Brisket is one of those things that just about all meat-eaters enjoy. It’s delicate and tender texture is perfectly balanced by incredible flavor. Not to mention how rich and moist a well-cooked brisket can be. It makes sense that we’re willing to cook for hours at a time to get a good brisket.
But, slicing that moist, delicate, meat is often a trick. Carve your brisket too soon and you risk leaving some slices dry. Better be careful, or you’ll have the opposite problem, bits of brisket falling away from every slice. It might taste good, but a shredded brisket just isn’t as satisfying as perfect slices.
Like so many things, you need to have the right tools to get the best results.
In this article we’ll discuss the best brisket slicing knives, and what makes them so effective. We’ll even give you some tips for slicing your next brisket along the way.
Table of Contents
Best Knives for Carving Brisket – Comparison
| Image | Name | Size | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Victorinox Fibrox Pro | 12” | European Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | Cuisinart CEK-40 Electric Carver | – | Stainless-Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | Zwilling J.A. Henckle Twin | 10” | High-Carbon Stainless-Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | Sani-Safe Dexter-Russell | 12” | Carbon Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | Mercer Culinary Millennia | 14” | Japanese Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | Mairico Ultra-Sharp Premium | 11” | Stainless Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | Dalstron Granton Edge Shogun | 12″ | Super Steel | Check Latest Price |
 | WUSTHOF Classic Super Slicer | 10″ | High-Carbon Stainless Steel | Check Latest Price |
The Best Knives for Even-Sliced Brisket
1. Victorinox 12” Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife
With a name like Victorinox, it’s no surprise that this knife makes an appearance anywhere you’re talking about good slicing knives. Made by the same folks that produce the ubiquitous Swiss Army Knife, the Fibrox Pro is one of the best carving knives you can get.
It’s just not quite as versatile as some of their other products. Haha. Many people, at first glance, wonder if a 12” knife would be too difficult to maneuver for carving. That concern actually brings us to the first brisket-carving tip. Long knives are good for delicate carving tasks.
Preferably, you should remove an entire slice of meat in a single motion. In order to go that you need three things. You should carve with long, smooth, motions and consistent pressure. You need to have a well-sharpened knife that cuts without grabbing and tearing the meat. And you need blade length.
A longer blade gives you more cutting surface, and that means you can make deeper cuts in a single motion. Even the sharpest blade won’t give you clean slices if it’s too short to get the job done.
12” is about average for a good carving knife. It makes sense to get the Fibrox Pro in the 12” length since that’s long enough to tackle most large roasts. But, it’s still short enough to store with relative ease.
Don’t worry. This length is still good for smaller roasts and cuts of meat. You’ll just need a shorter cutting stroke for smaller roasts.
The shape of your blade is also important. While a Granton blade isn’t the only shape that works for brisket, it’s one of the better options. The scalloped sections of the blade create air pockets between the knife and your brisket.
Air pockets reduce friction and encourage each slice to fall away from your blade smoothly. They also help prevent more delicate meats, like good brisket, from grabbing the flat surface of the blade.
Those scallops are one of the real strengths of the Fibrox Pro. Meat falls away effortlessly. Carve brisket, roasts, and more in front of guests, no problem. You’ll look like a carving expert in no time.
The blade is forged from stainless steel. The steel holds a solid edge. It’s simple to care for a clean. Stainless is also hard enough to resist chips and damage, even if your knife storage isn’t ideal.
Both the blade and the handle are fully dishwasher safe. However, like most quality knife manufacturers, Victorinox recommends washing and drying their knives by hand. Doing so avoids unnecessary bumps and friction with other kitchen utensils.
What We Liked:
- Good length for easy carving
- High-carbon quality stainless steel
- Doesn’t need sharpening often
- The handle design is comfortable and slip-resistant
- Trusted brand with long-history of superior craftsmanship
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t come with a guard or other safe-storage solution
- Made from stamped steel, not forged
2. Cuisinart CEK-40 Electric Carver
Okay, I get it. Normally, I would not recommend an electric carving knife. These space-age slicing “solutions” rarely produce results that can rival a good traditional knife.
