Hi peeps,

Just thought I'd share.
After getting tired of damaging several purty blades I decided to toss a cheap oyster knife in my pack for opening oysters and cutting loose clams and mussels and dislodging other almost ready to eat seafood along the coast. Works great.
Keep your main knife healthy and hairpopping sharp and use this cheap and lightweight tool instead. If you are not familiar with this tool do a google search for oyster knife.
Anyone else carry this when near the coast?

Regards,
Pharaoh.

An oyster knife is a fine tool for the job. Used one many times.

However, 100 years ago (seems like) when I was a kid my buddies and I would wade in the bay and collect all the clams we could eat. Smashed them open with a stone we found on the beach and ate them fresh.

Still, if you are on the shore and can collect your own (check local laws--not like when I was a kid anymore), an oyster knife is handy, but not entirely necessary. You can also use almost any thin blade knife. You are not really cutting, you just need a semi-sharp edge to get between the 2 shells, and pry a bit, slip it inside and then just enough sharpness to cut or dislodge the internal muscle that holds the shells together. Pops right open.

BUT, if it is open when you get it (even a bit) and does not "clam up" (where the expression came from) when you fool with it, then throw it away. It's dead, or almost so, and you do not want to eat it.

Enjoy!

if you are in bay scollop areas, a heavy duty stainless spoon with a 3/4" flat cut from the spoon's nose makes short work of separating the muscle from the shells

A flathead screwdriver works well,I've used a 12" screwdriver with a lanyard for years,xlnt multitool for prying mussels/oysters/abalone/urchins loose,digging clams up,& opening shells without puncturing your hand...Most times anyways!

Cannot use any tools to gather mussels in CA, only hands. Can only use hands or hook-and-line to gather limpets in CA. Only hands or special "irons" to gather abalone in CA. And on and on.

Mach schnell,Das Limpet!