knives, you’ll often see the terms flex, semi-flex, or rigid, which describe the blade’s flexibility.
Flex (flexible blade)
A flexible blade is very thin and bends easily. It can precisely follow the shape of the bone and is ideal for delicate work with poultry or fish.
Semi-Flex (semi-flexible blade)
A semi-flexible blade offers the ideal compromise between flexibility and strength. It provides sufficient flexibility for working around bones while maintaining good control during the cut.
That is why this type is the most common choice among professional butchers.
Rigid (rigid blade)
A rigid blade is firm and hardly bends at all. It offers maximum stability when working with large cuts of meat.
Which meat carving knife should you choose?
If you’re preparing meat at home or for a barbecue, the ideal combination of knives is:
- a boning knife for working around bones
- a carving knife (breaking knife) for dividing large cuts of meat
- a scimitar for slicing steaks and large cuts of meat
Professional butchers use several types of knives simultaneously, as each tool is optimized for a different type of work.