good fillet knifes??

[sconceptor]

Hey, I'm just looking for opinions on good fillet knifes?

 

Currently I use a Rapala plastic handle knife, which routinely goes on sale at Crappy T for 10$. Also I have a red plastic handled fillet knife which is about the same quality.

 

I suck at cutting through the rid cage(small eyes up to 5lb trout) with these knifes, and wonder if it's the knive or me? I'm pretty dam strong, but maybe I sissy out a little since I don't want to cut my fingers off? I wonder if a better quality knive might help. Something in the 50$ range?

 

I think I lose too much meat from the belly, since I don't cut right through the rib cage and cut it off after. I mostly go over the ribs, and loss meat when I don't cut back down fast enough. I fillet about 5-10fish per year, unless I'm up north with the guys(a couple of them are pretty terrible at it, so if I'm sober enough and the bugs aren't so bad, I'll do a few of theirs....they should get up early to fish for keepers not at the end of the night!).

[mercman]

Leatherman Wave.

The blade is razor sharp, easy to sharpen, hold its edge forever, and is the perfect shape and length for cleaning and filleting fish.

[young_one]

I like to first cut right through all the side ribs off along the spine, second skin the fish, turn the fillet with rib sides down and cut a little slit line along the side ribs where it was cut off.

 

With a sharp knife you should be able to glide your knife right on top of the ribs and catch every bit of meat.

 

IMHO, the more expensive knifes aren't always better. They probably have better looking handles or doesnt require to sharpen as much. As long as you sharpen your knife and the blade has a good flex, it should perform flawlessly.

 

Save the money and buy more fishing lures!

[cwpowell]

Check out a kitchen store. My father in law got me a knice J.A. Henckels Zwillings fillet knife today. Beautiful knife. It's a professional knife for sure.

[Guest gbfisher]

Either the Rapala or Berkely Knife - 6" & 8" Deluxe Electric Fillet with Case

At 50 bucks you will not be dissapointed. For pan fish to salmon they are the catsass!

[craigdritchie]

Nothing wrong with the Rapala knife you already have. But it is important to keep it razor sharp. Go to a kitchen supply store and buy a very good quality knife sharpener (I like the Henckels) and use it to put a fine hone on the blade prior to each use.

 

You don't need to be "pretty dam strong" to fillet a fish - the knife should do all the cutting for you. If it's a sharp knife, your hand will just follow along for the ride, giving it a bit of guidance on where to go.

 

Sharp knives do not cut fingers, but dull knives do. If the knife is dull, you have to push and that's where the trouble starts.

 

You don't need to spend $50 on a new knife. Spend half that amount on a quality sharpening rod and you'll notice a HUGE difference. ALL KNIVES go dull at some point, and that's when they become (1) ineffective, and (2) dangerous. And I'm not kidding when I say all knives go dull. My son is a professional chef, and he has knives that cost $400. They all need to be sharpened on a regular basis.

 

Know how to tell if your knife is truly sharp? Lay a magazine flat on the kitchen counter, then take the knife and try to shave a chunk off the paper without breaking through and actually puncturing it (easiest to see if you try this on a picture or ad with lots of dark ink, which contrasts against the white paper). If you can do that consistently, then your knife is in good condition. If not ..... then it's dull, simple as that.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Craig_Ritchie

[fish_fishburn]

I have used Rapala knives for 40 yrs and the only thing that I don't like about them is after a few seasons I notice small chips in the blade and it basically makes them useless. Good thing there cheap and easy to replace. The other thing is they take up so much room in my tackle bag.

 

I was in a tackle shop a few weeks ago and noticed a nice fillet knife in the display case. It had a 8" blade and was made by Buck. The nice part, it was a folding blade(lock blade). I checked it out and had to have it. Finally a nice knife that folds up to half the size. It has a nice non slip rubber handle and a lifetime warranty. I tried it out on some nice Springs last week and I have to say it is a treat to work with. Well worth the $40.00

[docknocker]

Hey, I'm just looking for opinions on good fillet knifes?

