Good sub $40 fillet knife?

[Geezle]

Saturday night I cleaned a couple walleye we'd brought back from Calling. Been *many* moons since I've done it, and even then I didn't have much experience cleaning fish, but this was PAINFUL!

The knife I have is just the cheeseball Rapala one with the plastic handle and the plastic sheath with the little sharpening stone in the end. It was fine for the little panfry trout I was dealing with this winter, but cutting through the bones on this walleye was another story entirely. The amount of effort required was ridiculous.

So the moral of the story is I need a better knife (and some more walleye to practice on!)

I'm far from 'well to do' so if we can keep the suggestions under $40 that would be great :)

[RedHeadedFisherman]

Saturday night I cleaned a couple walleye we'd brought back from Calling. Been *many* moons since I've done it, and even then I didn't have much experience cleaning fish, but this was PAINFUL!

The knife I have is just the cheeseball Rapala one with the plastic handle and the plastic sheath with the little sharpening stone in the end. It was fine for the little panfry trout I was dealing with this winter, but cutting through the bones on this walleye was another story entirely. The amount of effort required was ridiculous.

So the moral of the story is I need a better knife (and some more walleye to practice on!)

I'm far from 'well to do' so if we can keep the suggestions under $40 that would be great :)



Hi geesle, I to am far from Well-to-do, so i found this one is great..

http://www.chefdepot.net/fillet.htm
Retail Price $23.50 and up
Sale $15.95

This Fillet Knife was designed by pro fishermen. It features a 8 in. micro serrated blade that cuts through scales, skin and fish like butter. The satitary antimicrobial yellow non slip handle makes it easy to use and it stand out. It also kills germs. The knife is NSF certified for safety. This knife will hold an edge for a long time. We like it for filleting fish.
Lifetime Warranty!
We guarantee you will like this knife!



PS where 'bouts are you?
RHF

[Geezle]

How are the Rapala knives with the leather sheath and wooden handle? My dad has one of these that's been around longer than I have I'm pretty sure...think my grandma might have one as well...

[Rainbow]

Hey Geezle;
Buy an electric filleting knife with the seven inch blade.
At the lake just gut the walleyes,leave on head and tail.When you get home make an angle cut behind the two front fins down to the back bone.Turn the blade 90 degrees and follow the backbone down to the tail.
Then take your small filleting knife and cut out the bones from the stomach cavity.Then I take the electric knife and cut the skin away.You could also take the scales off the fish if you want to keep the skin on.
It is very easy to cut through the bones with an electric knife.It takes me about 2 minutes to fillet a walleye and I take my time doing it.
The electric knife also does a nice job cleaning perch and whites in this manner.Very little mess.

Cheers
Rainbow

[Geezle]

Hi geesle, I to am far from Well-to-do, so i found this one is great..

http://www.chefdepot.net/fillet.htm
Retail Price $23.50 and up
Sale $15.95

This Fillet Knife was designed by pro fishermen. It features a 8 in. micro serrated blade that cuts through scales, skin and fish like butter. The satitary antimicrobial yellow non slip handle makes it easy to use and it stand out. It also kills germs. The knife is NSF certified for safety. This knife will hold an edge for a long time. We like it for filleting fish.
Lifetime Warranty!
We guarantee you will like this knife!



PS where 'bouts are you?
RHF

I'll have to take a look and see if I can find one of those locally and check it out...and I'm in NE Edmonton now :)

[walleyechaser]

those rapalas with wooden handles are okay, but those walleye are sure tough on them. In the future i'm thinking of purchasing the fishing set from knives of alaska. you could buy the steelheader off there for 43.99 looks like a great fillet knife.

[walleyechaser]

heres the link

http://www.knivesofalaska.com/catalog/prod_display.aspx?from=Fixed%20Blade%20Knives&cat=Steelheader

[fitzy]

How are the Rapala knives with the leather sheath and wooden handle? My dad has one of these that's been around longer than I have I'm pretty sure...think my grandma might have one as well...

In my opinion the rapala knives with the birch handle are your best value, I've got a custom knife from lightfoot knives 200$, a beautiful cork handle knife from browning 40$ and a couple cheapies picked up when I found myself short and in need.

The worst knife I've used to date is the custom one although its great for breasting geese, its not flexible enough for deboning pike. The browning is pretty good but has a short blade thats not very flexible, and the cheap ones are what you get.

The Rapala is great, it holds an edge for a long time, even cutting the y bones on pike. My Dad has had the same knife for about 25 years and its still as good as new. I couldn't push harder to spend 20$ on a Rapala!!

