Best Fillet Knife

[senderomag]

What is your favorite/best fillet knife? Very few custom makers are into fillet knifes and if they are into them want crazy $$$. Was thinking of the white river in s35v but apparently they have very little flex.

[Gooninerup]

Bubba tapered flex fillet knife, The blades are razors and have a non slip handle which is great. Always liked the 10 dollar rapala blades too though.

[3blade]

The flex thing is kinda silly, proper knife skills and sharpening skills should be developed. Any good chefs knife will do. It needs to fit your hand, and most prefer a slightly thinner blade for fish work.

I do use rapala knives when I’m traveling though. Lot cheaper to replace

[catnthehat]

Some guys like a flexible blade, some a stiffer blade.
I was told by a very good knife smith , that the fish plants and guides he talked to when designing his filleting knife mostly preferred a slightly stiff blade.
The common filleting knife available that I saw around around St. Johns last week has a slightly stiff blade, and it is in common use there.
The guy I went cod jigging with sharpens his with a pull type Accu sharp and a steel, he was taking both slabs off a cod in no time flat.
He didn't touch the steel after doing 15 big fish.
The knife is less that $40 IIRC!
Cat

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by 3blade

The flex thing is kinda silly, proper knife skills and sharpening skills should be developed. Any good chefs knife will do. It needs to fit your hand, and most prefer a slightly thinner blade for fish work.

I do use rapala knives when I’m traveling though. Lot cheaper to replace

I agree, I use my 10” French knife for filleting. I don’t debone though and the odd time I do I use my victorinox fillet knife.

[fordtruckin]

Always liked this fillet knife. Never do enough fishing to justify buying it as I have the standard rapala 20$ knife. One day though this will be in my tackle box!

https://www.knivesofalaska.com/Store...eader-suregrip

[Coiloil37]

My favourite is my Phil Wilson. It’s my most used knife and favourite blade out of everything I own. Not inexpensive though.





Phil is a master at fillet knives so I left the flex up to him. It’s stiffer then I was used to but oh my, does it cut. I’ve since tried more flexible fillet knives again and found I despise them.

If your going cheap and don’t want to pay for quality I suspect a dexter would serve as well as any.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Always liked this fillet knife. Never do enough fishing to justify buying it as I have the standard rapala 20$ knife. One day though this will be in my tackle box!

https://www.knivesofalaska.com/Store...eader-suregrip

I have one of these
Unfortunately haven’t even had a chance to use it yet
Bought one for a good friend too and he loves it

A flexible blade is very good for filleting fresh water fish
It’s much easier to remove the ribs, if you know what your doing, with minimal loss
I bought the semi flexible deboning knives from koa also and should have went with the more flexible version

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

My favourite is my Phil Wilson. It’s my most used knife and favourite blade out of everything I own. Not inexpensive though.





Phil is a master at fillet knives so I left the flex up to him. It’s stiffer then I was used to but oh my, does it cut. I’ve since tried more flexible fillet knives again and found I despise them.

If your going cheap and don’t want to pay for quality I suspect a dexter would serve as well as any.

How long is the blade on that knife?
Both of my favorite filleting knives are right around 7", one is a Grohmann, and the other was made by Morris Nesdole.
The Grohman is a bit more flexible than the one Morris made me, and I also prefer a bit stiffer blade for big pike and walleye.
Cat

[EZM]

The "best" fillet knife is a sharp one ..... you can buy a $500 knife but if you have trouble keeping an edge on it, or touching it up, forget it ....

I also use a longer stiffer Victorinox for bigger fish - but 95% of the work goes to the Finland made Rapala with a flexible blade. It's only a step above the cheaper Rapala's and probably no more than $40 IIRC. I have the short one and the long versions (like a 5" and 7" blade I think) depending on that I'm doing.

As far as needing knife skills versus flexibility - a stiff blade will not allow you to press the tip and cup the blade to remove rib bones without wasting more meat - a flexible blade also strips skin off much easier particular on smaller fresh water fish where you want to keep more meat.....

