I Shucked 150 Oysters to Find the Best Oyster Knives (and My Wrist Is Still Sore)

Back when I was a wee line cook, besides plating fish for crudo and chopping literal buckets of onions, I had to shuck oysters. The oyster knife the chef handed me on my first day was gorgeous, sporting a burnished, vintage pommel. It was also dull as a doornail and incredibly ineffective. I’d stand on the line, whittling away at the bivalves, bits of shell flaking off and on more than one occasion, poking my palm. And often all I had to show for my toil was a travesty: An oyster with its hinge side broken off, meat leaking out like a hernia (I’m so sorry for creating that visual, but it’s accurate). Maybe it was some sort of hazing ritual, who can say? Thankfully, a fellow line cook took pity on me and brought in his personal oyster knife—a no-frills option with a plastic handle and a sharp blade. I finally started to shuck oysters with confidence, with only the truly knobbly, dinosaur-like ones giving any resistance. 

The lesson of this tale: A dull oyster knife makes for a miserable (and potentially dangerous) experience. The good news? I worked out my right forearm testing 12 oyster knives, shucking literally 150 oysters so you don’t have to suffer as I once did. 

The Tests

• Shuck Small Oysters Test: I used each oyster knife to shuck four small oysters, noting if they were easy to handle and maneuver and if they shucked quickly and without breaking the shell. 
• Shuck Large Oysters Test: I used each oyster knife to shuck four large oysters, noting if they were easy to handle and maneuver and if they shucked quickly and without breaking the shell. 
• Durability Test (Winners-Only): I used my favorite oyster knives to shuck an additional six oysters each, noting if they struggled in the process. 
• Ease of Use and Cleaning Tests: Throughout testing, I noted how easy the oyster knives were to use and clean. 

What We Learned 

How to (Successfully) Shuck an Oyster

The best way to shuck an oyster is with a good knife. Seriously! Once you’ve gotten that down, grab a kitchen towel you don’t mind getting dirty and a cut-proof glove (optional). Fold the towel in half lengthwise, then fold it over crosswise. Place the oyster in the center of the towel, and fold half of the towel over it, leaving the hinge exposed. Use one hand (gloved, optionally) to press down on the wide part of the oyster, while maneuvering the tip of the oyster knife into the gap near the hinge. I find that using a rocking, side-to-side motion with your hand wriggles the blade in nicely. Once the blade is wedged in there, twist the blade up and down slightly to pop the shell off. Wipe the blade (no one wants shell bits flinging out as they slide an oyster into their maw), and run it under the top shell to sever it from the bottom. Wipe your blade again, and use the knife to cut the abductor muscle where the meat is attached to the shell. You can flip the oyster meat over, if you want to, before serving—this is what fancy restaurants do, but it’s optional! You can read more about shucking and serving oysters here and here. 

New Haven-Style Knives Were Best for Beginners 

Search for an oyster knife, and you’ll see designs from all over—Galveston, Duxbury, Providence, Boston, New Haven, and more. And while each has its merit, I think the New Haven-style blade is the best for beginners or people who want a (relatively) easy shucking experience. It features a curved blade tip (which punctuates with a sharp point), allowing you to easily wedge it in and use your body weight to leverage the blade up, popping open the shell. While other blade styles, like the short and pointy Made In Oyster Shucker, Zyliss Oyster Tool, and R. Murphy/Ramelson Duxbury Oyster Knife, may seem like they could easily wedge into a shell, I found they were harder to wriggle into the hinge and didn’t provide the same leveraging capabilities. Plus, they were scarier to use since they had a more dagger-like shape (the Zyliss was particularly fearsome, with serrated edges and an ultra-pointy tip).

The exception to this was the Messermeister shucker, which had the most unique design of them all: the whole knife (blade and handle) is curved like a claw, and though the blade was sharp, pointy, and flat, it wedged into the oyster hinges surprisingly well. That said, I’d leave this knife to more experienced shuckers since it requires more finesse and confidence to use. 

