Best Carving Knife for Brisket (Top 10)

A perfect brisket takes time. You might spend 9 to 12 hours smoking a 14-pound slab of delicious beef and once it’s ready, the last thing that you need is for that fall-apart beef to get torn up when you cut it. So, what’s the best carving knife for brisket, anyway?

Well, everyone has their own preferences, but the best carving is done with a good slicing knife, especially if there are serrated edges that can deal with harder cuts of beef. For prep and trimming, the easiest and most effective option is a boning knife, and if you want an electric option then those are certainly viable, too.

Today we’re going to talk more about these cutting options, to tell you a little about what you can expect and what to look for, and we’ll also give you some examples of the best carving knives for brisket on the market today.

We’ll also share our favorites but with the info you’ll get along the way, by the time we’re done you should know everything that you need to pick the best knife for carving brisket for your specific needs.

Let’s talk about using the best brisket knife for carving.

Our top 3 picks at a glance

Before we get this article properly in motion, we realize that some of our readers may be in a hurry right now and so for those folks we’ll highlight our favorites and give you a little sneak peek. You’ll be able to read more about each of these later in the article, of course, as well as the other showcased knives that we’ll be reviewing today.

As far as our top 3, these were the winners:

• Best Slicing Knife – Dalstrong Slicing Knife – 12 inch – Gladiator Series Elite – With a Granton edge to keep the meat from sticking to your knife and high carbon German steel for a razor sharp edge, the Dalstrong was definitely our favorite slicing knife.
• Best Boning Knife – Huusk Japan Boning Knife – With its blend of hardness and flexibility, the Huusk Japan Boning knife was our favorite in this category and the nice aesthetics to go with its utility was the cherry on top!
• Best Electric Carver – Maxi-Matic Elite Gourmet EK9810 – With razor-sharp 7.75 inch blades, no cord to hinder you, and 70 minutes of charge time, the Maxi-Matic is a fine electric carver that you’ll definitely appreciate at home.

We’ll share more about why these were our favorites at the end of this article but for now, we hope you’ve enjoyed your ‘sneak peek’ at our favorite knife selections for today!

What to look for in the perfect Brisket carving knife

When you are choosing the perfect brisket carving knife, there are a few things that you’ll want to consider. A long and narrow blade is going to be a must – briskets are big pieces of meat, so you want to make sure that you’ve not only got the right tool for the job but that there’s enough of that tool to do it right.

If your blade is a little smaller, then that means extra work, and the cuts may not come out as pretty as you might like and that would be a shame.

Another thing to look for that is nice is what’s called a ‘Granton edge’. This type of granton blade is not just ideal for briskets but also excels when slicing large vegetables, making it a versatile choice in your kitchen.

You’ll see what looks like a series of ovals across the sides of the blades and what these do is they help to create little air pockets that help to keep the knife from sticking to the piece of meat.

This makes for precise cuts so that you’re slow-cooked brisket won’t get ripped-up when you’re ready to serve it. A scalloped blade is also advantageous when dealing with fibrous vegetables, providing a smooth cut.

With boning knives for briskets, you want to look for blades that have a good mix of hardness and flexibility. This makes the blade more agile, so that you can easily trim off fat with minimal effort or any other bits that you might not like with fairly surgical precision.

For electric knives, the size of the blade will be important and you also want to consider how long of a charge that you will get (and how easy it is to get an extra battery for backup). While electric knives are sometimes scoffed at in regards to brisket, they can save a lot of wear and tear on the wrists and if used carefully, you can still get some fantastic cuts.

Now that we’ve talked a little about these options, let’s take a look at some real examples that we’ve collected to show you today!

The Best Carving Knives for Brisket

In the sections below, we’ll share with you some slicing, boning, and electric knife options chosen from some of the best knives for brisket, prime rib, roast beef, and large cuts of meat on the market today. For each one, we’ll tell you a little about the measurements, types of steel, and also some of the pros and cons that you’ll want to consider that go with each.

Let’s take a look at those now and you can see what you think!

Slicing knives

Our first brisket-blade is this Mairico Ultra-sharp Premium 11-inch Stainless-steel carving knife and it’s a real beauty. The stainless steel blade keeps a good edge and while it doesn’t look sharp, it’ll cut through your brisket like butter! The long blade is perfectly sized for the task and also a great option for roasts, chicken, turkey, salmon, and more. You’ll also notice the odd patterning along the blade and this is called a ‘Granton Edge’ – it’s there to create air pockets between the knife and food for a cleaner cut.