However, electric carvers are important for many people. They do make the task of carving a brisket or roast easier even if the results aren’t prettier. If you or a loved one have problems cutting in a single smooth motion, an electric carver is a good option.
So, a good electric carver needs to make the job of carving meat simpler, while also sacrificing as little in the quality of each cut as possible.
The CEK 40 gives you a good balance between the two. You can get beautifully cut slices of meat with this tool. Even slices of brisket. It’s not up to some of the trickier jobs of a good slicer, like cutting even slices of homemade bacon. But, for your average home chef, the CEK 40 can get the job done.
We recommend practicing with this knife over a few family meals before showing off your new knife with guests.
The ergonomic handle on this model is also a nice bonus. It helps protect your hand against excessive vibration. While too much vibration isn’t an issue in the short term, it’s not a good thing if you’re carving a larger brisket or turkey roast.
This model also comes with two blades. Unlike traditional knives which can be sharpened at home with the right tools and know-how, electric blades should be replaced once they become too dull. That does mean you don’t have to worry about learning to sharpen them. But it also means that the CEK 40 has more maintenance costs than a traditional blade.
It also tends to dull more quickly than a traditional blade.
Since these blades are designed to be replaced, not sharpened, the manufacturers cannot invest in the same quality steel. That means you’ll be replacing blades much sooner than you would be sending a traditional knife out for sharpening.
However, the motor itself is a hard-wearing device. It won’t need replacement or maintenance for years. So long as you’re alright with replacing the blades, you should get plenty of use from this model.
While we would still recommend the traditional knives on this list over an electric, the CEK 40 is one of the better electric knives. If ease of use is your primary consideration, this is a good option.
What We Liked:
- Disability-friendly
- The blade can produce clean slices
- Blades need replacement less often than competitors
- Comes with 2 blades
- Comes with a good storage block
- Motor is long-lasting
What We Didn’t Like:
- Plastic housing can become brittle over time
- The storage solution is safe but takes a lot of counter space.
3. Zwilling J.A. Henckle Twin 10” Granton Slicer
Another Granton slicer, this Zwilling blade is a little shorter than most of the blades we’re featuring on this list.
While we’ve already discussed why length is important in a roast slicer, it’s not the only consideration. You may not always be able to cut a full slice off your roasts in one motion with this blade, it’s also slightly easier to use.
It features a 15-degree blade angle. That’s about as large a blade angle you want in a brisket slicer. Admittedly, something a little closer to 10 degrees would be ideal. But, 15-degree blades are usually easier to sharpen and care for.
This is also a forged blade, as opposed to a stamped blade. The two-process can produce steel that looks almost identical. But, looks aren’t everything, and forged blades are almost universally stronger and more durable than stamped steel.
Forging a blade also takes significantly longer. It requires more skilled manufacture. And the best blades, like this one, are made from a single block of steel, not the re-forged scraps of other blades.
All of those facts played a role in this Zwilling slicer making our list. While it’s more expensive than either of the previous two blades, it should also last considerably longer.
Forged steel also has a better temper. That means you’ll be able to go longer between sharpening. You’re also less likely to see warping and other changes in the blade over time. That’s because a good temper also increases the temperature resistance of the metal.
You will still want to avoid carving meat directly off the bone with this knife, that’s what boning knives are for. But it won’t dull or chip easily, even if you do.
The seamless propylene grip also makes sure you won’t have to worry about the grip splitting. However, there are pros and cons of this design. It won’t split on you. The grip is also difficult to chip, scratch, or dent.
But, after years of use, the blade may get loose in the grip. While a split grip can often be replaced, it’s more difficult to replace seamless grip handles. Overall, which style you prefer is a matter of opinion. Neither is significantly better than the other.
