Anyone have poultry shears they’d recommend? Or know a good way to carve a chicken without them?

[TeaAndCake27]

Hello MNetters, I’m tired of making a mess of my beautifully roasted chickens. I’d love to be able to joint a chicken out of the oven and present attractive looking portions on a serving platter. Instead I make a ragged, mucky mess of what I’ve just cooked. So I’ve decided to get a grown-up pair of poultry shears in the hope that it will resolve the problem. Will it? Is it the tool I’m lacking? Please give me your chicken-carving advice.

I've got ordinary heavy-duty scissors I use for raw poultry, work fine.
I think they're Fiskars, but the name has worn off .
I also use them on pizza.
DH carves a roast with a knife - that's his contribution to a roast dinner !

Poultry shears aren’t for carving. They are to help joint a chicken into potions BEFORE cooking!!.

You need a proper carving knife to carve slices from the breast ((across the grain of the meat) and shorter sharp knife to separate and joint the legs & wings.

I was today years old when I even heard the term 'poultry shears'!

It's all electric carving knives around here. Although I would love it if Lakeland invented a device like an apple corer, just for chickens (yes, you'd need it to be adjustable or available in three sizes!) where you could just push down and FOOM beautiful slices.

Poultry shears are for before cooking. You need a decent knife.

I use one of my Japanese knives, so it’s got some heft. Delicate enough to cut slices from the breast but also butch enough to cut off the legs and wings and joint them. It’s easy when you get the hang of it - just a few sharp blows.

Shears are for jointing before cooking. You just need a decent sharp knife for carving when cooked

Look at some YouTube, Adam Byatt or similar.
As others have said, poultry shears are for before you cook or for spatchcocking.
Once cooked, a good sharp knife from the breastbone, down the ribs, taking the breast meat off in one piece, then slice against the grain.
Brining your chicken overnight helps with moisture etc.

Definitely a knife not poultry shears. It sounds as if maybe your knife isn't sharp so you're having to pull it apart rather than cutting.

It seems I have a LOT to learn. Thanks MN for setting me straight! Off to google my knife technique!

My favourite knife for this is my huge global vegetable chopper. It cuts through bones easily (although don’t tell my husband that) also it looks pretty murderous. It’s nice and well balanced. I love a good knife. 🔪

anyway I have fallen in love with Niwaki Japanese garden tools and have eye on these

For RAW chicken

https://amzn.eu/d/08fSBZV0

Find where the connective tissue is and slice through that join rather than through bone. If you hold the wings, legs, etc and pull slightly, you can learn to find it. My mother taught me.

Thanks for that tip @Bird- going to experiment! And I do love the look of those scissors @redboxerclub