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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: hole_hopper454 on Jan 17, 2017, 02:16 PM
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What does everyone out there use? I've been using a cheap ($5) Rapala 6" fillet knife for over 10 years and it does the job. I would like to buy something a little better, maybe a 5" knife for around $20 - $30. Would like something that is flexible and holds an edge long enough for filleting 20 bluegills. Right now I have to touch up my knife every 7 fish or so. I was looking at the Outdoor Edge fillet knife but it is a folding knife, not sure if I would like that and how it effects its flexibility.
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Rapala heavy duty electric fillet knife. I use it on everything from 18" walleye to 8" gills.
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For years, I used either a Mister Twister electric, or a Coleman Stainless 7". This year for Christmas, my wife bought me a Wusthof Fillet knife and I really, really like it. But is it the best? Don't know.
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I made the same move as you're looking to make. I tried several kinds. I've been very happy with mine for several years now. Morakniv is what you're looking for. Google it or just look on amazon.
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Leach lake, hands down.
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I really like this one made by Rada Knives. http://www.radacutlery.com/kitchen-knives/hunting/fillet-knife (http://www.radacutlery.com/kitchen-knives/hunting/fillet-knife) Holds an edge well and has the right amount of flex IMHO. I have a Leech Lake knife as well and I'll choose the Rada knife over the Leech more often than not.
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Guy asks for around $20-$30, everyone starts recommending $50-$150 knives... seems helpful.
Is your rapala made in China? There is a better fish and fillet knife by them made in finland. The ability to hold an edge between the two is dramatic, with one around $8 and the other closer to $20. One of the best for the money imo. Otherwise you may want to look into the NiTi coated knife by Penn with a non slip grip. Probably closer to $30 but again, holds an edge great.
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Guy asks for around $20-$30, everyone starts recommending $50-$150 knives... seems helpful.
everyone ?????????? the Rada knife retails for $24.40 I would think that is in his price range.
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I own a bunch of them from the basic wood handle Rapala through Wusthof and up to a $120 Shun that I got gifted. The best values are the Forschner knives and the absolute best value for price versus steel are the Mora knives in carbon steel. A lot of guys who fillet fish for a living keep a set of them on hand. The trick on all of them is in the sharpening and out of any 10 guys you'll get 11 answers on the best way to do that.
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I have a Schrade(spelling) Uncle Henry don't know how much it cost I have had it for 25+ years. I can say that at the time it was probably in the $ 20.00 range. Couldn't have afforded more back then. Nice sturdy blade with a flexible tip. As long as I don't cut through the rib bones it will keep an edge through a limit of pan fish. The guy asked what others use, well that is what I use.
Keep it safe! JDL
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Guy asks for around $20-$30, everyone starts recommending $50-$150 knives... seems helpful.
Is your rapala made in China? There is a better fish and fillet knife by them made in finland. The ability to hold an edge between the two is dramatic, with one around $8 and the other closer to $20. One of the best for the money imo. Otherwise you may want to look into the NiTi coated knife by Penn with a non slip grip. Probably closer to $30 but again, holds an edge great.
I have to agree with the more expensive Rapala. The one I have has a darker blade and handle and holds its edge. I think mine has a 4" blade and I have used it on Bluegill, but I think a longer blade would be better.
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I just ordered the Morakniv 6.1" fillet knife on Amazon for $27. It has great reviews and fit my price. Also ordered an Edgemaker knife sharper for quick touch ups. I would like to get a Lansky sharpener someday for proper sharpening and putting a good edge back on the knife.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080KBKZQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AYNF8J8N43NHE
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4" Rapala wooden handle from Finland is the only thing I use. . Black handle Rapala is China. Touching up the blade with a butcher's steel is normal after filleting. Been doing it for lots of years..
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4" Rapala Soft Grip for trout. China or not, it goes in the dishwasher. My knife for life.
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I've had 2 of the China black handle blades break when putting a little bend on them when skinning .
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I have to agree about the Moraknivs. They cost less than $ 30.00. While they have plastic, but very practical handles and sheath,
they put their money in the steel for the blades. They come in both stainless and carbon steel. I prefer the carbon blades. They require
touching up more frequently than stainless, but they take a keen edge. My first Mora knife is 35 years old been used for hacking, chopping,
deer cleaning and fire starting and it still takes a razor edge. If I could only have one knife, it would be a Mora.
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Been using wooden handle rapala for 40 years still hard to beat.
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Cutco 6/10" fillet knife the blade is adjustable it floats it's union made in America in Olean ny the same company make the kbar
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I use the Rapala knives for the most part. I also have some older imperial schrades that are unbelievable. If your looking to invest in a "lansky" type sharper, look into the KME sharpner. They are awesome. No play in the rod/clamp like you have with the lansky. http://www.kmesharp.com
Jim
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I hate the feel of Rapalas in hand. The steel has been loose from the handle in everyone I've held for 40 years. My favorite knife was a Camillus blade made for Coleman with a black rubber grip I found at Menards some decades years ago. Perfect flex, once honed cut like the eyes of an angry woman. Lost it to pick thieves.
