About Aw Shucks Oyster Shucker
Born in a Pub in Maine. Carried Forward by Friends.
Aw Shucks Oyster Shucker was born in Damariscotta, Maine, back in the kitchen of King Eider’s Pub. Pub owners Larry and Sherry Schneider had grown tired of seeing Maine’s world-class oysters left off menus because traditional oyster knives were dangerous, messy, and slow. Their answer was bold and simple: invent a safer, faster, wicked good way to shuck.
The result? A stainless-steel oyster shucker that opened 100,000 oysters without a single injury — and forever changed how oysters hit the half shell.
The Schneider’s have since sold thousands of Aw Shucks Oyster Shuckers to happy customers — from home cooks to professional chefs. Just read the reviews from our satisfied consumers and commercial users.
A Friendly Business Deal, A Living Legacy
Years later, Al Dionne, who has owned a vacation home in Maine for decades, and his business partner Adam Starr stepped in to carry the torch. Regulars at King Eider’s Pub and friends of Larry and Sherry, Al and Adam bought the Aw Shucks Oyster Shucker in 2022. Their mission: Keep the vibe alive, grow the brand, and share the tool with more chefs and oyster lovers everywhere.
Larry and Sherry are now happily retired, but their invention lives on — still used at King Eider’s Pub, where the new owners recently bought three more shuckers. Al, who has kept his vacation home in Maine for 40 years, still pops into the pub often, smiling at the sight of oysters being cracked open by the very tool born there.
Restaurant-Grade. Party-Ready.
What started in a pub kitchen has become a restaurant-grade essential used in raw bars, catering kitchens, seafood markets, and even Whole Foods prep kitchens in Pennsylvania and California. Today, half of Aw Shucks customers are restaurants; the other half are consumers throwing unforgettable backyard oyster parties and dockside shucking sessions.
Chefs love it because they can finally serve oysters at scale without training staff to use knives. Consumers love it because it’s safe, fast, and lets everyone join the fun without injury or wasted oysters.
As Adam says, “Restaurants like King Eider’s would never be able to deliver oysters to their tables so expeditiously without the Shucker. And now consumers can host whole oyster parties at home, stress-free. It’s so easy!”
Wicked Safe. Wicked Fast. Wicked Good.
- Wicked Safe – Horizontal design keeps hands out of harm’s way
- Wicked Fast – Shuck a dozen oysters in under a minute
- Wicked Good – Preserves briny liquor, keeps shell fragments out
- Restaurant Grade – Trusted by chefs, caterers, and seafood markets nationwide
- Built for Life – Forged from 316 stainless steel, no replacement parts
Growing the Legacy
Today, Al and Adam run Aw Shucks LLC, their third company together. What started as a fun project has grown into a brand expanding across the U.S. and even international markets. They’re exploring complementary products, but the mission remains the same: make oyster shucking safer, faster, and more fun for everyone.
From King Eider’s Pub to Whole Foods kitchens… from Maine to California… from chefs to backyard hosts… Aw Shucks continues to prove one thing:
👉 This is the oyster shucker that turns “no thanks” into “shuck yeah.”