Quote:
Originally Posted by Brock Landers
I would be pretty uneasy handling lobsters like that. Can those claws do some damage to a finger, you didn't look too worried?
I'm not scared of bugs. You just have to be quicker than the lobster. The 2 males with bright claws were shedders and they aren't very strong right after they shed so they can't really do much damage. You don't want to get pinched, but if you do it wouldn't be bad.
The big female was and old shell though and those are much stronger. That's why underneath her claws were all black, because she has been carrying that shell around for a year now and she is full of meat(muscle) with a strong hard shell to go with it. They have a pincher claw and a crusher claw. The pincher is the thinner one and it definitely hurts if you get pinched, but it's tolerable. The crusher claw on the other hand could break a glass beer bottle. I have been pinched by those things so many times now that I am used to it.
If and when one of those big black old shell lobsters does get ahold of your hand, don't panic. If you try to pull your hand out or shake the lobster they just squeeze down harder because they are scared. Some people break the claw off, but I have never done that because I'm not a pussy. The trick is to grab the other claw and squeeze it shut. By squeezing their free claw shut they should (but not always) let go of your hand to attack the hand that is holding their claw shut. If that doesn't work then hopefully you have a friend next to you to pry the claw open enough to slide your fingers out.