Finally, the handle is ergonomically designed for a comfy grip and control and it is triple-riveted to keep it firmly in place.

The Pros:

It’s well-balanced, sharp, and really makes short work of cutting through your brisket. It’s not overly fancy, but it looks good and it’s good at its job!

The Cons:

The rounded tip kind of has the effect of making the blade look like it’s not sharp, so you’ll need to make a little extra effort to remind yourself to sharpen it regularly to ensure that it’s at its best when you need it.

Our next brisket knife is this Dalstrong 12-inch Slicing knife from their Gladiator Series Elite and while it looks a little like the Mairico, this lovely blade is high carbon German steel, features a Granton edge, and it is NSF certified for public health standards to boot!

This brisket slicer is not only excellent for brisket but also for slicing larger vegetables like squash or eggplant.

It’s also adept for tasks like butterflying, deboning, trimming, and skinning your favorite meats – it’s really quite versatile. The handle for this blade is made of G10 Garolite, which is a material similar to fiberglass, and it’s ergonomically designed for control and comfort and triple-riveted into place to keep it secure. 

Did we mention that it’s a 56 on the Rockwell hardness scale? As brisket knives go, it’s definitely a beauty.

The Pros:

This knife is both strong and flexible, so aside from perfectly parting your brisket, you can use it for things like cutting layer cakes, large fruit prep, bread slicing, and more – the large blade makes normally daunting cutting tasks a piece of cake.

It’s also a favorite among home cooks for its versatility in handling different ingredients.

The Cons:

High carbon steel will take a little extra care, so you’ll want to take care of the edge and keep it oiled for best results. The knife comes with care instructions so that you’ll know what to do, so this is not a huge caveat, but we wanted to bring it to your notice.

Next up we have this Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12-Inch slicing knife with a Granton edge and if you’re looking for utility, rather than flash, then it’s just about a perfect fit. Made of high carbon stainless steel, this Swiss-crafted blade will easily cut through briskets, turkey, chicken, fish, and more, and you’ll have a secure grip with the thermoplastic rubber handle for comfortable and well-controlled use.

The Victorinox is spartan in aesthetics, but no-nonsense when it comes to cutting your meats and for some of us, that’s just what the doctor ordered!

Victorinox knives are renowned for their reliability and versatility, making them an excellent choice for both meat and vegetable slicing.

The Pros:

This is a quality slicing knife that you’ll get lots of mileage out of and you won’t have to be polishing a fancy wooden handle. Just use it, clean it, and keep it oiled and sharp!

The Cons:

Some folks may prefer more of a mix of form and function and this knife may not be the best fit for that.

This Cutluxe Slicing and Carving Knife features a 12 inch blade with a Granton edge so that you’ll get smooth, a brisket slice without pulling apart that brisket you’ve been slow smoking all day! Made with high carbon German steel sharpened at a 14-16 degree angle and rating a 56 on the Rockwell hardness scale, this blade holds a great edge, and you’ll get a comfortable grip with the ergonomically designed pakkawood handle. Said handle is also triple-riveted and laminated to keep things sanitary – all in all, it’s a lovely carving knife and we think you’re going to love it!

The Pros:

Sharp right out of the box, the Cutluxe is perfectly sized for large meats like briskets, turkey, ribs, and more, and the keen edge helps you get those ‘Christmas dinner quality’ slices that do justice to all that hard work you put in your brisket.

The Cons:

Aside from the extra oiling that goes with high carbon blades, we really had no other complaints about this blade – it’s a fine kitchen tool and it’ll do your brisket right!

Boning knives

Our first boning knife is actually part of a set that we thought you might enjoy. This Spitjack Smoked BBQ 6-inch curved beef brisket trimming and boning knife is a spartan sweetheart – it’s all about utility – and features high carbon German steel with a dishwasher-safe plastic handle that’s ergonomically designed with comfort and grip in mind.  

Along with the boning knife, you also get a Granton edged 11 inch slicing knife that will hold a wicked edge and with the Granton design keeping air between the blade and the meat, you’ll get smooth, even slices with ease. It’s a nice little combo if you are looking for an affordable set that does the job nicely.

