The 5 Best Oyster Knives, Used by a Professional Chef

 

Fresh oysters have serious fancy-restaurant vibes, but with the right tool, you can serve them up at home. While you can open an oyster with a screwdriver or paring knife, the safest and most efficient way is to use an oyster shucking knife. If you’re a beginner, don’t worry—we found the best oyster knives for you.

As fellow seafood lovers, Meggan and I teamed up to find the best oyster shucking knives, considering price, safety, blade style—Boston, New Haven, and so on—and required experience level. From the knife in Meggan’s own kitchen to shopper favorites, we found the best shucking tools worth buying.

Our Top Picks

1. What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Non-Slip Oyster Knife – $11.99 at Amazon
2. Also Great: Mercer Culinary Boston Style Oyster Knife – $18.99 at Amazon
3. Best for Beginners: Dexter-Russell New Haven Style Oyster Knife – $17.74 at Amazon
4. Best for Pros: Messermeister Oyster Knife – $29.95 at Amazon
5. Best Designed: R Murphy New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker – $38 at Amazon

Reviews of The Best Oyster Knives

1. What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Non-Slip Oyster Knife

OXO’s Good Grips Oyster Knife proves that you don’t have to spend a lot to start shucking. Meggan first used this New Haven-style oyster knife in culinary school, and it has been her go-to ever since. The bent-over tip of the blade makes it safer to use when separating the shell and helps ease the scooping process without damaging the meat. “[It’s] super easy to hold and use, sturdy construction, [and] gets the job done,” she says. “OXO is one of my long-time favorite brands and I use and feature their products regularly on the site.” 

The Specs:

• Material: Stainless steel and plastic
• Blade Length: 2.75 inches
• Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

What I Like:

• Bent tip helpful for scooping
• Durable and sturdy
• Inexpensive
• Easy to clean

What I Don’t Like:

• Handle can become slippery
• Blade could be thinner and sharper

What Others Are Saying:

This is also recommended by Serious Eats and Saveur. Plus, it has more than 4.7 stars from 2,600 Amazon reviews.

Buy the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Non-Slip Oyster Knife: 

2. Also Great: Mercer Culinary Boston Style Oyster Knife

The Mercer Boston Style knife has an easily graspable handle and a rounded blade to prevent accidents, which is a great safety precaution if it’s your first time shucking. This oyster knife’s long, narrow blade will give you plenty of control for an entire tray’s worth of oysters—just be sure you don’t stick it in the dishwasher.

The Specs:

• Material: Stainless steel and plastic
• Blade Length: 3 inches
• Dishwasher-Safe: No

What I Like:

• Easy to use
• Comfortable handle

What I Don’t Like:

• Not dishwasher-safe
• May not work on small oysters

What Others Are Saying:

This knife has almost 1,300 Amazon reviews and 4.7 stars. The Spruce Eats and Serious Eats named it the best budget and best straight-blade as well.

Buy the Mercer Culinary Boston Style Oyster Knife: 

3. Best for Beginners: Dexter-Russell New Haven Style Oyster Knife

Unlike a Boston-style oyster knife, this New Haven-style knife from Dexter-Russell sports a shorter and wider blade with a convex tip, which is great for opening the oyster without slicing up the meat. For those new to oyster shucking, this knife feels easier thanks to the large blade—just be sure to hand-wash after use, as it’s not dishwasher-safe.

The Specs:

• Material: Stainless steel and plastic
• Blade Length: 2.75 inches
• Dishwasher-Safe: No

What I Like:

• Long-lasting
• Upturned tip easily opens oysters

What I Don’t Like:

• Handle can be hard to grip
• Not dishwasher-safe

What Others Are Saying:

With more than 2,000 Amazon reviews and 4.8 stars, the Dexter Russell New Haven Style Oyster Knife was named the best plastic handle option by Serious Eats.

Buy the Dexter-Russell 2.75″ New Haven Style Oyster Knife: 

4. Best for Pros: Messermeister Oyster Knife

If you’re a longtime oyster-shucking pro looking to upgrade your gear, then Messermeister’s sleek, all-stainless steel oyster knife is for you. While it costs more than all of the other knives on this list, this Dutch option is far more durable than a plastic-handled option. The handle features a “thumb fin” grip that makes prying open shells take less effort—ideal if you’re serving for a crowd. Just know that the slick surgical-grade metal can also make it a little more challenging to handle, which is why we recommend it for pros. It’s also hand wash only.

The Specs:

• Material: Stainless steel
• Blade Length: 2.25 inches
• Dishwasher-Safe: No

What I Like:

• Made of durable stainless steel
• Specially shaped handle allows for better torque when opening shells 
• Can handle big oysters

What I Don’t Like:

• Expensive
• Potentially slippery handle
• Not beginner-friendly
• Not dishwasher-safe

What Others Are Saying:

Serious Eats and The Spruce Eats also recommend this as the best option for experienced oyster shuckers and professionals.

