Do I REALLY need this filet knife?

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Phisikos

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Apr 17, 2015
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Hey all - very new to backpacking/bushcraft/general knife collecting.... so I have no tangible experience to draw a conclusion on but brother-in-law and I are planning a trip later this year so I'm doing my best to put together a proper set of gear and I'm fearing I may have made in impulse buy...

Here's the knife I got... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AU58GG...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4q9e11pxxa_b

FWIW it's pretty nice, sturdy, lightweight, didn't break the bank.. I can definitely see some use in this, particularly since we plan to fish for food on our trip. Question I find myself asking is.... do I really need this? The other tools along this line that I'll be carrying are a full tang 4" and an old Schrade folding 4", both quality USA made and both on the smaller side since I'll also have my Estwing hatchet and a cheap Coleman folding saw(haven't gotten my Laplander yet but I'll try this out for our first of many trips) for the heavier jobs. I've got another cheap but decent Camillus folder that would likely make the trip if I decide to return this filet knife...but that's not really on my mind. I'm aware all this is overkill and I've got a feeling that the hatchet will eventually work it's way out of my pack but for now, I own it, and it's coming along.

So should I return this thing and spend the money on other gear that isn't redundant? Or am I wrong and I'll want this as part of my collection down the road?
 
I have no experience with Outdoors Edge products so I cannot speak to quality of that knife. However, if it was something you were able to afford without worry than keep it and use it.
 
I think I'm questioning it because my gear is currently being built on a budget, and the 15$ could be spent elsewhere. I want to keep things minimal where the difference won't be big. Thanks for input though guys
 
Fillet knives are best at well....'filleting". Their thin blades are ideal for this. But at the same time you will likely find yourself using one of
your thicker bladed knives to remove the head, tail, fins, etc. I prefer a filet knife to be fixed because you are going to have to wash that FB1 out carefully after each use. Nothing quite as pleasant as old small hardened pieces off fish lodged around the pivot. If your trip entails preparing fish as filets, this knife will perform that task better than the other knives you are bringing. If however you plan on "camping it" and all you need is to scale, gut, dehead to cook a fish whole, you won't need it.
As for the knife itself, Outdoor Edge I think based in Colorado is a respected company. This knife as ou ca tell from the price is one of their inexpensive products, made in China and 440A. Which is about all you really need for he purpose. Outdoor Edge also imports higher end knives from the same Seki factory that makes the Cold Steel Aus8 SRKs.
 
KenHash said:
Fillet knives are best at well....'filleting". Their thin blades are ideal for this. But at the same time you will likely find yourself using one of
your thicker bladed knives to remove the head, tail, fins, etc. I prefer a filet knife to be fixed because you are going to have to wash that FB1 out carefully after each use. Nothing quite as pleasant as old small hardened pieces off fish lodged around the pivot. If your trip entails preparing fish as filets, this knife will perform that task better than the other knives you are bringing. If however you plan on "camping it" and all you need is to scale, gut, dehead to cook a fish whole, you won't need it.
As for the knife itself, Outdoor Edge I think based in Colorado is a respected company. This knife as ou ca tell from the price is one of their inexpensive products, made in China and 440A. Which is about all you really need for he purpose. Outdoor Edge also imports higher end knives from the same Seki factory that makes the Cold Steel Aus8 SRKs.
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I second all of this except the parts about Outdoor Edge, I have no experience with them.
And when I fillet a fish I only use a fillet knife. I just take the fillets off the fish without cutting anything else off(heads, tails etc).
What type of fish are you hoping to catch? That will most likely help determine how you plan to prep the fish and what type of knife you need.
 
Its a fourteen dollar knive bro. Just keep it. Don't eat out at a fast food joint tonight and your golden.
 
ev13wt said:
Its a fourteen dollar knive bro. Just keep it. Don't eat out at a fast food joint tonight and your golden.
Click to expand...

But if you're not happy with it spend a bit more time looking into what makes a good filleting knife before buying more sub par knives....I have a drawer full of filleting knives and I only use my Grohmann now
 
KenHash said:
I prefer a filet knife to be fixed because you are going to have to wash that FB1 out carefully after each use. Nothing quite as pleasant as old small hardened pieces off fish lodged around the pivot.
Click to expand...

Ha... it bugged me thinking about why it seemed so uncommon to find a filet knife that FOLDS... you made me understand that entirely in 2 sentences.

Sullie said:
But if you're not happy with it spend a bit more time looking into what makes a good filleting knife before buying more sub par knives....I have a drawer full of filleting knives and I only use my Grohmann now
Click to expand...

This post more than anything else makes me think maybe I'll return it and rough it this first time around and when the money is better I'll look to get a nicer knife

Sullie said:
What type of fish are you hoping to catch? That will most likely help determine how you plan to prep the fish and what type of knife you need.
Click to expand...

We haven't picked a trail just yet but it'll be eastern PA, maaaaybe western Ohio so I'm preparing for crappies, they're easy to catch a bunch of and seem to be just about everywhere. (FWIW we're thinking like 20 miles max, 3 day 2 night.. and will certainly be bringing enough calories that at worst case, we'll be hungry but fine)
 
Eastern PA-Western Ohio..... unless you are planning on catching a lot of fish, I'd leave it at home. If money is tight, I'd return it (depending on who pays for shipping costs) since shipping costs would be 1/3 of the value.

I have a Schrade USA folding filet knife which is very nice and fairly expensive; never use it. Too expensive to just let it lay in my tackle box. I chuckle to myself sometimes thinking about all the planning and quick purchases I have made over the years for something that might be useful but somewhat "foreign" to my experience since I am a trout guy. The filet knife is one of those things.

A Mora would handle the fishing chores and be quite light and useful for many things. I'd get a Mora with that money personally.
 
If your going for crappies you do want a fillet knife. They are so flat and thin that a fillet knife is
indispensible for dealing with them. If you're going to be fishing alot I'd get a fixed fillet knife. But if it's
an occasional thing, that FB1 will serve it's purpose. Just clean it out carefully afterwards and dry.
 
Decided to return it, I chose to foot the shipping bill myself and hopefully i can just toss it into a small padded envelope and ship USPS, if it costs just a couple bucks i'll deal with that. I've got a cheap fiskars fixed blade and my traveling buddy will have his Mora so i'll stick with the crap we have for now and i'll put that money towards some smaller items that i still need, evenutally i'll get a proper knife for this purpose.

thank you guys for the input, I really didn't want to bring along the fiskars since it's only plated and some of that is comming off, but you've helped me to realize that I'm going to want to replace this knife eventually too if i were to decide to keep it. I hate keepingt hings that I know I will just replace!
 
A folding fillet knife with a non-wooden handle is perfect for packing. The "crud" in the joint problem can be remedied with good old fashioned hot water readily available on top of every campfire and an old toothbrush or some toothpicks. The blade being as thin as it is will be easy to sharpen regardless of what you happen to use, be it a stone or some type of v-sharpener...whatever. I'd say pick one up and use it while you're at home in the kitchen for food prep and as a fillet knife, if it works like you hope it will, then take it along on your trips. If it doesn't, at least you'll know before you find yourself in on a trail somewhere with a tool that isn't nearly as useful as you want.
 
This: Dexter-Russell (S133N-7PCP) - 7" Fillet Knife. I know fishing and I know fillet knives. This is sold by the thousands. There is a reason.
 
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