My old boss in Omaha taught me to break down a hog with a cleaver, but I switched to a boning knife after a bad cut.

I was rushing a 300 lb hog and slipped, taking a chunk out of my knuckle that needed six stitches. Now I use a 6-inch boning knife for everything, which feels slower but is way safer. Has anyone else made a big switch like that after an injury?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_white953mo ago

That "bad cut" feeling is a real teacher. I sliced into my palm pretty good with a filet knife a few years back. Switched to a shorter, stiffer blade for all my fish prep now. It does take more time, but I don't have to keep checking my work gloves for blood spots anymore.

bethcarr3mo ago

Try a cut-resistant glove on your other hand.

paige5142mo ago

300 lb hog" is what got me. You were breaking down a whole animal that big with just a cleaver? That's a wild mental picture, like something out of a movie. I get the switch completely, a boning knife sounds way more manageable. That must have been a seriously scary slip.