How to open your Oysters?
If you have purchased unopened oysters with the intent of opening them yourself, here are a few helpful hints.

Preparation: Have a large bowl of fresh water and either a lead block or a solid piece of wood so you can shuck your oysters on.
Do not attempt to open oysters on your standard kitchen bench, it will scratch and dent your bench top.

1 Always wear thick rubber kitchen gloves.
This enables you to get a good hold of the oyster.
2 Make sure your knife is sharp.
More accidents are caused with blunt knives than with sharp ones.
3 Always point the knife downwards, not towards your hand.
4 Be very careful, don’t rush. Place the knife on the rounded part of the oyster with the flat shell facing up.
5 Pierce or crack an opening into the top of the oyster shell, tilt the knife down and wiggle the knife towards the left
6 As you wiggle the knife to the left cut/slice the where the oyster is attached to the shell
7 Once the oyster has been cut from the bottom shell then pull apart the two shells
8 Place the flat shell which still has the attached oyster in the palm of your hand
9 Slide the knife underneath the oyster and cut the oyster by moving the knife towards the right of the shell – towards you. (be careful with this process, so you don’t cut into your fingers)
10 Once you have cut the oyster from the flat shell dunk the oyster in your water to remove any excess grit and shell.
11 Then rinse your deep shell and place the oyster in it with the creamy color meat facing up.
12 Check to see there are no shell bits and maybe even dunk the whole shell and oyster into the water and then drain by tilting back with your thumb holding the meat.