What We Liked:
- Forged blade
- Maintains a good edge, and rarely requires sharpening
- Grip is comfortable
- Slightly shorter is easier for new carvers
- Suitable for much smaller cuts of meat
- Granton design prevents blade grab
What We Didn’t Like:
- Less suitable for large roasts
- Flexes a little more than ideal in a slicer
4. Sani-Safe Dexter-Russell Scalloped Roast Slicer
The Sani-Safe slicer, usually affectionally shortened to Dexter, wasn’t named after the TV show serial killer. But we are sure he would approve if it had been.
We were a little concerned at first glance. The uniform, not silver, not blue, of both the blade and the handle look like plastic in photographs. Fortunately, in person, there’s much more metallic sheen on the blade.
This knife is a good option if you’re concerned with sanitary conditions and germ transfer. It’s also the first scalloped blade edge on our list, more on that in a moment.
Dexter is designed specifically to resist germ contamination. More than that, the light color of the blade and handle make it easy to be sure your knife is clean. No more finding specs of forgotten food on the handle after it’s been sitting in its block “clean” for a week.
Coatings on the handle also prevent biofilm and other buildup that can occur on normal plastics.
Now, this high-carbon steel blade is different from the others we’ve discussed so far. Instead of a Granton style blade, where the scallops are on the flat of the blade, the Dexter has a scalloped edge.
We prefer scalloped to lightly serrated, another common descriptor for this blade style since serrated edges grab and rip food as much as slice it, which is not what this blade is doing.
Like a Granton blade, the Dexter is designed to glide through your food without grabbing and tugging it. In a brisket slicer, you need something that is unlikely to be glued to the meat by its own juices.
Varying the contact point at the edge of the blade makes it harder for juice seals to happen.
Scalloping can also make this a slightly more versatile blade. While a Granton slicer can be used for other jobs, it’s not perfect. Many use them to cut cheese and hard sausages and salami. But a scalloped edge gives you enough texture to do that, and also cut things like bread and some vegetables.
We don’t necessarily recommend using your brisket slicer for other jobs. After all, the more you use it the more often it will need sharpening and other maintenance. But, if you aren’t a fan of keeping specialized knives for different jobs, the Dexter is a more versatile slicer.
One thing we were less fans of was the grip itself. The plastic is heavily textured. That’s necessary because it’s also incredibly slick. While the texture isn’t difficult to clean or maintain, it can be distracting.
Some people may not notice it. But if you are someone who pays attention to the texture of things in your palm, this may not be the knife for you.
What We Liked:
- Resists biofilm
- Easy to clean
- The scalloped blade is effective and gentle
- Very sharp on arrival
- Great high-carbon steel
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t come with its own kitchen storage
- Difficult to sharpen at home
5. Mercer Culinary Millennia 14-Inch Granton Slicer
Going back to the Granton-style, the Millennia is another long-blade slicer. It’s the longest blade on our list.
There are serious benefits to a blade this long if you’re looking for something for commercial use, or are in charge of the big family reunion barbecue. It may not be the best choice if you mostly cook for yourself or small groups.
That’s because this knife is designed to cut through large roasts quickly and efficiently. It’s also a good choice for large quantities of brisket, roast, and other meat. That’s because the size of the knife minimizes how many cuts you need to make.
It’s also a good choice if you prepare your own meats. Homemade bacon slicing is significantly faster with a longer, sharper, blade. The same is true of homemade hams and other cured meats.
Despite being one of the sharper knives straight out of the box, this is one of the cheaper options on our list. It’s still made from a single piece of high-carbon Japanese steel, however.
While we did notice that it needs sharpening slightly more often than premium carving knives, the performance difference was small.
You have a few more customization options with the Millennia as well. While we’re featuring the 14” version, it comes in several lengths.
You can also choose between several handle colors to match this knife with your existing equipment.
What We Liked:
- One of the longer blade options for maximum utility
- Several customization options
- Very affordable
- High-quality, durable, Japanese steel
- Comes with a limited lifetime warranty
What We Didn’t Like:
- Stamped steel blade
- Japanese blade angle requires specialized sharpening (home sharpening tools are available)
We’ve talked a few times about the importance of a sharp blade and how easily a blade can be sharpened at home. Here’s a guide to sharpening many different types of knives, so you can consistently get the best performance from them.
