How to Use 10" Stainless Steel Poultry Shears Beyond Chicken

By WÜSTHOF - Official Online Store | Published: 2026-11-01

Category: How-to Guides

Your poultry shears can do more than joint a chicken. Learn how to use them for fish, lobster, and spatchcocking with a step-by-step method and common-mistake checks.

Quick answer

Use your 10" stainless steel poultry shears as a precision cutting tool for fish, lobster, and spatchcocking by matching the blade to the job: thin bones and joints get the curved blade, while shells and fins need a controlled, short cut. Work in small, deliberate snips rather than forcing the handles closed.

Why poultry shears work beyond chicken

Poultry shears are built for controlled force in tight spaces. The slightly curved blades and internal spring of the 10" Stainless Steel Poultry Shears let you apply steady pressure without the hand fatigue of a fixed-blade knife. That makes them useful for fish ribs, lobster leg joints, and spatchcocking, where you need to follow a natural seam rather than chop through mass.

The trade-off is that shears are not a substitute for a heavy cleaver or a fillet knife. They excel at thin bones, skin, and joints; they are not designed for thick fish spines or hard lobster carapace. Knowing what poultry shears can cut—and what they cannot—keeps the edge intact and the job safe.

What to check before you cut

Inspect the pivot and spring before each use. The internal spring should return the handles smoothly; if it feels sluggish, clean and dry the pivot area. A gritty pivot forces you to squeeze harder, which reduces control on delicate fish bones and lobster joints.

Also confirm the food is positioned so the blades can close fully without your fingers in the cutting path. Poultry shears cut with a scissor action, so the safest cut is one where the lower blade is visible and the upper blade travels toward a clear space.

Step-by-step: fish, lobster, and spatchcocking

Spatchcock a chicken or turkey: Place the bird breast-side down and cut along one side of the backbone from tail to neck using short, overlapping snips. Open the bird, then snip the remaining backbone attachment and press the breast flat. Common mistake: trying to cut through the backbone in one squeeze; let the curved blade do the work in small bites. Checkpoint: the backbone should separate with light pressure—if you are forcing the handles, reposition the blade.
Break down fish for pan or grill: For whole fish, snip the fins and gill attachments first, then cut along the rib cage from the head end toward the tail. Use the tip of the shears for fine work around the collar. Common mistake: cutting through the thick spine; stop at the spine and switch to a fillet knife if needed. Checkpoint: the shears should glide through ribs, not crunch through the spine.
Open lobster legs and joints: Use the shears to snip through the thin shell of lobster legs and the softer joints of claws, starting at the tip and working toward the body. Cut only the shell, not the meat, to keep juices in. Common mistake: applying full force to the hard claw shell; score it first, then snip. Checkpoint: if the shell resists, score along the cut line with the blade tip before squeezing.
Trim and portion raw poultry: Use the shears to cut skin, trim wing tips, and divide joints at the natural seam. Open the blades wide and place the lower blade under the joint, then close with steady pressure. Common mistake: cutting through bone instead of the seam; rotate the bird to find the soft spot between bones. Checkpoint: a clean joint cut leaves smooth edges, not splintered bone.
Clean and store after use: Wash the shears by hand in warm soapy water, dry the pivot and spring thoroughly, and store them closed with the blades protected. Common mistake: leaving the pivot wet, which can stiffen the spring over time. Checkpoint: the spring should move freely before the shears go back in the drawer.

Product facts

10" Stainless Steel Poultry Shears: The 10" Stainless Steel Poultry Shears have sharp, slightly curved stainless-steel blades and an internal spring between the blades and handles. The curved blade helps you follow fish ribs and poultry joints, while the spring reduces hand fatigue during repeated snips.
10" Stainless Steel Poultry Shears