Fillet Knife Suggestions?

E

englishteacher

Joined
Oct 24, 2002
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Do I really only need to spend 20 bucks on a Rapala Fish 'N Fillet? Can anyone talk me into spending more? I just started saltwater fishing with my son (lagoon, surf fishing). I carry my Sebenzas for EDC, even wading into the surf (with lanyard of course). But what's good out there for filleting those tasty buggers? Is something cheap as good as something expensive in this case? I just want something that goes through those sand bass like they're butter.
 
Just get ya a Spyderco Catcherman and never look back. I love mine and it is also great in the kitchen. I even run mine in the dishwasher and aside from dulling the black FRN handle a little it seems no worse for the wear.
 
NormarkMedallion.jpg


There are nicer production knives like this Normark. The styling looks familiar but this one has a forged stainless blade with an integral guard and pommel, and a nice plastic lined sheath.

n2s
 
I thought that the serrations would be a big negative but in actual use they are a plus, especially for bass which is primarily what I catch. I've had a lot of fillet knives, some pretty high dollar ones and even made my own and the Catcherman is one of the better ones I've used for sharpness.

I like this knife more than I believed possible. I got it thinking it would be a compromise since it was a folder. I must admit the first time I used it the thing blew me away. Partly because it is so sharp that it ranks with the best knives I have but also because of the serrations making short work of the bone and scale cuts. It sharpens up easy too. It is the only fillet knife I have that has serrations.

I wish the blade was a bit stiffer for my personal taste but that is only because I've been using a stiff blade for some time. I'm getting the hang of this one now and have grown to like it pretty well though. The MBS-26 steel is unaffected by the dishwasher cycle from what I can tell. It only needs a few swipes on an x-fine diamond pad after you take it out of the dishwasher and it is ready to fillet multiple fish.
 
I've got a 9" Marttiini fillet knife that I've had for years. Still sharp. Minimum maintenance. They have a few other lines, too. I'm just familiar with this wooden handled style.

For most cutting purposes, you don't NEED an expensive knife. I walk around with a Sebenza or a Strider SnG myself, but there are inexpensive knives that work just fine.
 
englishteacher said:
Is something cheap as good as something expensive in this case?
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You can pretty much get maximum cutting ability in inexpensive fillet knives as this is just about geometry, and it isn't hard to find really thin fillet knives with acute and thin edges. You only need to pay more to get a higher grade of steel for better edge retention, or if you don't like the ergonomics. If you want a really high end one, get one by Phil Wilson.

-Cliff
 
Yeah I should mention this too. The only way I can see the Catcherman not pleasing someone is if they are used to reeling in monster fish and need a blade longer than 5". For me it wasn't a compromise there because I am one of the worlds worst fishermen and if I catch anything in my pond it qualifies as a meal. :)

Most of my fixed blade fillet knives are 5" to 7" blades so the Catcherman fits right into my style. Also I don't know how much credibility you can give the worlds worst fisherman so you may want to ask some guys that are better at it than I. I do try hard and catch a lot of small ones just nothing to write home about or take pictures of if you know what I mean.
 
STR said:
I thought that the serrations would be a big negative but in actual use they are a plus...
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I don't like them for cutting the actual flesh, but they do cut the harder material well, and are nice for quick removal of heads.

Aside from a fillet knife, the Catcherman makes a really nice light utility knife, though the serrations are a little less smooth than optimal on most materials.

-Cliff
 
The catcherman is great on small fish, especialy when removing the belly bones due to its thinness. This is my choice of knife when filleting species like herring, whiting and garfish.
It is a little too thin on larger, bigger scaled and thicker skinned species, however the serrated part comes in handy sometimes when cutting through bones and cartlidge whilst tackling bigger fish, saving the edge on your primary filleting knife.
I always carry the catcherman when offshore, makes a great general carry knife on boating trips, the serrations come in handy here as well for cutting rope.
My normal filleting gear is a 7" fillet knife that has good edge retention with some flex towards the tip, used in tandem with the catcherman.

pinkF.jpg
 
I've had good luck with the Cold Steel fillet knives, as well as the Dexter white handle knives. I know I filleted hundreds of fish over the length of the season, and both would hold up fine. The Cold Steel knives usually run around $15, while the Dexter fillet knives can be found for as little as $6
 
Well, if you've got a Sebbie, you understand the whole pride in ownership concept. So, no you don't have to spend alot...but you can ;)
I've filleted a bunch of fish will all the knives in the picture below
fishinblades.gif

One is missing because it was stolen on a headboat in Freeport :(
The big flexible blade is necessary if you skin the fillets. If you only scale the fillets a smaller knife like your sebbie will work just as well...may take a little longer, but it will get the job done.