 

Currently I use a Rapala plastic handle knife, which routinely goes on sale at Crappy T for 10$. Also I have a red plastic handled fillet knife which is about the same quality.

 

I suck at cutting through the rid cage(small eyes up to 5lb trout) with these knifes, and wonder if it's the knive or me? I'm pretty dam strong, but maybe I sissy out a little since I don't want to cut my fingers off? I wonder if a better quality knive might help. Something in the 50$ range?

 

I think I lose too much meat from the belly, since I don't cut right through the rib cage and cut it off after. I mostly go over the ribs, and loss meat when I don't cut back down fast enough. I fillet about 5-10fish per year, unless I'm up north with the guys(a couple of them are pretty terrible at it, so if I'm sober enough and the bugs aren't so bad, I'll do a few of theirs....they should get up early to fish for keepers not at the end of the night!).

 

Check out the Cutco website.

I've had one for 14yrs

Extendable blade, Sheath has small V notch so you can cut line etc. without taking knife out of it

Sheath also doubles as a "gripper"

Handle available in black or Blaze orange

Sheath also has sharpening stone

Last knife you will ever buy

Plus lifetime warrenty

Good Luck

SteveO

[Rod Caster]

https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=3853940&enlargeSkuz=20651&GETSPECIALSPRODUCTS=

 

This looks like a good knife at a great discount. I'm thinking of getting one myself.

[Old Man]

These are all I've ever used. The 6" for filleting; the 4' for ribs (and cheeks on walleye); the 6" for skinning and the 4" for backbone removal. Keep them sharp and they work great.

[Burtess]

Either the Rapala or Berkely Knife - 6" & 8" Deluxe Electric Fillet with Case

At 50 bucks you will not be dissapointed. For pan fish to salmon they are the catsass!

 

The electrics are fantastic!!!

 

Burt

[solopaddler]

It's funny you mention the Rapala knives on sale at Canadian Tire. I've bought a couple over the last year or so and needed to sharpen them recently.

 

At least the ones I bought have some kind of weird dark gray finish on the blade.

 

Anyhow I took the stone to them yesterday along with a couple of regular Rapala knives with more normal blades.

 

The older style blades sharpened up really nice as usual.

 

Those newer ones with the gray finish were really hard to sharpen. First it's a different steel,much harder. Second, the angle of the cutting edge was different on the newrr knives, much narrower.

 

It was a huge pita trying to sharpen those things!

 

So bottom line I'd definitely recommend an older style Rapala blade, but the newer gray finished ones are junk imo.

[Big Cliff]

Two years ago CPH was up here crappie fishing with me. When we came in and got ready to clean the fish, he pulled out his Rapala Electric filleting knife.

 

Now I have been filleting fish for almost 50 years, I have a Cutco (which I love) and a couple of other knives and I think I am fairly quick but CPH was doing three to my one and doing just as good a job.

 

The next day I went to CTC and bought myself one of the electrics. It took one or two fish to get use to it but I can fillet a fish in about 1/3 the time and believe me there is no more meat lost than if I was using any of my other knives. I think I paid $39.95 on sale. A really good investment in my books.

[Guest gbfisher]

Two years ago CPH was up here crappie fishing with me. When we came in and got ready to clean the fish, he pulled out his Rapala Electric filleting knife.

 

Now I have been filleting fish for almost 50 years, I have a Cutco (which I love) and a couple of other knives and I think I am fairly quick but CPH was doing three to my one and doing just as good a job.

 

The next day I went to CTC and bought myself one of the electrics. It took one or two fish to get use to it but I can fillet a fish in about 1/3 the time and believe me there is no more meat lost than if I was using any of my other knives. I think I paid $39.95 on sale. A really good investment in my books.

 

 

You said it.

I didn't believe it until I tried it. I got so sick of filleting perch when I saw a buddy use one. He was doing three to my one ..So I bought one. It took me only one or two perch to get used to it. I can do in 50 perch in 30 mins now and with Salmon or larger fish...there's zero effort and zero sharpening. With any knife you have to sharpen them every time and as Solo just said...It isn't always that easy. By the time you finished sharpening your knife I'd be half 1/3 though my pile ..