I guess I'm just silly and I've done this wrong thousands of times and need a lesson on knife skills. Maybe I will try my 8" chef's knife next time I bring home some perch.

**(just teasing - but I respectfully disagree with this thought process) - I am a proponent for the right tool for the right job and not every shoe fits every foot ... a flexible blade and stiff blade both have their places in specific situations - and yes - both WILL get the job done, but one is better compared to the other for each situation.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by EZM

The "best" fillet knife is a sharp one ..... you can buy a $500 knife but if you have trouble keeping an edge on it, or touching it up, forget it ....

A sharp is a given, about the same as saying the cartridge doesn't matter if the rifle is not accurate......
Cat

[EZM]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

A sharp is a given, about the same as saying the cartridge doesn't matter if the rifle is not accurate......
Cat

That's not true ..... if you are shooring a 6.5 CM heat seeker tack driver they don't miss and can pick off a coyote's eye at a full run at 200 yards

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by EZM

That's not true ..... if you are shooring a 6.5 CM heat seeker tack driver they don't miss and can pick off a coyote's eye at a full run at 200 yards

Oh jeepers I forgot about the Creedmoor!! My mistake, sorry!
Cat

[Edmonton resident]

The Best one for me is my Buck Filleting knife #127 I have been using it for years . My brother swears by Bubba tapered flex fillet knife to each there own

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

How long is the blade on that knife?
Both of my favorite filleting knives are right around 7", one is a Grohmann, and the other was made by Morris Nesdole.
The Grohman is a bit more flexible than the one Morris made me, and I also prefer a bit stiffer blade for big pike and walleye.
Cat

That one has a 7” blade. I bought it for processing the usual suspects in Alberta.











Now it’s punching over it’s weight class but seeing more use in a year then it would in a lifetime of freshwater use.

























I’ve got a 9” filleting knife as well but it doesn’t see much use because the quality is so far below the custom. It’s to thick, doesn’t take or hold an edge as well, micro chips and the flex is wrong.




The custom has an edge that’s .004” thick up at the tip and .006” down at the heel. It takes and holds a better edge then any other custom I’ve owned. I’ve currently got Phil building me a 9” version as well for some of the larger fish.




Sharp knives are all I know or use. I find that argument similar to “putting the bullet where it needs to go”. I thought that was obvious… but sometimes one must state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious. (I’m not having a go at you EZM, it’s just a given the knife has to be razor sharp)
I will say that after a day on the water, come home and clean the gear, clean the boat, pack everything away and then your faced with a bunch of fish to clean











It’s good to have a knife that works with me instead of against me.

[ganderblaster]

Anyone tried a Dunn filet knife? Heard good things about them
http://www.dunnknives.com/

[Dr. Phil A]

I have two Cutco filleting knives. Use them for deboning big game.
Send the blades back every couple of years for sharpening.

[OL_JR]

I don't use any high end fillet knives, just inexpensive Rapalas. Not saying they are the best or worst or even recommending I just feel that they have the right amount of flex and if I were to go shopping for another even a custom I would like something similar with better edge retention.

Definitely don't like them be to stiff, not only for deboning but the slabbing portion where the right amount of flex allows you to get more of that meat between the rib cage/spine and the middle of the back without being flimsy.

[senderomag]

Hey coil. Indeed mr Wilson’s knives are the way to go. Being a master in your trade allows to charge a premium. I sent him an email a while ago about a custom knife at the time he wasn’t taking orders. But responded in kind. A true gentleman.

[sns2]

I too, conversed with Mr. Wilson. Gonna be hard to get a new knife off him from this point on.

If I were buying a filet knife, which I’m not because what need does one have for a filet knife in Alberta where you can’t keep a fish unless you pay $10 for a tag? But if I were, this is the direction I would be looking…. Rick Menefee.

To me, the middle knife in these pics is what I would order for a filet knife.

As for flex, at least for me, it’s overrated for cleaning fish.

[creeky]

Buddy has a crazy good "Helle Steinbit" w flex Sandvik 12C27 stainless blade and curly birch handle.

Contented with my Moras and Rapala's until I tried his Helle-at some point will pick one up.


Creeky....


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