- Joined
- Jan 27, 2019
- Messages
- 654
I've figured out the best fillet knife for my usage... And that includes cutting up everything from freshwater perch and bluegill, to Pike, to Scup, Tautog, Striped Bass, Tuna, Mahi, Jacks, Triggerfish, parrotfish, etc.
I'm an angler and also a spearfisherman and clean, cut up and fillet a lot of fish each year.
I was using a Dexter Russell Sani Safe 7" and 8" knife for a while and love the firmness of it, the handle, the rust resistance of their proprietary "Dexsteel", easy to sharpen and a great sheath.
My only gripe was that I wished it held an edge better / longer.
Commercial fish cutters use the same knives and just use a steel on it, as needed and it falls back into line for many more fish.
I don't like using or carrying / traveling with a heavy knife steel.
The stock v-edge was just too precious...
I figured out that a 20° convexed edge from a worksharp stays sharp 2-3x as long as the stock edge!
It's a lazer beam, even with a 40° inclusive edge!
On top of that, because I believe in mechanical empathy, I pair it with a serrated Dexter Russell 3.5" net knife for initial cuts along the gill line / shoulder and back, for heavy scaled fish like striped bass, parrot fish and abrasive skin like on triggerfish.
This makes the fillet knife last probably 2x longer again!
It's also great to cut through heavy cartilage and even bone and saves a finer fillet knife edge for the fleshier stuff and bouncing along the rib bones.
Every fisherman and boater NEEDS this serrated net knife.
Using this combo, I cut up over 150# of fish (2 striped bass, 9 Tautog, several black Sea bass, some scup and an Almaco Jack) and the knife is still sharp.
As I beat on the serrated knife to take the heads off of some stripers with 1" thick spines, the soft Dexsteel serrations get a bit out of shape. The Spyderco Sharpmaker gets them back in line with a handful of strokes.
They're cheap, too!!!
I'm an angler and also a spearfisherman and clean, cut up and fillet a lot of fish each year.
I was using a Dexter Russell Sani Safe 7" and 8" knife for a while and love the firmness of it, the handle, the rust resistance of their proprietary "Dexsteel", easy to sharpen and a great sheath.
My only gripe was that I wished it held an edge better / longer.
Commercial fish cutters use the same knives and just use a steel on it, as needed and it falls back into line for many more fish.
I don't like using or carrying / traveling with a heavy knife steel.
The stock v-edge was just too precious...
I figured out that a 20° convexed edge from a worksharp stays sharp 2-3x as long as the stock edge!
It's a lazer beam, even with a 40° inclusive edge!
On top of that, because I believe in mechanical empathy, I pair it with a serrated Dexter Russell 3.5" net knife for initial cuts along the gill line / shoulder and back, for heavy scaled fish like striped bass, parrot fish and abrasive skin like on triggerfish.
This makes the fillet knife last probably 2x longer again!
It's also great to cut through heavy cartilage and even bone and saves a finer fillet knife edge for the fleshier stuff and bouncing along the rib bones.
Every fisherman and boater NEEDS this serrated net knife.
Using this combo, I cut up over 150# of fish (2 striped bass, 9 Tautog, several black Sea bass, some scup and an Almaco Jack) and the knife is still sharp.
As I beat on the serrated knife to take the heads off of some stripers with 1" thick spines, the soft Dexsteel serrations get a bit out of shape. The Spyderco Sharpmaker gets them back in line with a handful of strokes.
They're cheap, too!!!