The Pros:

If utility is your aim, these knives bring the cutting magic, and you’ll get years of good use out of them. When you add in that maintenance is simply keeping them sharpened, oiled, and popping them in the dishwasher when they need it, then they’ve also got a shiny ‘low maintenance’ appeal.

The Cons:

As stated, they’re not fancy, and for cutting brisket some folks will prefer a little more flash.

This Huusk Japan boning knife is made of high-carbon ATS-34 steel that gives you a mix of strength and flexibility that you’re going to love. The blade measures in at 5.5 inches and you’ll notice that lovely taper at the end, which lets you slice neatly through connective tissues or simply helps you introduce the blade for a neat, precision slice.

It’s great for cutting, skinning, slicing, and trimming, and features a triple-riveted wooden handle to add a perfect grip and just the right amount of aesthetics to your knife. You even get a nice, leather sheath for it, so if you feel like a little grilling and camping, then your Huusk is ready to go out with you.

The Pros:

This is a good-looking knife that doesn’t sacrifice function for form – when you use it, it’s an agile tool that will cut your brisket, filet your fish, and perfectly proportion poultry as-needed.

The Cons:

The wooden handle means you’ll need to wash this by hand, but as far as caveats go, that shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most.

Dalstrong makes our list again with this 8 inch boning knife from their Gladiator series. What you get is a quality, German high-carbon steel blade with a hand-polished 16 – 18 degree edge that is engineered to have a 56+ hardness rating on the Rockwell scale. This lets your knife hold a superior edge and this hardness also makes that tapered tip of the blade capable of excising fat and connective tissues with relative ease. This balanced blade is also housed in a G10 triple-riveted Garolite handle, so that you’ll have a solid grip and comfortable use for when you’ve got a lot of meat to trim.

As an added perk, it’s also NSF certified, so this is a blade designed with health standards in mind and it certainly helps this already-fantastic knife stand out just a little more from the crowd.

The Pros:

This is a great boning knife and you’ll know it when you get to use it for the first time. The handle gives it a good balance and you get a little tactile feedback as you go that helps to make the boning quite a bit more intuitive. It also has a superior balance of flex and strength – which is important for boning. If a blade is TOO stiff, then it won’t be as agile, but the Dalstrong flexes just enough with its razor-sharp edges to let you angle and cut where you need to with laser precision.

The Cons:

While it comes sharpened, you should sharpen it a little on your own before the first use and use either a Japanese sharpening stone or an electric sharpener designed for Asian knives as the ‘factory sharpening’ is pretty basic – this will help to ensure that you get to see this blade at it’s best.

Electric carving knives

Our first electric carving knife for briskets comes from a name we all know and trust – Black and Decker. With a 7 inch blade length, trigger-activated mechanism, and a safety lock, your control is intuitive and you can neatly carve and cut brisket, turkey, and other meats without fatiguing your wrists in the process.

The ergonomic grip gives you plenty of control and comfort and when it’s cleanup time, you can simply release the blades to pop them in the dishwasher – no muss, no fuss.

The Pros:

With a corded Black and Decker electric knife, you’ve got plenty of power and the comfort of knowing that you’re going with a brand you can depend on. You’ll get smooth, even cuts through brisket and other meats and if you also like to DIY things in your spare time, this beauty will also cut things like foam just as easily. It’s a nice tool, exactly what you’d expect from Black and Decker.

The Cons:

While a corded cutter gives you a little extra power and less weight to hold, not everyone will be keen on the idea of needing to plug it in.

Speaking of cordless models, this Maxi-Matic Elite Gourmet EK9810 Professional Cordless Rechargeable Easy-Slice Electric Knife gives you about 70 minutes of use time for just 1.5 hours of charging. It comes with 2 sets of sharp 7.75 inch stainless steel blades that will do your brisket right. This model also features a safety lock and a lightweight design that makes it easy to use and control.

When you add in that it comes with a 1 year warranty and support, this inexpensive cordless cutter is quite the bargain, indeed!

The Pros:

Cuts BBQ and brisket quite nicely and also works like a charm with turkey, breads, and more. The lightweight design and the fact that it’s cordless also let you cut at various angles that might be a bit of a hassle with a corded model.

The Cons:

As with any electric knife, the smaller blade size can be a problem for larger briskets – so proper care must be taken when cutting. Aside from this, you’ll also need to remember to charge it so that you won’t be disappointed when the food is ready and it’s time to carve it up. 

