Originally Posted by Gabe15

For most Musa seeds, if they are fresh or soaked in water for a few days prior to cutting, the seeds will cut easily with a scalpel. If they are dry, I use tweezers to hold down the seed while I spear the seed next to the micropyle with the tip of the scalpel, once its in deep, I press down on one side to form a crack in the seed and it usually splits nicely and the embryo either falls out or is easily dug out.

For Ensete, Musella, Musa ingens and other thick shelled species, I haven't found a good reliable way yet, but Frank seems to have a good idea with the vice clamp, I bet that would make opening those types really easy.