Enjoy cured Spanish ham (jamón) at home with this handsome pine wood ham holder from Arcos--the legendary Spanish knife manufacturer. Designed to firmly hold Spanish ham legs, it features a state-of-the-art screw system for optimal balance and resistance to slippage while cutting very thin slices of ham. It measures 9 by 10 by 19 inches, and it has a dark wood finish. A true culinary classic, Spanish jamón is a special taste to be savored and enjoyed. An important aspect of enjoying this delicacy is enabling the safe and easy cutting of the leg, which means employing the proper mounting and support of the jamón. And the placement of the ham in its support stand will depend on how you are going to consume the leg. If you are to consume the entire leg at once, the hoof of the ham should be placed facing upwards, but if you are going to consume it over time the hoof should be placed facing downwards, so as to begin with the narrowest part of the ham which has the least amount of fat and therefore the first part of the leg to dry out. The main parts of a jamón are: La Maza: The thicker end of the ham with the largest amount of lean, juicy meat, which is visible and ready to cut when the ham is placed with the hoof facing up. La Contramaza and Babilla: the part of the ham with the least lean meat. It is visible and ready to be cut when the ham is placed with the hoof facing down. It is the least juicy of the ham so it is recommended that you consume this part last. La Jarrete and Caña:: These parts are always used for cutting the harder chunks of ham found in this area called taquitos de jamón, which are full of flavor and are used in soups and other dishes. See a larger image of the main jamón parts. Suggested knives. How to Carve a Leg of Jamón In addition to a ham holder, you will need: A jamón knife: Long, narrow, and flexible blade, a granton edge will be very useful. A chef"s knife: An 8-inch chef"s knife to do the outer skin carving job. A boning knife: To separate the meat from the bones. A sharpening/honing steel: To keep your ham knife sharp for thinner slices. About Arcos Arcos is a leading Spanish knife manufacturer and one of the oldest knife and cutlery manufacturers in the world. In 1745, Don Juan de Arcos started hand-crafting the first knives and scissors marked with the Arcos brand, and many of these pieces are displayed in the National Museum of Archeology of Madrid. Gregorio Arcos Aroca turned the small hand-crafted workshop into a mass-production factory for professional knives in 1875. And a century later, Gregorio Arcos Villanueva started the international expansion of the company. Today, Arcos is still a family owned business and proud of its remarkable heritage. To learn more about the history of Arcos, see this larger timeline image.