Our final electric carving slicer comes from NutriChef and is a good fit for small briskets, barbecued chicken, and ribs. This is a corded model, so there’s no need to charge it, and it features 5 inch stainless steel blades that are heavy duty, sharp, and made to last a long time.

The handle is ergonomically designed for comfort and it’s also robust enough to cut tougher foods such as pineapples, should you fancy applying your electric knife this way. As an added touch, everything is stored away in an included butcher’s block wooden storage tray so it looks really nice in the kitchen when it’s waiting for you to use it!

The Pros:

This is a well-made electric knife and it’ll cut through a brisket or a 10 – 15 pound pork roast cleanly and quickly. We like the butcher block storage, as well, as it adds a nice little aesthetic alternative to just storing your electric knife in the drawer or somewhere else mundane.

The Cons:

While the little blade is powerful, it will take a little extra time to cut larger meats, although with the sharp blades it’s not going to be a huge impact on time – it’s small, but mighty and efficient.

FAQs

That’s just about all of the time that we have for today, but before we wrap things up, we have a few frequently asked questions on the subject of briskets and carving them up right. Let’s take a look!

What is the best type of knife to cut brisket?

It really depends… if you’ve got a slow smoked brisket that’s practically falling apart, then you might prefer a razor-sharp slicing knife, but if you are working with tougher cuts of brisket, then a serrated blade is going to be a much better fit. The teeth of the blade will bite more effectively into that touch brisket so that you can slice it up nicely without worry of tearing it apart in the process.

Can you use a carving knife for brisket?

Yes, you can use carving knives for brisket and depending on the size of the briskets you usually need to cut, an 11 to 14 inch blade is going to be your best bet. Smaller blades, such as 8 -10 inch carvers, are more suited for hams, turkeys, and other smaller fare, but with brisket it’s best to ‘go big’ so that you won’t make more work for yourself.

What is the best thickness to cut brisket?

The ideal thickness is actually about the same width as a number 2 pencil, so if you have one handy, you can practice cutting to this width until it becomes intuitive. This technique, popularized by experts like Aaron Franklin, ensures you get the most out of your brisket and vegetable slicing experience.

At this thickness, you get a nice slice of meat so that you’ll have a good bit of texture and some of that yummy fat and it also stacks up nicely for display before it gets eaten! 

The verdict

It’s time to wrap things up, so we’ll go ahead and share our favorites from the list today and you can see if you agree with these choices. Below are the ones that we liked the best and we’ll tell you what we liked about them so that you can see what you think.

Best Slicing Knife – Dalstrong Slicing Knife – 12 inch – Gladiator Series Elite

We liked the Dalstrong slicing knife the best for a number of reasons. First off, the German steel has enormous appeal on its own, but with the Granton edge and the solid G10 handle, you’ve got a really robustly constructed knife that can hold a wicked edge and should give you many years of excellent performance. If you’ll be working with bigger briskets, they also come in a 14 inch size, and we think that you’ll be very happy with this high-quality knife’s performance!

Best Boning Knife – Huusk Japan Boning Knife

This Huusk knife is not only good-looking, but it brings the goods! Featuring Japanese steel, it’s renowned for its sharpness and durability, making it an excellent choice for both meat and vegetable preparation.

Remember, a dull knife can ruin the texture of brisket and vegetables alike, so maintaining sharpness is key.

Made from ATS-34 high carbon steel, you can hone it to razor sharpness; the curved edge will navigate through the meat for smooth, precision trimming. While the wooden handle means you’ll be hand-cleaning it, we think that it’s a small price to pay for a boning knife that you’ll be getting excellent mileage out of.

Best Electric Carver – Maxi-Matic Elite Gourmet EK9810

Finally, our favorite electric carving knife was the Maxi-Matic. It’s budget friendly and brings a good game to the table. With a 7.75 inch blade, safety lock, and 70 minutes of cordless performance after a 1.5 hour charge, it was easily the most convenient little carver that we’ve seen in a while. It’s also very competitively priced and we think you’re going to love it!

We want to thank you for your visit today and if you feel like leaving a little feedback about the knives we’ve reviewed today or some favorites of your own, then please feel free to post – we get some amazing advice from you guys and gals and if we don’t say it enough -please know that we appreciate it!

If you’re replacing an old knife, these options are sure to enhance your cooking experience, whether it’s for brisket or vegetables.

Thanks so much for reading and we hope to see you again soon!