Codger_64
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The first knives I found mentioned as specifically “fillet knife” is the Imperial 839, found in the 1974 Belknap Hardware catalog.
Imperial
Diamond edge stainless professional fish fillet knife measures 11 inches overall with 6-inch flexible blade.
Hardwood handle is oversize and secured with stainless rivets. Non-organic wrap-around sheath won’t crack or split, even in salt water use.
Each knife is on an individual hang-up display card.
C7-839...........Each 3.95.....12 in box; wt box 4 lbs.
The same catalog has ads for fillet knives from Rapala, Carvel Hall, and Western, so it appears that the early 1970's is when the long thin bladed stainless fish fillet knives became fashionable. It is no wonder that Imperial Schrade added an entry to this genre of knives. Previously, their domination of the fish knife market was focused on the familiar “toothpick” fish knife, popular and copied then and to this day by many companies. I am not sure how old the Dexter design is, but it also was a “fillet” knife of sorts, and was sold under the Sears Ted Williams signature for several years.
One must also remember the hunting-fishing knives known as the “bird and trout” knives, originating with the George Schrade Stagbrand and Schradebrand knives of the ‘late ‘30s‘40s-‘50s, and then the Schrade Walden 140/141/142 etc knives, and the shell handled Imperial fixed blades with dual bolsters, all of which were used by generations of fishermen before the fillet use specific knives became in vogue.
Aside from the aforementioned knives, the first fillet knife appearing in the mainline Schrade catalogs was the Staglon handled 167UH Steelhead in 1982, 12" overall with a 6 3/4" Schrade+ stainless blade, and listing for $24.95. The 167UH became the mainstay of Schrade fillet knives through 2004, finally listing for $42.95 in it’s last appearance.
In 1983, the Steelhead 167UH was augmented by a smaller classic fillet shape, the 10 ½" (5 1/4" blade) 168UH Walleye (1983-1989).
Also listed was a new idea altogether, the graphite handled GF65 Grafillet Bigmouth and GF45 Grafillet Littlemouth, with 6 ½" and 4 ½" blades respectively. These both were discontinued after 1985, being only produced for three years, making them relatively uncommon today.
In 1985, yet another pair of fillet knives were introduced, this time folder versions. The Mighty Angler MA-5 6" lockback and the MA-6 6 7/8" lockback.. These two were discontinued after 1988 leaving only the 167 and 168UH in the line for 1989.
In 1989, the surviving 167UH was augmented by the addition of the two less expensive plastic handled Imperial Ireland fillet knives, the 10" Apex AP15 and the 11" Apex AP16. The AP15 was discontinued after 1991, only three years of importation, but the AP16 was last listed in 2002 after fifteen years.
For 1993, the Uncle Henry 167UH was rehandled into the TPR Safe-T- Grip Old Timer fillet, the 12 5/8" 147OT Pro Fisherman with a 7 5/8" stainless blade, then the two smaller 10 7/8" overall 5 7/8" stainless bladed fillets, the 146OT Minimum Flex, and 246OT Maximum Flex Safe-T-Grip series fillets were added in 1996. While the larger 147OT fillet sold well enough to stay in the lineup through 2004, a full twelve years, both of the smaller fillets were dropped after five years in 2000, making them again more scarce than the larger of the three Safe-T-Grip fillets.
I have never seen a fillet knife made with the sawcut Delrin handles in the Old Timer line, but I'd bet one could be made with a 147OT blade.
Codger
Imperial
Diamond edge stainless professional fish fillet knife measures 11 inches overall with 6-inch flexible blade.
Hardwood handle is oversize and secured with stainless rivets. Non-organic wrap-around sheath won’t crack or split, even in salt water use.
Each knife is on an individual hang-up display card.
C7-839...........Each 3.95.....12 in box; wt box 4 lbs.
The same catalog has ads for fillet knives from Rapala, Carvel Hall, and Western, so it appears that the early 1970's is when the long thin bladed stainless fish fillet knives became fashionable. It is no wonder that Imperial Schrade added an entry to this genre of knives. Previously, their domination of the fish knife market was focused on the familiar “toothpick” fish knife, popular and copied then and to this day by many companies. I am not sure how old the Dexter design is, but it also was a “fillet” knife of sorts, and was sold under the Sears Ted Williams signature for several years.
One must also remember the hunting-fishing knives known as the “bird and trout” knives, originating with the George Schrade Stagbrand and Schradebrand knives of the ‘late ‘30s‘40s-‘50s, and then the Schrade Walden 140/141/142 etc knives, and the shell handled Imperial fixed blades with dual bolsters, all of which were used by generations of fishermen before the fillet use specific knives became in vogue.
Aside from the aforementioned knives, the first fillet knife appearing in the mainline Schrade catalogs was the Staglon handled 167UH Steelhead in 1982, 12" overall with a 6 3/4" Schrade+ stainless blade, and listing for $24.95. The 167UH became the mainstay of Schrade fillet knives through 2004, finally listing for $42.95 in it’s last appearance.
In 1983, the Steelhead 167UH was augmented by a smaller classic fillet shape, the 10 ½" (5 1/4" blade) 168UH Walleye (1983-1989).
Also listed was a new idea altogether, the graphite handled GF65 Grafillet Bigmouth and GF45 Grafillet Littlemouth, with 6 ½" and 4 ½" blades respectively. These both were discontinued after 1985, being only produced for three years, making them relatively uncommon today.
In 1985, yet another pair of fillet knives were introduced, this time folder versions. The Mighty Angler MA-5 6" lockback and the MA-6 6 7/8" lockback.. These two were discontinued after 1988 leaving only the 167 and 168UH in the line for 1989.
In 1989, the surviving 167UH was augmented by the addition of the two less expensive plastic handled Imperial Ireland fillet knives, the 10" Apex AP15 and the 11" Apex AP16. The AP15 was discontinued after 1991, only three years of importation, but the AP16 was last listed in 2002 after fifteen years.
For 1993, the Uncle Henry 167UH was rehandled into the TPR Safe-T- Grip Old Timer fillet, the 12 5/8" 147OT Pro Fisherman with a 7 5/8" stainless blade, then the two smaller 10 7/8" overall 5 7/8" stainless bladed fillets, the 146OT Minimum Flex, and 246OT Maximum Flex Safe-T-Grip series fillets were added in 1996. While the larger 147OT fillet sold well enough to stay in the lineup through 2004, a full twelve years, both of the smaller fillets were dropped after five years in 2000, making them again more scarce than the larger of the three Safe-T-Grip fillets.
I have never seen a fillet knife made with the sawcut Delrin handles in the Old Timer line, but I'd bet one could be made with a 147OT blade.
Codger
