A crustacean shell opener, and methods, for opening elongate sections of crustacean shells. The opener cuts the shell with a thin blade, which directs a force inwardly into the shell, forming a slit without breaking off macro pieces of shell, rather than using impact or brute force pressure to break the shell. The user is shielded from the blade while a shell is opened. The opener comprises two arms, connected at a joint, extending in a generally common direction, with the blade extending from one arm toward the other. The first arm may extend beyond the second. The opener is fabricated from food grade material. The joint preferably includes an aperture to receive an elongate section of shell. The cutting edge preferably faces toward and/or away from the aperture. The opener can include meat extractors and preferably shields the user's fingers from the blade, to control injury.