What fishing knife would you recommend ?

[Unregistered user]

Anyone use the Silver Creek folder by Buck Knives?

[bezzola]

I run a cutco and a bubba both good knives

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

If you’re going cheap, the only one I’ve used and found satisfactory is dexter. I bought one about two years ago because I see them recommended all over the web and wanted to see where they sat between junk and quality. I’ll say, for a sub $50 knife they’re pretty bloody good. Nowhere near top shelf but they hold an edge better then most and don’t chip. It’s much better than the northarm kermode I see recommended above.
The northarms I’ve got in s35vn must be the worst heat treated knives I’ve ever seen or owned. I wouldn’t recommend them at any price and with the two knives I own from them I wouldn’t buy more to see if it was an anomaly.



The other question about how long should an edge last? Depends on the knife. My custom will process a couple hundred kg of fish without losing a shaving edge. That includes cutting through rib bones thicker than a wooden match. I can stick it in a fish and push it wherever I want to cut, no effort or slicing required.

Each of us has to buy a level of performance we can live with.

Never felt the need to cut through the ribs, also never thought that less than a minuet on a steel between uses was terribly inconvenient. JMO.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Never felt the need to cut through the ribs, also never thought that less than a minuet on a steel between uses was terribly inconvenient. JMO.

Different strokes.

Ribs, scales or even shark skin is far harder on an edge then what your processing in Alberta. Usually I skirt around the rib cage but there are times I knock the fillets off the spine and clean the ribs out of the fillet later.

I find it very inconvenient having a knife lose its edge while I’m trying to use it. I don’t mind sharpening it but I hate when a blade loses its cutting aggression mid job. A fishing day for me looks like this. Up at 02:30 and load the boat, fish all day, home between 17-19:00 depending on time of year, unload and clean the boat and then I have to deal with the processing about 16-20 hours after I started, I’m tired. Mistakes are the last thing I need and dull knives lead to mistakes. After an average day I’m cleaning 50-80kg of fish and I want a tool that will get the job done without losing an edge or requiring any attention. In previous threads I mentioned I sharpened my fillet knife after every trip because it seemed like the thing to do. About 18-20 months ago I wanted to see how long the edge would last so I quit sharpening between uses. I still haven’t touched it up and it still push cuts paper and plows hair off my arm. It’s cut up many hundreds (perhaps thousands) of kg’s of fish since it saw a stone and I have no idea how much longer it’ll go before I have to sharpen or strop the thing.

Like I said, we all pay for a level of performance we can deal with. We also view this problem through different lenses based on experience.


The point of my original post was this. The dexter is a pretty good knife for less then $50

[Unregistered user]

Good post Coiloil, those knives are US made too, gonna get one, no longer interested in the folder from Buck, chinesium anyway.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by Unregistered user

Good post Coiloil, those knives are US made too, gonna get one, no longer interested in the folder from Buck, chinesium anyway.

FYI I’m talking about a custom by Phil Wilson in the post above. That’s my definition of top shelf. The dexter is nowhere near that level of performance but it’s a heck of a lot better than the multitude of other “inexpensive” fillet knives I’ve owned and used.
I’m well aware most people will not spend much on knives so if I was to suggest an inexpensive knife it’s the dexter. Mine has done well for its price point.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Different strokes.

Ribs, scales or even shark skin is far harder on an edge then what your processing in Alberta. Usually I skirt around the rib cage but there are times I knock the fillets off the spine and clean the ribs out of the fillet later.

I find it very inconvenient having a knife lose its edge while I’m trying to use it. I don’t mind sharpening it but I hate when a blade loses its cutting aggression mid job. A fishing day for me looks like this. Up at 02:30 and load the boat, fish all day, home between 17-19:00 depending on time of year, unload and clean the boat and then I have to deal with the processing about 16-20 hours after I started, I’m tired. Mistakes are the last thing I need and dull knives lead to mistakes. After an average day I’m cleaning 50-80kg of fish and I want a tool that will get the job done without losing an edge or requiring any attention. In previous threads I mentioned I sharpened my fillet knife after every trip because it seemed like the thing to do. About 18-20 months ago I wanted to see how long the edge would last so I quit sharpening between uses. I still haven’t touched it up and it still push cuts paper and plows hair off my arm. It’s cut up many hundreds (perhaps thousands) of kg’s of fish since it saw a stone and I have no idea how much longer it’ll go before I have to sharpen or strop the thing.

Like I said, we all pay for a level of performance we can deal with. We also view this problem through different lenses based on experience.


The point of my original post was this. The dexter is a pretty good knife for less then $50

Exactly my point. I'm not saying that your opinion is invalid, but just bringing up the possibility that the particular lense I'm looking through might be more relevent to the OP, who wont be cleaning 80lbs of shark any time soon.

Also worth mentioning... even if you werent cleaning any fish at all Coil, I still think you would likely own a fillet knife that cost many times what mine is worth

[fish99]

Originally Posted by Unregistered user

Good post Coiloil, those knives are US made too, gonna get one, no longer interested in the folder from Buck, chinesium anyway.

you are going to need a good knife next week. to clean my catch .lol.see you at the lake.

[akn]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

If you’re going cheap, the only one I’ve used and found satisfactory is dexter. I bought one about two years ago because I see them recommended all over the web and wanted to see where they sat between junk and quality. I’ll say, for a sub $50 knife they’re pretty bloody good. Nowhere near top shelf but they hold an edge better then most and don’t chip. It’s much better than the northarm kermode I see recommended above.
The northarms I’ve got in s35vn must be the worst heat treated knives I’ve ever seen or owned. I wouldn’t recommend them at any price and with the two knives I own from them I wouldn’t buy more to see if it was an anomaly.