6. Mairico Ultra-Sharp Premium 11-Inch Carving Knife
Another affordable knife, this option is good if you want a long carving knife, but don’t have the storage space for one. Not quite a full foot in blade-length, Mairico’s carving knife is high-carbon steel and close to razor-sharp.
It’s also thin enough to be used on large fish, like salmon, and pork loin. Like a more expensive premium slicer, you can cut paper-thin slices in most meat. Denser red meats can be cut so thin they’re transparent.
The Marico carving knife is also a full-tang knife. That means that the metal extends all the way through the handle of the knife and is riveted into place with the three metal dots through the plastic. This design is both a more stable option for the handle, which cannot wiggle and the blade itself.
Marico also backs this blade with a moneyback guarantee. If your knife doesn’t live up to your expectations, you can return it.
What We Liked:
- Affordable option
- Good steel
- Very thin blade
- Full tang embedded in the handle
What We Didn’t Like:
- Thinner blade flexes quite a bit
7. Dalstron 12” Granton Edge Shogun Series Slicer
The Shogun series is well named. Made with Damascus steel, with a Japanese steel core, it’s one of the most durable options. The steel doesn’t need to be sharpened very often. It cuts cleanly, and well.
The Dalstron Slicer also boasts one of the narrowest cutting edges you can get on a blade. The blade angle is between 8-12 degrees. It’s another Granton blade, which reduces the friction even further. The wave pattern overtop also helps reduce friction.
We always worry, when you see that much texture on a blade, that it’ll be difficult to clean. Fortunately, the edges of the patterning are rounded. That makes it more difficult for food to stick. Soap and water are perfectly effective.
However, this blade is also one of the more expensive options. That’s balanced by the 100% customer guarantee, and a lifetime warranty.
What We Liked:
- Japanese steel
- Rounded edge for superior retention
- Rockwell hardness of 62 or higher
- Fiberglass handle
- Includes a sheath for safe storage
What We Didn’t Like:
- More expensive than alternatives
- Narrow blade angle requires specialized sharpening equipment
8. WUSTHOF Classic 10” Super Slicer
This last forged knife is one of the most durable options. It’s quite likely a knife you’ll be able to pass down to your children. It’s also one of the best slicers for reducing friction between the knife and brisket.
More a true scalloped knife than the earlier selection, this one has fully rounded edges and behaves more like a smooth edge than a serrated blade. Part of the forged lines from WUSTHOF, this blade has been through 40 different steps to reach a finished state. Not only does that provide a superior temper and edge, but it also serves as quality control. There is very little variation between different knives.
They also offer customer guarantees to further back their products. These knives come from a multi-century legacy of knife making. But the business has relocated from Germany to the United States. If buying goods manufactured in the USA is important to you, this knife is a good choice.
This is also an impressive tomato and vegetable slicer. It’s a good kitchen tool for vegetarians and vegans as well as brisket-lovers.
What We Liked:
- Made in the USA
- Highest quality steel
- Scalloped edge for added versatility
- Full tang design
- 40-step forging process
What We Didn’t Like:
- May be difficult to get outside the USA
Conclusion:
While it may seem like a knife is a knife, good quality steel can make a significant difference in the kitchen. Everything from meat to vegetables to baked goods tastes better when cut and cooked evenly.
Brisket, which can lose quite a bit of moisture if sliced too soon-or improperly, is one of the trickier tests of a carving knife. So, we’re confident that each knife on here is up to your carving challenges, having passed the brisket test.
We’ve also talked about some of the most important features of each knife. We’ve talked about how the differences affect performance. We’ve also discussed misconceptions about blades and cutting techniques.
Hopefully, you now have a shortlist of the best knives. You’re also more prepared to decide which knife will work best for you!