fillet knife questions

Joined
Mar 7, 2013
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I'm wanting to make my first fillet knife and need some advise on getting started.
What steel is good (can I use a high carbon or tool steel)?
What's the best blade thickness for good flexibility
And best heat treating & tempering?
That and any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
.065 ( 1/16"
CPM-S35VN (For carbon steel, try 15N20 or 52100)
Peter's Heat Treatment
FFG
Keep it simple
 
15N20 makes a good knife and takes a good edge. AEB-L makes good fillet knives. As for edge holding and such, most working fillet knives have the edge touched up before each use. The reason I use CPM-S35VN is that it makes a superb fillet and kitchen knife and the edge lasts really well. For the money, it is the best choice for me. HT is pretty basic, and Peter's does it superbly.

A PG 36" bar of S35VN in .065/.070" by 1" wide is about $70. That makes three fillet knives ... $23 per blade. If you want 1.25" wide that goes up to about $27 per blade cost.
Add canvas Micarta handle scales and three Corby bolts, and about you spent $35-$40 per knife. That is a bargain for all the materials needed to make a quality fillet knife worth $100-$150.
 
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