The other question about how long should an edge last? Depends on the knife. My custom will process a couple hundred kg of fish without losing a shaving edge. That includes cutting through rib bones thicker than a wooden match. I can stick it in a fish and push it wherever I want to cut, no effort or slicing required.

Each of us has to buy a level of performance we can live with.

Do you have a suggestion in the price range of the north arms? I have a Dexter but it’s not as flexible as I’d like.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by akn

Do you have a suggestion in the price range of the north arms? I have a Dexter but it’s not as flexible as I’d like.

No I haven’t tried any other mid range fillet knives. I’ve played in the sub $80 category, bought the Phil Wilson and then the northarm for a boat knife. I only bought the northarm because I can’t risk losing the custom into the ocean because I’ll never get another one. As it is I don’t take the northarm on the boat either. It rusts terribly easy, loses an edge and has too much flex. I still use my bait knife when I need to knock a fish down to fit in the kill tank which is a spyderco waterway.
I did buy a benchmade meateater specifically for that purpose but it’s not rust resistant enough. The few times I used it I found the blade works very well on fish but the handles brutal and creates a hot spot on the heel of my hand. I’ve been using it more for red meat than fish lately.

Typically I go off my experience when I’m dispensing information online and don’t venture into hypotheticals but I’ll make an exception for this. Keep in mind that I’m NOT speaking from experience here. I suspect the magnacut northarm might be worth a look. I had terrible luck with the s35vn version and I hate how much flex is in their 9” blade but the new steel might have fixed all those problems. I’m also aware flex is very subjective and what I despise someone else might think is just right.

As an aside. It seems most fishermen are brutally cheap on their processing equipment and there really isn’t much supply of quality, midrange or high end customs. I know guys with multi million dollar boats, 50k worth of rods and reels onboard trolling a couple grand worth of lures who wouldn’t consider spending more then $50 on their knife. Totally upside down in my mind but it’s the way it is.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

As an aside. It seems most fishermen are brutally cheap on their processing equipment and there really isn’t much supply of quality, midrange or high end customs. I know guys with multi million dollar boats, 50k worth of rods and reels onboard trolling a couple grand worth of lures who wouldn’t consider spending more then $50 on their knife. Totally upside down in my mind but it’s the way it is.

Well, at least I'm consistantly cheap

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

No I haven’t tried any other mid range fillet knives. I’ve played in the sub $80 category, bought the Phil Wilson and then the northarm for a boat knife. I only bought the northarm because I can’t risk losing the custom into the ocean because I’ll never get another one. As it is I don’t take the northarm on the boat either. It rusts terribly easy, loses an edge and has too much flex. I still use my bait knife when I need to knock a fish down to fit in the kill tank which is a spyderco waterway.
I did buy a benchmade meateater specifically for that purpose but it’s not rust resistant enough. The few times I used it I found the blade works very well on fish but the handles brutal and creates a hot spot on the heel of my hand. I’ve been using it more for red meat than fish lately.

Typically I go off my experience when I’m dispensing information online and don’t venture into hypotheticals but I’ll make an exception for this. Keep in mind that I’m NOT speaking from experience here. I suspect the magnacut northarm might be worth a look. I had terrible luck with the s35vn version and I hate how much flex is in their 9” blade but the new steel might have fixed all those problems. I’m also aware flex is very subjective and what I despise someone else might think is just right.

As an aside. It seems most fishermen are brutally cheap on their processing equipment and there really isn’t much supply of quality, midrange or high end customs. I know guys with multi million dollar boats, 50k worth of rods and reels onboard trolling a couple grand worth of lures who wouldn’t consider spending more then $50 on their knife. Totally upside down in my mind but it’s the way it is.

I am jealous of your spyderco waterway. I been wanting it for a long time now but its been sold out all over canada for a year and a half.

[Unregistered user]

Originally Posted by fish99

you are going to need a good knife next week. to clean my catch .lol.see you at the lake.

I was hoping you would clean my catch.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

I am jealous of your spyderco waterway. I been wanting it for a long time now but its been sold out all over canada for a year and a half.

You and me both. I’ve been scouring the web to find a spare because I’m scared this one might go swimming one day. I think I’m on every email notification list for every dealer in Canada and Australia. I asked Sal on bladeforums and he claimed they were still making them in small batches but I haven’t seen one for sale for a couple of years. It’s an awesome boat knife. When I find them for sale I’ll let you know.

[stein]

Originally Posted by Curtsyneil

Watch when the cabelas brand electric fillet knife goes on sale think it’s 120 bucks. Great knife fast easy cleaning and 3 sets of blades. Makes fish cleaning a breeze!!

I picked up this one, the basspro xps, regular price $139, me and a buddy fileted 20 whitefish on the weekend, average 4lbs each, very nice knife for processing lots of fish, all boneless skinless filets when we were done and battery had lots of juice left at the end, once we got the hang of it, could knife it off the backbone and ribs in one swoop, grab the y bones, off the skin and it was done, very quick.

[-JR-]

Read a lot of reviews and since most fish are released no need for anything more . So it seems like the dexter filet knife is the winner as it is has the double sided edges on the blade as seen in this video
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXjFbCyBQNQ

[JD848]

Originally Posted by -JR-

Read a lot of reviews and since most fish are released no need for anything more . So it seems like the dexter filet knife is the winner as it is has the double sided edges on the blade as seen in this video
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXjFbCyBQNQ

When was the last time your freind caught a limit of snappers ,that knife maybe good for that video ,but is it a knife most fresh water guys need. NO .plus the guy isn't that good with it .

Don't over think it ,if your buddy hasn't got a clue on which knife then chances are he hasn't cleaned lots fish .

Owning the best knife and using it well is 2 different deals only your pal can tell. . A fillet knife needs to fit well in your hand and there is no need for a real long blade unless your cleaning large fish .