Is there a real advantage to high end knives for fish fillet?

[justjed]

Custom, high end production, Rapalas, whatever. Find the flex you're looking for, and call it good. The fish don't care!!

 

[Velitrius]

I have used a Victorinox Swiss Army Filet Knife for many years. I like the feel and the flexibility.

I work in a marina district with a great number of fish processing businesses and charter boat operations. They all praise the ol' Vickie quite heavily.

The local marine store sells them by the boxload.

 

[Richard338]

Quench a blade and try to flex it without a proper heat treatment and see what happens......It will break like glass no matter the geometry.....

In your example here, take two pieces of quenched, hardened but NOT tempered steels. Identical steel, identical quench temp, identical hardness. Identical length and width. But one is 3/16" thick and one is 1/16" thick. Will they both break at the same point in a controlled arc/flex?

Believe what you wish. This topic has been covered ad nauseum in makers circles and on forums for years.

I have a fair bit of experience bending/breaking and heat treating blades.

John knows his business. For elastic deformation, where the steel returns to its shape after, then the stiffness varies with the cube of the thickness, but doesn't depend on hardness. This means that making your blade just slightly thinner can greatly increase flexibility. The yield strength does connect with hardness and pushed too far it will permanently bend or break.
The knifesteelnerds site has more details.

 

[EngrSorenson]

I mean… if I was a fish I’d want it to be a custom… just sayin’…

 

[GatorFlash1]

I work in a marina district with a great number of fish processing businesses and charter boat operations. They all praise the ol' Vickie quite heavily.

The local marine store sells them by the boxload.

It is a great knife and fairly priced. Rust proof!

 

[Nick-D]

If you want a higher $ filleting experience the japanese style fillet knives are worth a go. Not my choice for smashing through 25 snapper, but they come out when prepping for sashimi/sushi as they produce super clean cuts. Id love a custom deba in a high toughness steel like 3v

Heres a snapper and trevelly from a recent winter trip to one of my local islands. Lots of crayfish around too but definately dont need a fancy knife for those!

 

[Ebbtide]

Left to right:
Case, Murphy, Kelgin for Orvis, Original Schrade & Helle

You can take a fillet off a fish with any knife. I've done it with a Schrade Sharpfinger and my Frosts' "SWAK" below.

The fillet knife comes into its own (especially the flexible ones) when you are skinning the fillets.

My non-flexible Dozier Fillet. It's a beast. It's a kitchen knife, a camp knife, a fillet knife.
Nothing wrong with a couple "pride in ownership" blades

 

[TDOG1]

That's fair Velitrius . Just about any style of knife can be found in the budget range. My point was simply that I don't see a need for any maker to tell every (or any!) person that comes to me for a custom that they can try WalMart first for a budget option. If they wanted a knife with the absolute best possible bang for their bucks in a cutting tool, they would not have contacted a custom maker in the first place. Kind of like if I owned a fine steakhouse (for example), I don't think I would be telling people as they walk through the door "But you know you can go to Whole Foods and make this yourself for a quarter the price?"

That being said, I know there have been times I have talked myself out of a job because I felt I could not accommodate the requested materials and/or design at a price range that I felt my work justified.

But yes, I guess since I have posted twice in this thread I should give my answer to the thread title.

"Is there a real advantage to high end knives for fish fillet?"

Absolutely.

1) Pride of ownership, which is very subjective and can be a real advantage to some, and to others not even a consideration.
2) Performance, which as has been discussed is either relevant or not depending on the nature and volume of the work.
3) Ergos and handling: I was asked to make a very specific design for T TDOG1 because in his broad fish processing experience, his favorite commercially available filet knives still left a little to be desired. He gave me instructions on what changes he wanted to an existing design, the Havalon Baracuta Z knife. We redesigned it as a fixed blade longer blade, shorter handle, and softer ergos. We made all these changes because despite this budget folding filet knife performing all the tasks he had ever asked of it, he knew exactly what design tweaks he wanted to make it "perfect" for him. The "Finesse Filet" was born.

Hi David, hope you are well. I have MANY fillet knives; way more than I could use. Yes, I'm a nut for fillet knives. Over the years I have owned and used many production and custom fillet knives. Having done charters and commercial fishing for years I can say that even a box cutter (though not as quick) could be used to fillet fish. I've used Dexter, Forschner, Victorinox, Swibo, Havalon, Helle, Repala, Frost Mora, Chicago Cutlery, Mora, and too way many others to list or remember. When we cleaned fish for charters or when commercial fishing, we most always used production knives. Occasionally a knife would hit the deck and be lost thru the scuppers or even when washing a blade it might be dropped overboard. I lost a large breaking knife at the dock when steaking kingfish. Actually went in the water to retrieve it but didn't find it until a year later looking for another knife.
Inexpensive production fillet knives definitely do the job however they are much more prone to chipping particularly on large boned fish. I have filleted 40-50 specks with the knife you made me in AEB-L and it still was very sharp when done. With most production knives a sharpening would have been needed midway thru. As most everyone here knows there are different knives for different purposes and trade-offs with steels, heat treats, blade geometry, thickness, flexibility, etc. and personal preference differs. I prefer a blade with less flex for filleting and a more flexible blade for skinning. Others may prefer something different....whatever floats your boat. Yes, I take pride in using the knife you made me, my Phil Wilson, my somewhat recent Austin Goldman purchase, my Landi, my Black Marlin, my Bark River's, and my Drew's.
To make a short story long, there are advantages to custom knives done right. Is it worth the price? That can only be determined by the purchaser/user. I'm very Thankful for the knives I have, (inexpensive and high-dollar) hope all others here feel the same. Caught 6 nice mahi last week fishing with my son. Doesn't get much better. We are all truly Blessed.

 

[TDOG1]

I did the same thing, different results


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Each is different, functions and feels different. Some times I used one for several months or a year, then switch off to a new or different one. Things I like and don't particularly care for in each.

Have to say the first one, made by our own @G L Drew is probably my all time favorite

Those are some nice looking fillet knives.