[fitzy]

those rapalas with wooden handles are okay, but those walleye are sure tough on them. In the future i'm thinking of purchasing the fishing set from knives of alaska. you could buy the steelheader off there for 43.99 looks like a great fillet knife.

A buddy of mine ordered one through Cabelas and its not as good as you would think, it would probably be all right for Walleye but its not flexible enough for my taste.

[walleyechaser]

very good to know, will just keep using the rapala's then

[calgarygringo]

I bought the one in the link several years ago at WSS. It is a good knife for the smaller fish and has a bit of a serrated part at the tip. Holds a good edge when sharp but the steel is so hard it takes forever to get sharp again if you leave it too long. I don't use it often as I get lazy and just use the Rapala wooden handle type and run it through my sharpener quickly for a fine tune before cutting.

[Geezle]

In my opinion the rapala knives with the birch handle are your best value, I've got a custom knife from lightfoot knives 200$, a beautiful cork handle knife from browning 40$ and a couple cheapies picked up when I found myself short and in need.

The worst knife I've used to date is the custom one although its great for breasting geese, its not flexible enough for deboning pike. The browning is pretty good but has a short blade thats not very flexible, and the cheap ones are what you get.

The Rapala is great, it holds an edge for a long time, even cutting the y bones on pike. My Dad has had the same knife for about 25 years and its still as good as new. I couldn't push harder to spend 20$ on a Rapala!!

Good to know...especially since I see CT has the 2 pack with the 7" and 4" for $20 :cool:

Still absolutely open to other opinions though...I'm not sold yet! :)

[bushnell]

One more for you to look at the blade trader from Kershaw, gives you a 7'' and a 9'' blade hold their edge well. Handle will not slip out of your hands no matter how slimmy they get.About $35

[ghostguy6]

Jay, head to Campers Village and get the Mora for around $20. Keeps an edge forever and its super easy to sharpen when the time finally comes. Been using mine for close to 10 years now on all kinds of fish.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

I like the Alaskian filleting knives run about 80 to 100 bucks .

that kershaw knife in the link would be a good one . Kershaw makes a good knife . Thats what my hunting knife is and I still havnet sharpened it .

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/home/fishing/knives-tools/knives/c0-c20-c205-c20501-p1.html

[Cal]

How are the Rapala knives with the leather sheath and wooden handle? My dad has one of these that's been around longer than I have I'm pretty sure...think my grandma might have one as well...

The birch handle Rapala knives are a completely different knife than the rubber handled ones. The rubber handled knives are made in China and they SUCK! As far as I know, all the birch handled Rapala knives are all made in Finland (but if your buying one check on the package or blade to make sure its from finland) and they are awesome. If you have one of these and your fillets are still crappy a more expencive knife is not going to fix your problem LOL. One thing though is you want to keep them sharp, if you let them get dull then you have a job on your hands getting them sharp again. I heard an internet rumour a while ago that Rapala was going to shut down their factory in Finland and all knives would be made in China so buy one while you can.

Oh yeah, I prefer a 6-7" blade length. Back when I still kept big fish I filleted some real monsters with a 6" so not sure why a guy would need a bigger blade. I find a longer blade a more clumbsy for finer tasks, like taking out walleye cheeks.

[mustard73]

I also use the wooden handled Rapala knife. I really like it but find that it loses its edge after cutting through walleye skin.

x2 on keeping them sharp rather than trying to sharpen once they are dull.
I usually just rinse the knife and run it through a porcelain sharpener quickly between fish.

[nicemustang]

I've got this one: Finn thin fillet knife (http://www.rapala.com/products/knives/finn_thinn_fillet/) and I really like it. Since I'm a meat fisherman (LOL) I use it often on walleye, perch, and trout. It's good all around, I sharpen after every use with a stone I have. Walleye are tough on knives all around because of their skin and bones so sharpening is good. I don't remember what I paid, but I believe it was $30 or so.

[Cal]

You guys that find that the Rapala knife doesnt hold an edge, how do you fillet your fish? After my initial cut across the body near the head I make a slice down the back bone to the rear dorsal. I then take the fillet off the ribs with the tip of the knife untill I get it far enough back that I can use the whole blade again without cutting through the ribs. Using this method rather than cutting through the ribs and trying to trim them out my Rapala knife can do quite a few fish without needing to be sharpened. I usualy do anyways though just cause I enjoy it.

Another trick I just figured out is when taking the meat off the skin, once I get the first few inches off so my knife is clear of the tail I pull on the skin while rocking the blade back and forth rather than push on the knife. For some reason this works way better.