Fixed blades are easier to clean.
If I had to pick two from the photo it would be the Schrade Steelhead (vertical on top of the rest) and the KaBar Toothpick/Fisherman (yellow handle).

One more thing ;)
I usually don't fillet fish. We cook them whole, that is if they fit on the BBQ or in the broiler. Just remove the guts and gills, scale and you're good to go.
These Bluefish were a little big for the barbe!
581738-WBluefish.gif

Good luck on your search, and let us know what you get and how it works!
Good fishin'
-Ebb
 
I know a couple of people who use Fallkniven F2s: they seem to be very practical and high quality fishing knives. Like all Fallknivens the VG10 blades are well designed and hold a good edge.
 
I use a Frosts of Sweden fillet knife with a plastic handle... Cheap feeling, but the edge retention is very good, the flex is great, and it's just an all around good performing knife. Here's an image from Ragweed's:

549.jpg


There are a few more on the same page (http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html), but this is the one I use and has held up well for me for a few years now. If you can get over the cheap feeling handle, you'll have yourself a good, inexpensive fillet knife.

Travis
 
Relax, you'll end up with more than a few till you find out what works. Salt water vs Fresh is a whole different ballgame.

At my Dad's place in Key Largo his main choice is Old Hickory large boning knives. The regular 'filet' knives are just too thin and flexible for larger fish. A 25#+ Grouper has skin like leather and still has to be worked from both top and bottom because it's so wide. He not only filets, but also skins so it's just meat.

He showed me very graphicly a few years back with a 'regular' filet knife I had given him for Fathers day and a 23# bull Dolphin (Mahi Mahi to non natives). The knife flexed so much it would barely get through the skin much less take the head off. It did work great on small freshwater stuff like Specs and such where he also filets and skins. He was just showing me why he needed a stiff knife for working thick skinned fish.

If you want to spend some $$$, check out the single bevel Japanese filet knives. A bit rich for my blood, but high quality and built with a single purpose.

Rob
 
The Rapala fillets well, it is easy to keep an edge on, and it has the added benefit of being relatively inexpensive. The last attribute is important when you lose one overboard, or it ends up going home in your buddy's tackle box.
 
Rapala's are hard to beat in the value category. They do a more than acceptable job and if you ever lose one or let someone else borrow it you won't be worried about minor abuse or tip damage. I have one with a 6" blade and another around 7.5" inches and they have held up for years of constant use in South Florida fishing. The longer blades are easier to use when filleting the bigger fish. I only remove the fillets and skin them afterwards. The guts stay in the fish and get thrown away.
The Rapalas also stay rust free and are easy to resharpen. If you avoid cutting thru bones the edge will last thru a whole bunch of fish.
 
I'll throw out a related question...
What knife do you use to 'steak' fish?
We would get the occasional bonita, lil tunny or big striper and I'd use the 'standard' kitchen/chef knife...
My local fishmonger uses what looks to be a butcher's scimitar (sp?) and occasionally applies the baton.
 
i'm saving up for a Ghromman (spelling?) Bird & Trout. i love the steel and the way it cuts, and the style. I HAD one many moons ago, but poor judgement on my part loaned it to a "friend" and it has since been lost....
R2Sf.jpg
 
Ebbtide said:
What knife do you use to 'steak' fish?
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In the past few weeks I have steaked up cod, salmon, herring, and trout in varying sizes using a small Sebenza, Kershaw Vapor, Extrema Ratio Fulcrum, Dozier K2 and Manix, the Manix worked well due to its size, the recurve on the Vapor was of significant effort in cutting through the backbones, the steel dulled readily though.

-Cliff
 
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