Buy the Messermeister Oyster Knife: 

5. Best Designed: R Murphy New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker

If you want a knife that shucks well and looks good doing it, then give the R Murphy New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker a try. As is the New Haven style, the knife has a conveniently curved tip to make quick work of leveraging an oyster open and scooping out the meat. Its wood-handled design never gets slippery, and it’s made in the U.S. But because it’s wood, you still can’t wash it in the dishwasher.

The Specs:

• Material: Stainless steel and plastic
• Blade Length: 2.63 inches
• DishwasherSafe: No

What I Like:

• Sturdy, curved wood handle
• Long-lasting construction
• Made in the USA

What I Don’t Like:

• Not dishwasher-safe
• Pricey

What Others Are Saying:

Both Saveur and Serious Eats named the R Murphy New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker the best overall.

Buy the R Murphy New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker: 

Other Oyster Knives to Consider

Toadfish Oyster Shucker’s Bundle

Toadfish offers a comprehensive oyster shucking kit—great for those hoping to host this summer—complete with two different styles of oyster knives and a shucking cloth. With 4.8 stars on Amazon and a recommendation by Saveur, it’s a shame that the bundle is so highly-priced, making it too much of an investment for a beginner and a little more than the typical oyster lover might need. The Toadfish Oyster Shucker’s Bundle is available at Amazon for $77.01.

Victorinox Oyster Knife

This Victorinox Providence-style is very similar to the New Haven-style options on this list but without the upturned tip, and it’s earned 4.8 stars and 1,377 reviews on Amazon in addition to a recommendation by Serious Eats. However, it’s not quite as efficient or hardy as Meggan’s favorite—and it costs twice as much. The Victorinox Oyster Knife is available at Amazon for $24.49.

Opinel No.09 Stainless Steel Folding Oyster & Shellfish Knife

You may know Opinel for its esteemed pocket knives, and this one’s look is just as impressive. The knife’s stainless steel blade and gorgeous wood handle are conveniently foldable and ring up at a very reasonable price point. Unfortunately, it’s not sharp enough to make this list. The Opinel No.09 Stainless Steel Folding Oyster & Shellfish Knife is available at Amazon for $21.90.

We put our heads together to find the best oyster knives by researching recommendations from other food blogs, trustworthy publications, and major retailers. We combed through customer reviews for the pros and cons of each product to find the best of the best at a variety of prices and expertise levels.

Everything to Know Before Buying an Oyster Knife

What to Consider Before Buying an Oyster Knife

Unlike a butter knife or steak knife, oyster knives can vary in their blade construction. Whether a beginner or a pro, here are some factors to keep in mind as you shop.

Experience Level: Make sure you’re taking your experience level into account when choosing one. While frequent oyster shuckers may be able to handle sharper blades, beginners should opt for rounded or duller blades to protect themselves from accidents.

Safety: Because one slip-up can easily cause injury, you want to make sure that you and the knife you buy are ready for the job. “I use the oyster knife with an oven mitt for extra hand protection on the hand that is bracing the oyster,” Meggan says.

Blade Style: The shape, size, and angle of the blade can vary by knife. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the common styles. The more pointed New Haven-style blade is best for beginners, while the straighter Boston style is better for those more experienced. Other popular styles include Galveston, Duxbury, and Providence, and all are based on the region and the oysters that grow in that area.

Handle: The handle is most commonly made of stainless steel, plastic, or wood. Because oyster shucking can be pretty laborious, you’ll want to make sure the handle on your knife is sturdy, comfortable, and grippy—especially when wet.

How Do You Open Oysters Without an Oyster Knife?

If you don’t have an oyster knife, Meggan recommends a couple of alternatives that you may have lying around. “You can use a flat-head screwdriver instead of an oyster knife,” she says. “A paring knife, if it’s thick and sturdy, may also work.” Just take extra care with a sharp blade.

What’s the Difference Between a Clam Knife vs. Oyster Knife?

While oyster knives are quite sharp on all edges of the blade, clam knives tend to have one sharp side that’s still duller than an oyster knife. This makes it easier to wedge into the tighter edge of clam shells, which have a more fragile exterior. Because of this, it isn’t recommended to use a clam knife on an oyster.

Can You Use a Butter Knife to Open Oysters?

According to Meggan, there is a method in which a butter knife can be used in place of an oyster knife—you’ll just need to heat the oysters first, which will only work if you’re making a cooked oyster dish. “You can bake oysters in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes, and they will open,” she says. “Then you can pry them apart with a standard butter knife. It’s amazing!”

How Do You Eat Oysters?

Once your oyster is open, you can also use your knife to loosen the meat from the bottom half of the shell. Then, you can add any condiments you want— like lemon, vinegar, or hot sauce—and slurp the oyster directly from its shell.

The Best Oyster and Seafood Recipes

While many people prefer to eat oysters raw, they can also be fried, broiled, or baked. If you’re a fan of cooked oysters, Oysters Rockefeller is a classic that Meggan makes over and over. For seafood lovers, Meggan has a ton of other recipes that don’t include oysters to get your fix.

• New England Clam Chowder
• Lobster Roll
• Easy Shrimp Scampi

Prices were accurate at time of publication.