[walleyechaser]

I find the skin of the walleye dulls them really fast, mine never hold a edge through filleting a couple walleye

[nicemustang]

You guys that find that the Rapala knife doesnt hold an edge, how do you fillet your fish? After my initial cut across the body near the head I make a slice down the back bone to the rear dorsal. I then take the fillet off the ribs with the tip of the knife untill I get it far enough back that I can use the whole blade again without cutting through the ribs. Using this method rather than cutting through the ribs and trying to trim them out my Rapala knife can do quite a few fish without needing to be sharpened. I usualy do anyways though just cause I enjoy it.

Another trick I just figured out is when taking the meat off the skin, once I get the first few inches off so my knife is clear of the tail I pull on the skin while rocking the blade back and forth rather than push on the knife. For some reason this works way better.

Yes I do the exact same. Although I cut out the Y fins to fry and the cheeks of course too!

[javlin101]

X2, was showed this method by a guy at Fawcet who use to disect animals for the Goverment. The guy was an artist with a fillet knife and loved to cut open the stomach to see what the fish were eating & check the inards to see how healthy the fish were.

[nicemustang]

LOL, i always cut open the belly. How else will you know what they are eating.

TIP: I did this once on a nice 2 lb brookie. FULL FULL FULL of water bettles (ice fishing). I didn't know that, went to a friend who tied me up a water bettle fly, and GAME ON!! Best thing i've even done.

And another misconception i had. I thought that walleye would eat crayfish, since the fishing show almost always say they do (well more for bass, but they stilll say they do). To this day, I've caught and filleted MANY a walleye with lakes full of crayfish, never once have I seen a crayfish in the belly. Pike yes, walleye no. Food for thought (pun intended).

[walleyechaser]

geezle I looked what people had to say about fishing knives on other sites and most said wood handle rapala keep a edge longer than any other

[Tredeb]

LOL, i always cut open the belly. How else will you know what they are eating.

TIP: I did this once on a nice 2 lb brookie. FULL FULL FULL of water bettles (ice fishing). I didn't know that, went to a friend who tied me up a water bettle fly, and GAME ON!! Best thing i've even done.

And another misconception i had. I thought that walleye would eat crayfish, since the fishing show almost always say they do (well more for bass, but they stilll say they do). To this day, I've caught and filleted MANY a walleye with lakes full of crayfish, never once have I seen a crayfish in the belly. Pike yes, walleye no. Food for thought (pun intended).

Just saw a walleye with two crayfish in its gut last week.

[nicemustang]

Hmm, well I'm still waiting to see it.

[Suveges]

I like using this one:

http://www.workwearcanada.com/products/detail.cfm?product=158

It's not as thin and flexible as some but it's sharp as heck and holds an edge for a long time.

[lone wolf]

For $20.00 try one of these - the "Fish'n'Bone by Outdoor Edge cutlery. They are so good I have bought one for all my hunting & fishing buddies. Use mine primarily for deboning deer shoulders but they work dandy on all kinds of fish too. You can pick them up at Wholesale Sports for $20.00

http://www.outdooredge.com/product_detail.php?cat_ID=5&prod_ID=1

Best filleting knife I have ever owned. Great steel, takes & keeps a great edge. Also folds and can be carried safely in a shirt pocket or on your belt.

[Geezle]

Wow, way more suggestions than I expected, thanks everybody! :cool:

I was really hoping that there would just be one that everybody kinda went with, but now I see that everybody has their favorites. I'm surprised though that the old school wooden handle Rapala knife has been suggested by a few different people. Even though they've been around forever and a day, I didn't expect so many people to be fans :)

[fitzy]

I would highly recomend the old rapalas, I've cleaned truck loads of Pike and Walleye and haven't found a knife in that price range that compares. I've also seen lots in higher price ranges that don't come close.

[Geezle]

I would highly recomend the old rapalas, I've cleaned truck loads of Pike and Walleye and haven't found a knife in that price range that compares. I've also seen lots in higher price ranges that don't come close.

That's kinda why I started this thread...throwing money at something doesn't always solve the problem :)

[Cal]

That's kinda why I started this thread...throwing money at something doesn't always solve the problem :)

Usualy cleaning more fish solves the problem :)

[Mike_W]

I bought the knives of Alaska Coho from Wholesale last year for around $50 bucks, I was drawn to this knife after using their hunting knives with complete satisfaction.
I need to say that the Coho is a great knife it absolutely holds an edge 10x longer than any Rapala I have used.
I like the knife due to its stiff backbone, the shape of the knife is great and the large handle is comfortable for my large hands. To be honest the shape and stiffness don't make this knife the easiest to remove the skin, so I either use another knife like a flexible rapala or it just takes a bit more effort to get the skin off nicely.

