Will Has Ruined Me!!!!

[Buzzbait]

I'm headed off to a cutlery store tomorrow. The wife needs a new fillet knife for the kitchen, and my father-in-law needs a new boning knife. I'd normally be ecstatic about going; like a kid in a candy store. But there’s one problem. Will convinced me to try the Mini-Talon!!!! Knowing that this store sells nothing in talonite… I know I won’t want to buy anything. Once you try talonite, you just don’t want to use anything else.

Darn you, Will!!!! You’ve ruined all my fun!!! I yawn when I see 154CM. I start to fall asleep when I see ATS-34. Even 440C no longer enthuses me. I must have talonite!!!

 

[Big-Target]

We are all the architects of our own destruction.

 

[SDouglas]

Take Heart Buzzbait.

As good as Talonite is it is not perfect for everything.

In fact a few months back several makers suggested that Talonite would not be the optimal material for a Fillet Knife.

Of course the cruel streak in me must point out that there has been a lot of positive discussion about Crucible's S30V lately.

 

[Buzzbait]

After using Talonite, I'm not sure how it'll do for cleaning fish. I don't fillet much, but rather just slit the belly and make a head cut. The belly cut is often just a push cut, which Talonite doesn't seem to excel at. But some bellies are tougher than others. A good brook trout blade may not be the best walleye blade. And the head cut just needs something that won't chip too easily as the blade cuts through scales and spine. Sometimes, I also scrape the scales off with the blade.

So Talonite may be the exact wrong material for this particular job. We'll see. Talonite continually surprises me, so fish cleaning is still up for grabs.

I normally use BG-42 as an all-around fish cleaning steel. It’s reasonably stainless, and if done right, rolls instead of chipping on the spine. BG-42 seems to take a good enough edge to make the push cut, and saws right through bone and scales. It’s a nice versatile steel. It’s not perfect for either cut, but a good compromise for versatility. There are probably more appropriate “super-steels”, but none I’ve managed to field sharpen with my lousy freehand skills.

 

[muzzleup]

Buzz.;
I think you will find that the Talon in talonite will do all those things on a fish and then some.