Oyster board

An improved oyster board comprising a base, a rear wall extending upwardly from the base, a receiving depression in an upper surface of said base, the depression being situated in the base adjacent at least one longitudinal groove in the rear wall, the at least one groove being situated adjacent the upper surface of the base and adapted to receive an edge portion of any oyster or clam shell therein, the base having a leg portion extending downwardly therefrom, the leg portion portion adapted to engage an edge of a surface on which the board is placed so as to retain the board in position on the surface when in use, a flexible grip for manually holding an oyster or clam in the receiving depression during opening thereof with an oyster knife, the grip having a curved upper surface spanning the width of the receiving depression, with opposite edges of the curved upper surface resting on the upper surface of the base, the grip being sufficiently flexible so as to engage an upper part of the oyster shell when pressure is applied to the grip with one's hand, the grip including means to protect one's hand from being accidently cut by the oyster knife when opening the oyster or clam, the means on the grip to protect one's hand comprises a flange extending upwardly and forwardly along a front edge of the upper surface of the grip, the height of the flange being sufficient to protect one's hand placed on the curved upper surface of the grip, the oyster board including two spaced-apart longitudinal V-shaped grooves extending approximately the length of the receiving depression in the rear wall of the oyster board, a lower longitudinal groove adapted to receive an edge portion of a smaller oyster, while the upper longitudinal groove is adapted to receive the edge portion of the shell of a larger oyster positioned within the receiving depression, the receiving depression being concave in configuration and is substantially oval in plan view, with a longer dimension of the oval configuration extending along the length of the upper surface of the base to receive an oyster positioned lengthwise of the base in the receiving depression, the receiving depression also including a forwardly extending bulge from the oval configuration to permit the placing of oysters or clams in the receiving depression placed widthwise of the base, the oyster receiving depression being of a depth such that a juncture between the upper and lower shells of the oyster is situated above the upper surface of the oyster board, thereby providing access to the juncture of the shells by means of the oyster knife.