In response to all the knife comments, I find that even a a cheap Victorinox does a great job as long as you keep it sharp. (you can buy sharpening stones quite inexpensive online) Also, for a more thorough sharpening, you can use a belt sander. The steel just straightens the knife, for all those wondering, as opposed to sharpening which is actually grinding the blade. I primarily use my knives on raw meat and I use a 6 in. boning knife, 4 in. classic utility knife, and I also have a 9 inch fillet knife which i rarely use. For cooked meats i have a 9 inch chefs knife, though a fillet knife works just as well.