Carving Forks
When slicing meat tableside, a carving fork is the best option for holding the turkey or roast firmly in place while keeping your hand out of harm’s way. The six models we tried came in two styles—curved, with prongs that follow the shape of a roast, and bayonet-style, bearing straight prongs that are typically longer—and a wide price range: a simple roughly $22 tool all the way up to a nearly $155 showpiece fitted with a polished wood handle.
Whether we were carving a whole bird, eye-round roast, or bone-in ham, bayonet-style forks struggled when transferring sliced meat to a platter. We had to poke at pieces with the pointed ends and marred the meat in the process. One model’s prongs felt flimsy, wiggling as we sliced and actually bending as we lifted the whole roast. The curved forks offered an advantage. Their offset tines, such as those on our favorite model, provided a better sight line and kept testers’ fork-holding arms at a closer, more comfortable angle. And thanks to the nonslip rubber grip on our winner, every task felt as secure as using our hands.
-
TASTE TEST
Turkey -
RECIPE
Turkey In A Bag -
RECIPE
Roasted Turkey
- Good:
- ★★★
- Fair:
- ★★
- Poor:
- ★
- N/A:
- ----
| Product Tested | Performance | Comfort | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | ||||
 |
Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: FlexibleThe nonslip grip and narrow, straight blade let testers remove the smallest bones with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints. The low price was a bonus. |
★★★ | ★★★ | $19.95 |
| Recommended | ||||
 |
Wüsthof Classic Boning KnifeHefty in weight, this knife was a solid performer when removing poultry bones, and the handle was easy to grip, even when covered in chicken fat. Piercing silver skin was a challenge since the tip wasn’t sharp enough and the long narrow blade produced slightly jagged cuts. |
★★ | ★★★ | $99.95 |
| Recommended with Reservations | ||||
 |
Mundial Boning Knife: FlexibleThe sharp tip performed well when removing silver skin, but it was too flexible when maneuvering around poultry joints, leaving testers feeling a lack of control. The heavy handle was slightly unbalanced and became slippery once covered in poultry fat. |
★★ | ★★ | $19.95 |
| Not Recommended | ||||
 |
Shun Gokujo Filet KnifeDesigned to replicate a samurai blade, this expensive knife was a disappointment. It struggled to pierce the silver skin, although long cuts were smooth and even. Minimal flexibility and extreme curve got in the way when maneuvering around joints. The smooth handle was hard to grip and slippery. |
★★ | ★ | $179.95 |
 |
MAC Boning Knife—Chef SeriesThe large, cumbersome handle reminded testers of an outdoors knife for fishing and hunting. The blade was too wide to maneuver around joints and it struggled to pierce silver skin. Unlike other knives, this boning knife could only slice in one direction, making intricate cuts around joints difficult. |
★ | ★★ | $34.95 |
 |
Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning KnifeThe blade was so flexible it led to erratic cuttings; testers said the knife was hard to control. The blade was not sturdy enough to maneuver around joints and the lightweight handle felt flimsy and unbalanced. |
★ | ★ | $53.60 |
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