Filet Knives

[Oggie]

Good info here guys. Can anyone suggest a good set of instruction or a you tube video for a guy that really needs to learn to sharpen a knife properly?

[Consigliere]

Good video there. Didn't know about the pull out technique for the ribs. I like to pull the secondary ribs or y bones o n walleye by slicing either side of the centre line st the tail end then pull the filet apart, belly side first then pull the centre line out. This will leave it in two halves and boneless and the nasty tasting centre line perfectly removed.

[John]

Good info here guys. Can anyone suggest a good set of instruction or a you tube video for a guy that really needs to learn to sharpen a knife properly?

Google is your friend...

[John]

The old (40 +) Finnish and Norwegian knives were excellent. The last one I had finally went to knife heaven about 8 years ago. Blade was so thin and narrow that it finally snapped on me..looked more like a skinny overly flexible boning knife towards the end...

[Roy]

Good info here guys. Can anyone suggest a good set of instruction or a you tube video for a guy that really needs to learn to sharpen a knife properly?

 

You know, I had been looking at sharpening methods for a while and it was suggested by most to get the best I could. I can't argue with what the experts say but I just could not see myself paying 3-4-$500 or more to sharpen knives for home use. I did some digging and found a video clip that caught my eye and watched it 2-3 times. Went ahead and ordered a stone from a reputable company in Japan and started "practicing" on a drawer of knives. Well it didn't take long, I'm impressed by how it all worked out and should have done this years ago. Check out the video. It's a little long winded but has good info. That little test he does at the end is impressive. Just remember, not all steel is equal in quality. Art knows about steel. Good luck.

[crappieperchhunter]

Enjoyed the video Roy. Straight forward and easy to follow. I think I see myself getting a good wet stone. Nothing frustrates me more then dull kitchen knives. I have a steel that I use to keep my knives in good shape and I have been pretty happy with that. Until I saw the video and him slicing up the wet sponge. I just gotta be able to do that now Mind sharing where you got your whetstone?

[Roy]

Enjoyed the video Roy. Straight forward and easy to follow. I think I see myself getting a good wet stone. Nothing frustrates me more then dull kitchen knives. I have a steel that I use to keep my knives in good shape and I have been pretty happy with that. Until I saw the video and him slicing up the wet sponge. I just gotta be able to do that now Mind sharing where you got your whetstone?

 

I got the

Woodstock D1130 Japanese Waterstone, 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit

Got mine from Amazon but I'm sure there are other places to buy from.

[aplumma]

Just a note on steels they are not a sharpening tool. They are used to take the burr off and stand the blade edge back up. The hardest part of sharpening a knife is keeping a consistent angle the finer the stone the longer it takes to remove metal so a coarse stone can do more damage to an angle than a finer stone in a short amount of time. If you want to see if you are holding an angle and sharpening to the edge of the blade (otherwise you are not sharpening you are just removing metal from the shoulder and changing the angle) you can scribe a mark with a sharpie and check to see how many passes it takes to remove it from the edge. I use an electron microscope when I am sharpening a blade for competitions on blade sharpening ( yes there are contests for something that stupid) and the final sharpening run at .05 micros leaves no tool marks and will cut you with no resistance it makes a razor blade seem dull when done. The edge on an average knife does not need this since it is such a fine edge it would roll cutting something as soft as cardboard. If you become prolific using conventional stones and want to take it to the next level then a set of water stones are a fine addition to blade care. They are very soft and make a sharpening slurry that will give you a great edge. I personally didn't like that style of sharpening and prefer to use diamond paste and balsa wood to cut my final edge however you need to have the knife stationary and move the balsa wood over it to keep from cutting into the wood.

 

 

Art

[adolson]

Good info in this thread.

 

I have a pair of the wooden-handled Rapalas, one is really short and new, which is my main blade for trout nowadays. I don't fillet them, though, I just slice the belly, cut the heads off, pull the guts out, and clean the mudvein or whatever you call it. The longer one is a lot older, but same basic knife, and I'll use that for any filleting I do.

 

I already picked out my next one, which will be a folding Uncle Henry / Schrade / Taylor.

 

However, I'd like to get try my hand at making my own knives as yet another hobby. I don't see myself doing a fillet knife right off the bat, though. I think I'd enjoy the process, but we'll see. I lack a lot of the necessary tools right now.

[farsider]

Lee Valley, a canadian company has an amazing assortment of sharpening supplies(Stones, pastes, Strops, water baths, dvds, books, etc.)

 

Here is some of their Japanese stones which work on the hardest steels.

 

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=67089&cat=1,43072,67175

 

And their broader sharpening asst.

 

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1&p=43072

 

Cheers,

Mark

Edited March 22, 2016 by farsider

[fishindevil]

I have that exact cutco fillet knif and has been great and has been usued for at least 20yrs !!!!!!

[BillM]

I find the Cutco knife not flexible enough, at least compared to a 'normal' fillet knife.

[anders]

http://www.marttiini.fi/en_GB

 

Marttinni knives, straight from Finland.

 

IMO one of the best. Was in Helsinki for the world juniors and got to handle many of their collections. Excellent knives

[dave524]

http://www.marttiini.fi/en_GB

 

Marttinni knives, straight from Finland.

 

IMO one of the best. Was in Helsinki for the world juniors and got to handle many of their collections. Excellent knives

 

I believe they are the makers of the older Rapala knives, if I recall the engraving on the blades.

[John]

 

I believe they are the makers of the older Rapala knives, if I recall the engraving on the blades.

Had one of these in the late 60's /early 70's unfortunately it disappeared when I moved from the UK to Canada. Probably the best steel of any knife I have owned. Handles were a little slippy when they got coated in slime...

[adolson]

 

I believe they are the makers of the older Rapala knives, if I recall the engraving on the blades.

 

They still do, actually.

 

 

Top is old (inherited from my grandfather), bottom is new (bought last week).

[Sinker]

I use the rapala knives too. I find they are pretty decent. They sharpen easily anyways. They might not stay as sharp for as long as a quality blade, but they are fine for me. I tend to keep my knives good and sharp anyways. I use a lansky system for sharpening, and a good quality steel to maintain them.

 

S.