Free Knives Help - Meat / Butcher Shop Knives

[thoseguys26]

A friend picked up some butcher shop knives the other day and brought them to me because I have a 'grinder' sharpener. These are quality knives but they are obviously worn down beyond commercial legal use.

They were all free. Some are worse than others, but I know I can resharpen most of them  and get years of use out of them, especially because I only process a couple deer and hopefully an elk or two a year.

Is there any information or concern I should be aware of? I always wear protective gear when doing anything but is there anything I should be concerned with here?

Good Steel? Good find?

Thanks in advance!

Here's some pics,

 

[brican]

Good find, my concern would be the points (we call them 'pig sticker') as they can go in fast as well as deep (I have the scar's to prove it

)

I ground four of mine down (points) today by about 1/4 inch then rounded and resharpened on the oil stone, worked out great and made it a lot easier to skin twenty loins for bacon in no time

 

[moikel]

Good find alright,looks like they have done plenty of work.Good brand,they get used a lot at our big fishmarket as well as butchers. I am no help on the real question  I am a japanese wet stone guy when it comes to sharpening.Slow but its kind of relaxing at same time.

 

[chef jimmyj]

There are no Sanitation issues. Safety, just be careful they will Bite you hard and quick when they are that worn...JJ

 

[thoseguys26]

Thanks for the info. I cleaned them up real good with boiling water and I'm going to sharpen them up tonight. I'll try my electric sharpener on the first one to see how it goes and resort to my stones if I have to.

I guess I have to get a pork belly to test them out!

 

[venture]

For that price, where is the question?

I would sharpen them, use them, and discard anything that doesn't feel right?

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[sprky]

Nice score there I'd say. 

 

[thoseguys26]

Venture, you're right! I'm sharpening them tonight and can't wait get to try them out. They'll serve a purpose this coming year, I guarantee!

 

[supercenterchef]

Great brand--nothing flashy but will definitely get the job done...

I can't  think of any sanitation issues, but as a knife kinda guy, I'd say that for how much those cost--I'd just replace them.

With their wear, the angle will be getting pretty wide and would prolly need a lot of thinning to reshape--but, of course if you're wanting practice sharpening...those are good knives to work with :)

 

[thoseguys26]

Thanks. I'll probably sharpen a handful of the ones that have the most blade left and toss the rest. They'll come in handy if I harvest another elk next year.

 

[pops6927]

In the meatroom vernacular, they're known as chicken-boners!  Some might be salvageable, but you'll wear the edge off quick because they're too ground down to get them thin enough to hold a burr.  They are very dangerous also, you'll be sticking yourself constantly.  Put them in a rummage sale 50¢ apiece and buy some new quality knives, Ace Mart has some Dexter-Russell's that are real good; I still go back to a straight blade 6" either plain or hollow ground; the curved boners are only good if you're only doing only that-boning out aitch's and femurs and such over and over again.  Then they wear down to what you have there and aren't useful.

6" Hollow Ground straight boning knife, Dexter-Russell:

http://www.acemart.com/prod9949.html

6" wide blade boning knife, Dexter-Russell:

http://www.acemart.com/prod4530.html

Dexter-Russell Diamond Steel and two Dexter-Russell straight 6" boners, one from Ace Mart:

 

[thoseguys26]

Thanks Pops! As usual you give some real helpful advice.

 

[stl-rich]

Of course the Dexter-Russells are fine - you might also check Amazon for Victorinex fibrox knifes. Not fancy but good