Mike

[bukwild]

Not that I am cheap but the best knife I own (And I keep several cause friends like to keep them!!) is a one dollar knife from the dollar store. It holds a better edge than my rapala or my buck. Coupled with a 7 dollar sharpener from C.T. it can't be beat.

[Geezle]

Usualy cleaning more fish solves the problem :)

True story :)

Now I just need to get myself back to somewhere I can actually keep a couple :)

[iliketrout]

If you're still looking and considering a Rapala, you may want to check this one out: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/SportsRec/1/Hunting/KnivesSharpeners/PRD~0780406P/Rapala%252B6-in.%252BFilet%252BKnife.jsp?locale=en

I've never used it so I can't comment on how good (or bad) it is.

[slingshot]

Cutco filleting knife

[Cal]

True story :)

Now I just need to get myself back to somewhere I can actually keep a couple :)

Head on up to Slave Lake and I'll get you some walleye to fillet.

[Geezle]

If you're still looking and considering a Rapala, you may want to check this one out: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/SportsRec/1/Hunting/KnivesSharpeners/PRD~0780406P/Rapala%252B6-in.%252BFilet%252BKnife.jsp?locale=en

I've never used it so I can't comment on how good (or bad) it is.

I picked this knife up on Friday after seeing it in the flyer...now I just need to catch something to try it out on :cool:

Even if I don't like it, it's cheap enough that if I don't like it I can still go pick up a different one and not feel bad about it :)

[Geezle]

Head on up to Slave Lake and I'll get you some walleye to fillet.

Don't tempt me! You may end up stuck with me out there for a couple days yet! :lol:

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Good on ya jay just need yourself one of these knife sharpeners and youll never have a dull knife agian well worth the 20 dollars , https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=2450610&enlargeSkuz=20677&C=094&SORTPRODUCTSBY=ASC&PAGEAT=2&GOZ=16&FILTERBYPRICE=AND%20retailPrice%20is%20not%20null&D=09&FILTERBYCLASS=&GETPRODUCTSBYCLASSG=094&FILTERBYMANUFACTURER=

They also make another one thats shaped like an oval , or D kinda shape for about 10 , those are awesome aswell .

[fitzy]

Good on ya jay just need yourself one of these knife sharpeners and youll never have a dull knife agian well worth the 20 dollars , https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=2450610&enlargeSkuz=20677&C=094&SORTPRODUCTSBY=ASC&PAGEAT=2&GOZ=16&FILTERBYPRICE=AND%20retailPrice%20is%20not%20null&D=09&FILTERBYCLASS=&GETPRODUCTSBYCLASSG=094&FILTERBYMANUFACTURER=

They also make another one thats shaped like an oval , or D kinda shape for about 10 , those are awesome aswell .

I am not a fan of those sharpeners, I think they are really hard on the blades. The ceramic ones from rapals aren't to bad but don't last, I think if you get yourself a fine steel you'll be way farther ahead.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Cutco filleting knife

X2!

its a 100 dollar knife but never seems to dull...super thin and flexible blade and adjustable length from 6" to 10" IIRC

i scooped one on ebay for 65 bucks a few years back...amazing how much difference a quality knife makes...makes the job so much easier

[Geezle]

Good on ya jay just need yourself one of these knife sharpeners and youll never have a dull knife agian well worth the 20 dollars , https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=2450610&enlargeSkuz=20677&C=094&SORTPRODUCTSBY=ASC&PAGEAT=2&GOZ=16&FILTERBYPRICE=AND%20retailPrice%20is%20not%20null&D=09&FILTERBYCLASS=&GETPRODUCTSBYCLASSG=094&FILTERBYMANUFACTURER=

They also make another one thats shaped like an oval , or D kinda shape for about 10 , those are awesome aswell .

Got one of those D shaped ones in my backpack all the time already :) And I think we have one sort of like the one you posted, that rests on the counter as well somewhere around here.

[Geezle]

I am not a fan of those sharpeners, I think they are really hard on the blades. The ceramic ones from rapals aren't to bad but don't last, I think if you get yourself a fine steel you'll be way farther ahead.

Yeah, but then I need to learn how to sharpen with the steel! :lol:

[Cal]

Yeah, but then I need to learn how to sharpen with the steel! :lol:

Easyer to learn than steel is a stone. I use a combination arkinsas stone and then a coffee cup to get my knifes razor sharp. If you want me to give you some tips on idiot proof sharpening with minimal expense shoot me a PM.