A Sharp-ish Blade Was Helpful 

Compared to a standard kitchen knife, oyster knives are rather dull. But this is intentional—wedging a razor-sharp blade into a gnarly oyster shell could damage the knife, or at the very least quickly dull it. That said, oyster knives do need a little bit of a thin, sharp edge so they don’t just butt up against the shell, and so they can slice the meat free from the abductor muscle. As I waded elbows-deep into shucking oysters, I found blades with a sharp tip tended to be better at quickly dispatching the bivalve. This included the wooden-handled R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker, which sports a pointy, upturned blade tip that wedged into the hinge and easily sliced through the abductor muscle. In contrast, thick, bulky blades like the Williams Sonoma struggled to penetrate the shell. I also found that longer blades with a rounded tip, like the Seki Japan Oyster Knife and Dexter-Russell 4" Galveston-Style Oyster Knife, were equally ineffective, or at the very least required a more experienced shucker. 

A Grippy, Rounded Handle Was a Plus

Shucking bushels of oysters is tough on the wrist and forearm. And while there’s no getting around it, a comfy handle does make the task slightly less tiresome. I really liked the smooth, wooden handle of the R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker, which curved inwards and fit my hand like a glove. The OXO is another option if you’re looking for comfort since it sports a soft, plastic handle. And the knives from R Murphy, Dexter Russell, and Victorinox prevented slippage by coating handles in a bumpy plastic pattern. And while I liked the Messermeister oyster knife, since it’s made of a single piece of stainless steel, the handle did get a wee bit slippery with oyster liquor (yes, that’s what oyster juice is called), though a quick wipe solved the issue. 

To Get Shucking, First Grab Some Gloves and a Towel

While New Haven-style knives are less, er, stabby than others we tested (lookin’ at you Zyliss), they’re still dang sharp. (I’m saying this as someone who, as a novice shucker in a high-pressure environment, managed to stab herself—nothing serious, though!— with a dull oyster knife). Even the most comfortable of shuckers who can whittle through a bushel in minutes often wear gloves or, at the very least, use a folded towel to hold down the oyster. We advise you to do the same. Just a note about towels: choose one you don’t mind basically destroying since shucking multiple oysters makes a big mess (juice, shell bits, mud from the outside shell, etc, etc). 

The Criteria: What to Look for in an Oyster Knife

While professional shuckers have their preferences for knives, in general, for novice or intermediate shuckers I recommend investing in a New Haven-style knife. This sports a pointed, upturned tip that’s easy to wedge into the oyster’s hinge, which aids in popping the shell up and off. It should also have a comfortable handle and be sharp enough to slice through the abductor muscle that attaches the oyster to the shell. 

Our Top Oyster Knives

The Best Oyster Knife

R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker

$39 at Amazon

What we liked: This simple, beautiful oyster knife was sharp and easy to use, with an upturned tip that dug into the tough oyster shell and popped it open with ease. The curved wooden handle is also very comfy to hold, molding to the shape of your hand. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it’s a classic oyster knife for a reason: it shucks like a dream. The handle is also unfinished, so it’s best to give it a light coating of food-grade mineral oil before use. 

Key Specs

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 2.75 inches
• Handle length: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 1.5 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, wood
• Care: Hand-wash only 

The Best Plastic-Handled Oyster Knife

Dexter-Russell 2.75 Inch New Haven Style Oyster Knife

$22 $18 at Amazon

What we liked: Sporting a New Haven-style blade, this oyster knife made easy work of even big, deep-cup oysters (which can be quite difficult to shuck). The plastic handle has a grippy texture, which prevents slipping even when coated in oyster liquor. 

What we didn’t like: The hard plastic handle wasn’t quite as comfortable as other handles, and the blade felt a tad less sharp than the R Murphy New Haven oyster knife. 

Key Specs 

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 2 5/8 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.8 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only 

Another Great Plastic-Handled Oyster Knife

Victorinox 7.6399.2-X1 Oyster Knife 2-3/4-Inch Providence Style Blade

$28 at Amazon View on Webstaurant Store

What we liked: Very similar to the Dexter-Russell, this oyster knife performed equally well, dispatching oysters with ease. It also sported a textured handle, which allowed for a solid grip. 

What we didn’t like: Like the Dexter-Russell, it wasn’t quite as sharp as the R. Murphy knife and didn’t cut the abductor muscle quite as easily. 