My poly handle Gerber knife almost sings as I fillet. Comes with a sheath and fine sharpening sticks built in. (I wouldn't use those, though)
For less than $20 it can dissect a 5 inch fish, or chop through bones if you're that guy.
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My grandpaa Schrade fillet knife is better than my leach knife which is way overrated
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I agree with don519 the Cutco adjustable fillet knife is the sharpest knife you will ever own. It is worth every penny.
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Thanks for this, thinking of leaving electric behind, my blades are dull and I think I can get more meat with a regular knife. After reading these, I popped for the Cutco. American made and I have had a set of Cutco knives for 30 years that are still fantastic and far better than any other knife I've owned.
Can't wait to get it.
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You can't beat the Cutco lifetime guarantee, plus when they get dull send them back and they will sharpen them free of charge, you just have to pay for shipping.
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Bought a Mr twister electric fillet knife this year after using countless standard knifes, I always have grief to electric knife users..... I was missing out, I get meatier fillets with half the work. I had to eat crow but I'm not cleaning fish manually again.
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I use an electric fillet knife made by American angler, I can clean the filets off the backbone so good you can see light though backbone when I am done. I can also remove the rib bones pretty well.
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Best knife is the one your buddy that is filleting your fish with when you are drinking a beer ::) I like the Rada the best and get the sharpener that goes with it. Will not regret the investment. Best knife I have used. Even use it to cut up deer.
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Use what the pro's use. Dexter Russel Sani-safe 7'' fillet knife is $20 on Amazon and 91% rate it 5 star. It's not a looker but will be a workhorse.
Leach Lake knives are nice, but in my opinion not worth anywhere near the money the are asking. I do like stabilized wood handles as they look cool.
Almost all fillet knives are stainless and very few use the modern powdered super steels or even something like Aus-8. Mora's use the sandvic steel with is basically razor steel. That stuff is pretty decent and it's $20 on Amazon too.
I use an Eagle River Knife Company knife I picked up in Alaska. It was overpriced too from a pure utility standpoint, but it works well.
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I got a case 7" fillet knife for Christmas a few years back, I really like it cause it's sharp and there is flex to it. I also own a cutco but I use that for de boning my deer, for me it's to stiff for filleting. But it's a really nice knife. Case is also made in the USA..
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I like the bubba blade, a little expensive but worth it.
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I use a folding rapala and a fixed blade Kershaw they work well but nothing fancy would like to find a better one
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Love my Wusthof, I think it's the 7" classic. Cuts as good as it feels. Have also been a big fan of the 9" Clauss titanium. Blade stays sharp a long time, good flexibility and easy to use on many different size fish.
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Luv my bubba blade
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Bubba blade
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For the last 30 yrs I used a 6 inch rapala for pan fish....made the move last year to a Mr. twister...the best move Ive ever made .....should have done it years ago. :)
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I have an old, old fiskar (I think) probably got it in the 70's. Not sure if its the best, but it has a plastic sheath with a couple of ceramic sharpeners built right in.
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I have a Schrade(spelling) Uncle Henry don't know how much it cost I have had it for 25+ years. I can say that at the time it was probably in the $ 20.00 range. Couldn't have afforded more back then. Nice sturdy blade with a flexible tip. As long as I don't cut through the rib bones it will keep an edge through a limit of pan fish. The guy asked what others use, well that is what I use.
Keep it safe! JDL
I have two of those, very good knives.. I have the steelhead and walleye sizes..
They can still be bought on eBay, make sure it's an older USA made one...
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Schrade-USA-mint-box-Uncle-Henry-Walleye-168UH-full-tang-fixed-blade-knife-/201739644346?hash=item2ef89eadba%3Ag%3ArY8AAOSwnHZYRXei&_trkparms=pageci%253A77a6dd2c-df54-11e6-b381-74dbd1806454%257Cparentrq%253Abdb4bd471590a60cb72fe216ffd2191d%257Ciid%253A1
<°)))>{
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The best fillet knife is one that is sharp. Learn how to sharpen knives properly, and you'll be set for life.
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The best fillet knife is one that is sharp. Learn how to sharpen knives properly, and you'll be set for life.
What he said!!!!!!!!!!! But I do love my Cutco knife!
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Cutco Fisherman's Solution:
https://www.amazon.com/Cutco-Fishermans-Solution-Black-5721/dp/B000L12KMO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484951589&sr=8-1&keywords=cutco+fisherman%27s+solution+knife
Dave
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I have owned several expensive fillet knives over the years, but somehow I'm always back to the wood handled Rapala knife. Always get the best fillets with it..... although it may be because I have used that knife for hundreds of fish. I do think you get a feel for a certain knife after a while....
