After breaking my wife's kitchen shears trying to spatchcock a turkey, I decided to get a heavy duty set that was all steel, no plastic handles. The heavy duty set I bought at the kitchen supply store were a huge disappointment. The handle was way too slippery when wet with poultry juices causing sliding, twisting, and the shears literally didn't survive the first use.

So I went to Amazon and started checking reviews...the Messermeister seemed to be the most popular, but didn't look as beefy as the commercial ones I already destroyed, but I figured I'd give it a try.

Turns out the reviews are correct. These shears cut through chicken bones like paper. I can cut the spine out of a whole chicken in about 10 seconds, rather than several minutes of stabbing and sawing with a knife. Separating for washing is a huge bonus too.

These definitely fit my hand better than the 8.5" model, being I am left handed, but the shorter blade and the non curved blade area of these make them not as worthy or useful as the 8.5" overall. Not so much a complaint as it is an observation😆

I am glad I purchased both types and hope they come out with a 9.5-10" model also, that would complete my shear collection!

Both will cut/glide through a piece of notebook paper like butter, which my upholstery shears will also do. A glide cut is one where you open the scissors around 2-3" and without moving the blades push them through what your cutting while holding taught. With most fabrics this is no problem, but with thin paper you have to use your fingers to hold the paper from moving/slipping. If "really" sharp, it will slice through like butter. Both of mine have sweet spots that perform this well. Seeing my main use for these is for fowl or meat, it's not that necessary, just an indicator of sharpness. Compared to a new pair of Wiss upholstery shears which rate a 10 in my book, these weigh in at a 8.5-9 in comparison.

My only real concern and why I don't give a 5 star rating is the handles being plastic, time will tell if they become problematic and up dates will follow, one way or the other😊, also how useful the non cutting features are or turn out to be may keep them from a 5 star upgrade😑.

Stay tuned for future updates😆

I bought this product instead of what seemed like the overpriced Joyce Chen scissors. I like them both; they both cut perfectly. Although the action of both is very smooth the grips of the Joyce Chen scissors feel a little more comfortable in the hand; the handles of the Messermeister are rubbery, like so much stuff nowadays. But the difference is so small I still wouldn't give the Messermeister scissors less than five stars. I believe I made the right choice, but if the price were the same of if I were going to be cutting all day, every day, I'd get the Joyce Chen version.

If you are using these or any other scissors for food or food packages, I believe you should wipe them clean immediately after use and let them dry in the open position.

These by far are the best poultry shears i have gotten up to this point, and hopefully the last. They are razor sharp and well made. I was going to order a pair for my mom but I just do not think her dainty hands would be able to squeeze them. They have definitely saved me some time in the kitchen. It is a bit of a task to cut through the bone but not because of the blades, because you really need to squeeze. I do not recommend these if you have no hand strength. Overall, they really are worth every cent. I am pleased and believe with proper cleaning and storage, i will have these for a long time. I soak them in hot bleach water to kill any bacteria then use a sponge to clean them. I have not tried to put them in the dishwasher as i do not put any of my expensive cutlery in there. I am sure you will be happy with these.

These are wonderful- I usually get the Joyce Chen scissors for both the kitchen and the garden (those are amazing, cut everything, and last forever) but decided to see if these would be a similar quality since I really would like a good pair of scissors in every single room of the house. So far, so good. Only time will tell if they will hold up in the garden and the kitchen. But after several months, I'm very pleased with these scissors.