A good oyster knife... is worth its weight in gold.

How many people shuck oysters themselves rather than buying them already
shucked in a glass jar? If you do, maybe you agree with the above statement.

This evening I walked myself down to the seafood market and bought myself
two dozen oysters in the shell for dinner. I haven't had any since last
spring. Luckily once you learn how to shuck oysters, the skill stays with
you. I know years ago it took me forever to get them shucked, now it goes
very fast.

A good oyster knife is critical. I've tried quite a few over the years,
looking for the perfect one. First I had a more or less "standard" one. I
knew I could do better. Then I got a German one, which although could get
any oyster open, had too short a blade to sever the oyster from the shell.
At least too short for the normal big oysters on the East Coast. Then I came
across a French one that usually got the oyster open, and had a long enough
blade to sever the oyster from the shell. That was my favorite for a while.
Unfortunately the tip was a bit fragile, so it tended to bend and break off.
The very tip of the German one broke off too.

Then one day in my small neighborhood hardware store, I came across yet
another design by the Ontario Knife Company. This one ended up being perfect
for me. It would open any oyster, was long enough to sever it from the
shell, and was very sturdy so the tip wouldn't break off. Knowing sometimes
you see something in a store, and then never see it again, I bought a few
extras for myself and my brother. That was a few years ago. I haven't messed
up the first one yet, so I still have three spares.

I looked for a web site for the Ontario Knife Company, and found it.
Apparently they don't make exactly the same knife I like any more, but they
still make a similar one. The ones I have have unfinished wood handles,
which I prefer, because they offer a secure grip on the knife as one rotates
it to pop open the oyster. The new ones have plastic handles. I'm not sure
that would be as good. Here's a picture of what they make now with the
plastic handle:

http://www.ontarioknife.com/images/i...rclamknife.jpg

Just my thoughts... wondering if anyone else shucks oysters.