# Tools!



## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi Everyone,

and yet another question from the newbie!

I am killing our good kitchen knives - the Wusthoff's were just not made for this! - and would like to find alternatives. The other day I bought a 20-lb box of frozen oxtails and we had to use a hacksaw! I'm most often cutting partially frozen chicken leg quarters - some are over a pound - and would like to start with an appropriate tool for them.

I know someone mentioned scissors, but have a hard time believing they would work on a large chicken quarter? What do you all use?


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I use a meat cleaver to hack up partially frozen RMB's.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Kitchen shears, not regular scissors. Chicken bones very easy to cut with shears.


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## Miikkas mom (Dec 21, 2009)

I agree with Castlemaid. A good, quality pair of kitchen shears is a must have. I just purchased a new pair and they work fantastic!  I cut a whole chicken up using noting but kitchen shears...it was like cutting up a piece of paper! A good pair is not that expensive. I got my new ones for about $25.00...well worth it, in my opinion.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

I bought a meat clever for all the hacking up of frozen meat. It was cheap at Walmart and I Love it!


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## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

Thanks everyone - I'll go out tomorrow and probably get both a cleaver and shears. Never used shears before - intriguing! I'll let you know how we do here!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I actually went to the hardware store and bought a battery powered jig saw.

Works great for RMB and frozen MM!

I also own a large cleaver and kitchen knife and of course a good pair of kitchen scissors.


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## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

The saw may be in our future - I am not a tool person and might be dangerous! Will try the shears/cleavers first.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I'm not a tool person either, even though my Dad use to own his own buisness building homes and custom items.. lol.

I got the very basic one and had the guy at the store show me how to use it. I live 3 hours from my family so I was all on my own.. lol.


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## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

Good job, elizabeth_00117! You understand then - if we don't use tools very much, it's kind of a handicap when we really should. One of the best pieces of advice I have received was from a blacksmith friend who told me to always remember to use the right tool for the job and most importantly - let it do the work - not you. If you have the wrong tool, at best you will damage it and at worst you will get hurt.

Of course, even with that sage advice somewhere in the recesses of my mind (there are many of these :smirk, when faced with 20 pounds of chicken quarters, I went right ahead and plowed through it all with a puny, but expensive kitchen knife.:rolleyes2:

Maybe a sticky would be an idea for the tool-challenged among us - or a business idea for someone to sell a raw-feeders' tool kit!


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## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

OK - you'll all think I'm crazy - but I went to the store today and got some kitchen shears - brought 'em home and tried to cut a chicken quarter in half (on the thigh bone). It was like cutting butter!!!!!! Sure - a little extra pressure needed for the bone - but OMG! I have never used kitchen shears before and will never again be without them.

:groovy::thumbup::happyboogie:Kitchen Shears!!!


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