Three More Oyster Knives

Thanks Bossdog! They are a niche and fancy handles sell. I posted a picture of these and already have orders for four more.
But to be honest, they are more work than I thought. I make mine almost like I do my knives. I normalize, heat treat/quench and temper. The tricky part is the grinding but with a few under my belt, I think I know how the best way to go about that. Then of course picking out the wood handles and sanding and then making that grain pop and that's what sells these little knives.
 
Nice oyster knives there Paul. one of my first knives was an oyster knife, I traded it at a drive shaft shop for a new drive shaft and carrier bearing for a 1974 F100 pick up. man I miss that truck.
Cedar Key Fl. used to be big for oysters, I knew some oyster guys there and every time I went hunting up there I would arrange to meet them at the dock, I'd get an 80 pound sack for $20.00 !

Eventually the waters got polluted by leaking septic tanks, that was the end of oystering. the government stepped in and arranged under water leases for clam farming. the oyster guys didn't want anything to do with that but their rolling in the dough now.
Cedar Key is one of the biggest suppliers of farm raised clams in the U.S.
 
bladegrinder said:
Nice oyster knives there Paul. one of my first knives was an oyster knife, I traded it at a drive shaft shop for a new drive shaft and carrier bearing for a 1974 F100 pick up. man I miss that truck.
Cedar Key Fl. used to be big for oysters, I knew some oyster guys there and every time I went hunting up there I would arrange to meet them at the dock, I'd get an 80 pound sack for $20.00 !

Eventually the waters got polluted by leaking septic tanks, that was the end of oystering. the government stepped in and arranged under water leases for clam farming. the oyster guys didn't want anything to do with that but their rolling in the dough now.
Cedar Key is one of the biggest suppliers of farm raised clams in the U.S.
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Neat story! I live in central NC so the oysters have to come up from the coast or other areas as far as Texas. The seafood dealers charge $140 - 160 a bushel.
 
The biggest ones I ever saw were in New Orleans, they were gigantic, I believe they called the biggest oysters qualhogs too.
I was in a bar where if you ate 10 dozen you got your name on the wall, I made it to 8 and couldn't go any further, they were too big. :D
That same bar two young girls came in, one never ate an oyster, so the shucker guy was telling her come on just one....
no, yea, no, yea...she finally agreed and wouldn't you know it he shucked her one and it had a pearl in it.
I must have ate thousands of them and never found a pearl.
 
I can remember crossing the bay on the way to work every day. Always saw schools of mullet and the oyster boats were out in force. It is all gone today due to pollution and progress! Boy how things have changed in 40 yrs!!!
 
C Craft said:
I can remember crossing the bay on the way to work every day. Always saw schools of mullet and the oyster boats were out in force. It is all gone today due to pollution and progress! Boy how things have changed in 40 yrs!!!
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That’s sad isn’t it.
 
I'm partial to the handle on the upper right.
Oyster knives are a mystery to me, my experience with oyster shucking extends to a couple oyster bars on the Chesapeake bay, sitting at the counter and watching the guy or gal behind the counter preparing a dozen for customers. Love me some oyster Rockefeller.
 
DanF said:
I'm partial to the handle on the upper right.
Oyster knives are a mystery to me, my experience with oyster shucking extends to a couple oyster bars on the Chesapeake bay, sitting at the counter and watching the guy or gal behind the counter preparing a dozen for customers. Love me some oyster Rockefeller.
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Back in the day, (think 40+ years ago), I would eat my oysters raw. But as CCraft said above, pollution has/is become an issue. I only eat my oysters well steamed now. The traditional way was to put a piece of sheet metal over a fire pit and get the metal good and hot, shovel the oysters on and cover with wet burlap bags. When the oysters started to open, they were ready to eat - well done and a taste of the wood fire! Now I just put a dozen or oysters in a pan with a little water and put then in my gas grill. Can't cook many at a time that way but they are hot when you serve them and you can have at least one beer before the next batch is ready.
 
Before I was married...25yrs ago...2 of my brothers and I ate seafood, sushi, oysters...you name it.at least once or twice a week. My wife hates sea food....I miss those days...lol!
 
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