Key Specs 

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 2 5/8 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.8 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only 

The Most Comfortable Oyster Knife

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Non-Slip Oyster Knife

$12 at Amazon $12 at Macy's $11 at Oxo

What we liked: It’s squishy! The handle, that is. Which made it super comfy to hold even whilst I was in the trenches shucking and shucking some more. The sharp, upturned blade removed the oyster shells cleanly and with little effort. 

What we didn’t like: It was ever so slightly less sharp than the R. Murphy, but I'm splitting hairs here. It’s a great oyster knife! 

Key Specs 

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 3 inches
• Handle length: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 2.7 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only 

The Best Oyster Knife for Experienced Shuckers

Messermeister 6.5-Inch Oyster Knife

$40 at Amazon $40 at Food52

What we liked: This claw-like oyster knife was surprisingly easy to grip and use. The pointed blade, which is flat, was quite sharp on all sides and easily cut into oysters’ hinges. It was a pleasure to use and made shucking fast and easy. I also think this would serve admirably as a clam knife if a chilled plate of raw littlenecks is calling to you. 

What we didn’t like: It sports a curved shape and pointy blade, that, while sharp and effective, made it a little more challenging to use than a New Haven-style knife. The handle also got a bit slippery during shucking, and it’s on the pricey side. 

Key Specs 

• Style: Verging on Duxbury-style (pointy, flat blade) 
• Blade length: 2 1/8 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 3.3 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Care: Hand-wash only

The Best Straight-Blade Oyster Knife

Mercer Culinary Boston-Style Oyster Knife

$15 at Amazon

What we liked: While I generally avoid straight oyster knives (why use one when you could use the all-powerful New Haven shucker?), this one was surprisingly decent. Like, I didn’t give myself a wrist workout wriggling it into the shell. It entered neatly, popped smoothly, and cut the oyster out decently. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit long for comfort, and if you’re new to shucking oysters, might present more of a challenge than an upturned blade.

Key Specs 

• Style: Boston
• Blade length: 3 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.3 oz
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only

The Competition 

• Zyliss Oyster Tool: This odd, pointy oyster knife came with a rubbery glove of sorts (it kind of looks like a slipper) that you stick the oyster into while you attack it from the other end. Except, a towel proved more useful; the rubber glove/sleeve was too big and didn’t grip the oyster. Not to mention the knife itself was dull, pointy, serrated, and overall scary (but at the same time, not). I struggled to open a single oyster with it. 
• R. Murphy/Ramelson Duxbury Oyster Knife: While this isn’t a bad knife (don’t want to offend anyone from Duxbury!), it’s pointy and straight, making it more difficult to use. 
• Made In Oyster Shucker: The rough wooden handle was bulky and unpleasant to hold, and the blade, while pointy and sharp-looking, felt dull. While I shucked some smaller oysters with it, the bigger, thicker ones gave me grief. Plus, at $50, it was one of the more expensive oyster knives in the lineup. 
• Dexter-Russell (S137PCP) - 4" Galveston-Style Oyster Knife: Again, not a bad oyster knife, per se, but the long, flat blade was difficult to wedge into the oysters and it didn’t provide the lift that New Haven-style blades did. 
• Williams Sonoma Seafood Oyster Knife: Looking more like a medieval dagger than an oyster knife, this chunky blade performed poorly. It was too thick to slip into the divot near the oyster’s hinge, and too dull to do any damage. But if you’re into LARPing, well, it may be good for that. 
• Seki Japan Oyster Knife: While this was an undeniably beautiful knife, the blade was too long and the tip too round to wedge into chunkier bivalves. 

FAQs

How should you store oysters?

The best way to store oysters is on a sheet tray with a damp towel on top. The towel should be re-dampened daily or as needed. When properly stored, oysters can last about 10 days. 

Why We're the Experts

• Grace Kelly is an editor at Serious Eats, where she's been testing gear for two years.
• She once worked as a prep cook and gard manger and shucked oysters to order.
• Grace tested oyster knives by shucking 150 oysters (and making her bivalve-loving friends very, very happy), evaluating them on their performance and ease of use.