In one aspect, a method of preparing a meat skinner blade is provided which includes: abrading an upper edge of a steel strip to form an angularly-offset two-facet blade edge; and, honing the two-facet blade edge of the steel strip to impart a vertical taper along the two facets of the two-facet blade edge. Advantageously, the subject invention provides a blade for meat skinning, de-membraning, and derinding having, in use, a downwardly-turned edge with vertical tapering. This provides for a robust design capable for more cuts, and, thus, longer use life, than standard meat skinner blades.

A knife detecting and sharpening system can be installed in a machine base of a splitting machine and adjacent to a band knife, which is an annular loop and is driven by two knife-driving wheels, and adjacent to a wheel shaft of one of the two knife-driving wheels. The system is controlled by a computer of the splitting machine and comprises a resistance detector, connected to the wheel shaft and electrically connected to the computer, and an electric sharpening device, which is mounted inside the machine base and is controlled by the computer to sharpen the band knife's blade, to be withdrawn from the band knife, and to automatically clean dust generated during sharpening the blade. The resistance detector detects a resistance during sharpening and transmits it to the computer, which can control the electric sharpening device operating a sharpening mode or a stop-sharpening mode based on the resistance.

A knife detecting and sharpening system can be installed in a machine base of a splitting machine and adjacent to a band knife, which is an annular loop and is driven by two knife-driving wheels, and adjacent to a wheel shaft of one of the two knife-driving wheels. The system is controlled by a computer of the splitting machine and comprises a resistance detector, connected to the wheel shaft and electrically connected to the computer, and an electric sharpening device, which is mounted inside the machine base and is controlled by the computer to sharpen the band knife's blade, to be withdrawn from the band knife, and to automatically clean dust generated during sharpening the blade. The resistance detector detects a resistance during sharpening and transmits it to the computer, which can control the electric sharpening device operating a sharpening mode or a stop-sharpening mode based on the resistance.