newb just joined; Whats a good value salmon fillet knife? 420J2?

[pointbob]

newb just joined; Whats a good value salmon fillet knife? I'm impressed with the knowledge here.

I've used average blades like rapala and looking at kershaw 420J2 blade....thats around $39...

i'd appreciate any info on a better level fillet blade. Thank you.

 

[Arathol]

Expensive is not the same as better......Rapala fillet knives have been around for many years for good reason.....
Maybe read this thread-

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/is-there-a-real-advantage-to-high-end-knives-for-fish-fillet.1883616/

 

[KenHash]

You don;t need the latet and greatest steel for a fish filleting knife which is
a specific purpose knife.
But 420j2 is a highly resistant but low end steel as far as knives go.
I would take 440A/Aus6 over that.
Or a 4116 variant as found in German knives like Wustoff and Zwilling.
The only western fillet knife I still use is a Rapala bought about 35 years ago.

 

[chalby]

420J2 is OK. It's quite rust resistant and easy to touch up quickly. As KenHash said it is a low end steel, but for a fillet knife it's fine. Most cheaper fillet knives don't really bother advertising the steel they use.

My two favorite fillet knives are a Frosts 12C27 fillet knife that has a ~6" blade and has medium flex, and a "ZEST Super Edge" Japanese made knife that has a bit more flex and has a ~8" blade. Personally I wouldn't bother spending too much money unless you are a pro.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

https://morakniv.se/en/product/companion-fishing-fillet-155-s/

I would also suggest you look for a used Gerber Gator fillet knife - mine is marked Made in Finland has cleaned many salmon and it stays crazy sharp.

 

[jude_061]

The steel on a fillet knife should be easy to sharpen and take a keen edge. As others have said, it’s a knife with a limited and specific purpose. I used to use a Dexter 6” stiff boning knife to fillet large quantities of cod when I worked on a party boat. For filleting recreationally-caught fish, the Rapala or one of those birch handled old school ones should do. You can probably find a Jet Aer G96 fillet knife on the bay for under 50 bucks. It’s thought that the blade is ATS34 or some other high-end steel.

 

[pholder]

Check out something from Buck knives, they have fillet knives. Nice catch, I see smoked salmon in someone’s future

 

[pholder]

And welcome

 

[Velitrius]

Buck makes some fine choices in different sizes..... Kershaw does the same.... $30 realm, all will perform just fine for the task.

Myself, I like the Old Hickory Fillet Knife, right around 20 bux.

All this said, I did commission the late great George Tichbourne to create a custom fillet knife for a buddy of mine back in the day. Nothing exceeds like excess, I always say.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Check out your local commercial fishing supply store.

 

[eisman]

The knife in the center of this pic is a Salmon Knife, designed by a fisherman from Tacoma, WA. It was made for commercial use; the spoon being used to evacuate the insides quick and easy. They came in both right and left hand versions. You can occasionally find them for sale, but I understand that Mora (one of the makers Art used for his) still makes and sells them also.

 

[donnord]

The steel is not as important as the feel. The flexibility of a filet knife is a key feature of the knife. I have three, each is better than the other at somethings but worse at others. I have a Wustoff, a Gerber balance plus, and a Chicago cutlery. The Wustoff is what I would reach for to deal with that Salmon because it is very flexible and good for a fish with small scales and weak bones. I use the Gerber mainly for kitchen skinning and cleaning up filets. The Chicago cutlery is a brute I typically use it for redfish, or stripers, fish with big scales and tough skin. All them are pretty standard stainless steels, as they have to be easy to sharpen. Nice fish by the way, I'm heading out on the kayak in a little while.