The electric blades last a good long time.

Edited July 7, 2011 by gbfisher

[Muskieman]

I use a Kershaw and a Rapala...and I have a Fiskars ... I prefer the Kershaw.. stays sharper longer...

 

But regardless of the brad you prefer... NEVER run it through a

WILTSHIRE Staysharp thing ....

if so you've just ruined it.. they change the angle of attack and are a pain in the to get back to normal....

I know from experience because of my wife of 15 yrs...

my fillet knives have been hidden for a few years now.

 

I use the Speedysharp to sharpen mine and I can shave with them.

 

 

Randy

[umKthxbye]

These are all I've ever used. The 6" for filleting; the 4' for ribs (and cheeks on walleye); the 6" for skinning and the 4" for backbone removal. Keep them sharp and they work great.

 

Those look like that Rapala knives I just got today and MAN what a difference.

I went from a Berkley (complete crap) to the new Rapala with the black blade(hard to sharpen and its stiff as heck) to these ones(Rapala J. Marttiini Finland) and man those are nice and flexy but not to flexy and they are just SO sharp. I should have been clued in on how bad the Black blade Rapala was going to be since it comes on sale allot and they stock allot of them at Crappy Tire.

The wood handle is slightly more comfortable in my hands as well.

 

I got the one with the 7.5" and the 4" knives in it for $50.

 

I haven't been filleting very long so my input isn't that great.

Practice makes perfect.

[mercman]

I use a Kershaw and a Rapala...and I have a Fiskars ... I prefer the Kershaw.. stays sharper longer...

 

But regardless of the brad you prefer... NEVER run it through a

WILTSHIRE Staysharp thing ....

if so you've just ruined it.. they change the angle of attack and are a pain in the to get back to normal....

I know from experience because of my wife of 15 yrs...

my fillet knives have been hidden for a few years now.

 

I use the Speedysharp to sharpen mine and I can shave with them.

 

 

Randy

 

Wives always like to help us out, eh Randy

I hide mine too BTW

[Pikeslayer]

Two years ago CPH was up here crappie fishing with me. When we came in and got ready to clean the fish, he pulled out his Rapala Electric filleting knife.

 

Now I have been filleting fish for almost 50 years, I have a Cutco (which I love) and a couple of other knives and I think I am fairly quick but CPH was doing three to my one and doing just as good a job.

 

The next day I went to CTC and bought myself one of the electrics. It took one or two fish to get use to it but I can fillet a fish in about 1/3 the time and believe me there is no more meat lost than if I was using any of my other knives. I think I paid $39.95 on sale. A really good investment in my books.

 

And two years later, Cliff introduced me to the electric Rapala (thx Cliff)

Other than the sliced middle finger of my right hand ( they are very sharp!) I am extremely happy with it. I will probably clean close to 200 lbs of fish this year. Pike, salmon, rainbows & walleyes. I've pretty much mastered everything except y bones so far.

 

Slayer

[vance]

The best knife you can get belongs to my buddy,I don't know what it is and don't care because I suck him into cleaning all the fish so my knife is always sharp and clean

 

 

vance

[Old Man]

Those look like that Rapala knives I just got today and MAN what a difference.

I went from a Berkley (complete crap) to the new Rapala with the black blade(hard to sharpen and its stiff as heck) to these ones(Rapala J. Marttiini Finland) and man those are nice and flexy but not to flexy and they are just SO sharp. I should have been clued in on how bad the Black blade Rapala was going to be since it comes on sale allot and they stock allot of them at Crappy Tire.

The wood handle is slightly more comfortable in my hands as well.

 

I got the one with the 7.5" and the 4" knives in it for $50.

 

I haven't been filleting very long so my input isn't that great.

Practice makes perfect.

 

I've been filleting for a long time and started to use those knives in late 70's or early 80's. Since then I've never used anything else. I'm probably on my 3rd or 4th set now. Keep them sharp and you will be able to save almost all the meat and have no bones with practice.