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I have two of those, very good knives.. I have the steelhead and walleye sizes..
They can still be bought on eBay, make sure it's an older USA made one...
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Schrade-USA-mint-box-Uncle-Henry-Walleye-168UH-full-tang-fixed-blade-knife-/201739644346?hash=item2ef89eadba%3Ag%3ArY8AAOSwnHZYRXei&_trkparms=pageci%253A77a6dd2c-df54-11e6-b381-74dbd1806454%257Cparentrq%253Abdb4bd471590a60cb72fe216ffd2191d%257Ciid%253A1
<°)))>{
Not sure what mine is. Has a five inch blade. I have a leach lake it is nice and sooo! Pretty! Anyway I use my Uncle Henery for most jobs. I will probably pass it along to one of my grand nephews if I ever get done cleaning gills with it. >:( >:(
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I've got a mister twister electric knife works great on the blue gills I paid 30 for it on Amazon.
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Have had my G 96 knife since 1980. Great knife, better ergonomics than most, good steel also. The handle finally got water in and froze, splitting the handle. Still use it on smaller fish. New knife is far out of that $ range made by Knives of Alaska.
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Good thread fellas.
I've cleaned more bluegills than some of you had boogers!
I've been using Rapala knives for a long time. Cheap, easy to sharpen, and the edge will generally last for 25 panfish. I have 5 of them now. They funny thing is, is that they are all different. Some of the blades are way more stiffer than the others. I prefer the softer blades. My wife uses them almost daily to make meals for the family. I try to give her the stiffer blades, because she's always slicing vegetables on the counter, which dulls them easily. For sharpening them, I use a Presto Eversharp electric knife sharpener. Very quick to get the edge back, and a steel to fine tune it.
My wife always sticks the fillet knifes in the dishwasher, which is fine, until some rotating part hits the tip of one of the knifes, and we now have a slight bend in the blade. For the price I pay for rapala knives, they're hard to beat.
Might try some of the others mentioned here. Thanks again for all the info.
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I had a few of the wooden handeled ones over the years. Good knives! Gave the last one I had to my oldest grand nephew who wanted to start taking care of his own cleaning. He has a ways to go, but likes his knife.
Keep it safe! JDL
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Main things to look for in a "good" knife IMO...
Blade- High carbon stainless, or better..
Full tang-Knife blade runs the entire length..
Not made in China...
Those leech lake knives look like heirlooms for sure, I don't know if I'd want the sharp top side, you guys like that feature?
Never put any knife you like in a dishwasher!, rinse and dry.. I keep mine rinsed off as I clean..
<°)))>{
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Main things to look for in a "good" knife IMO...
Blade- High carbon stainless, or better..
Full tang-Knife blade runs the entire length..
Not made in China...
Those leech lake knives look like heirlooms for sure, I don't know if I'd want the sharp top side, you guys like that feature?
Never put any knife you like in a dishwasher!, rinse and dry.. I keep mine rinsed off as I clean..
<°)))>{
MY Leech Lake knife no longer sports that feature. ;) I did not care for it. After slicing my finger tips the third time (slow learner) the backside of mine, is about the same as the front edge of a butter knife. @)
As for made in China, Things are a bit different in today's world. Quality products are produced in far more countries today than were available 50 years ago. Quality is determined by the specs a product is built too, not the country that it is built in.
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My Dexter Russel knives fillet like a dream and hold an edge extremely well.
I've done everything from 14" trout to 100#+ Halibut with them.
The Finnish made Rapalas are pretty good too. But I wont use anything but my Dexter Russels anymore.
I keep a few handy and razor sharp. Then if doing a large batch of fish if it gets the least bit dull I switch knives. Then later when their clean and I have time I sharpen several at once.
I once did 18 Halibut from 15#-50# without sharpening mine and it was still good to go.
With Salmon they tend to dull a bit quicker so if I have 30+ salmon to do I'll keep a few knives handy so as not to have to stop and sharpen.
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I have never had any problem with a good rapala or fiskars fillet knife, used them in restaurants also for fish and cleaning racks of lamb etc.
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My Dexter Russel knives fillet like a dream and hold an edge extremely well.
I've done everything from 14" trout to 100#+ Halibut with them.
The Finnish made Rapalas are pretty good too. But I wont use anything but my Dexter Russels anymore.
I keep a few handy and razor sharp. Then if doing a large batch of fish if it gets the least bit dull I switch knives. Then later when their clean and I have time I sharpen several at once.
I once did 18 Halibut from 15#-50# without sharpening mine and it was still good to go.
With Salmon they tend to dull a bit quicker so if I have 30+ salmon to do I'll keep a few knives handy so as not to have to stop and sharpen.
You can't beat Dexter Russel knives in terms of price/quality. When someone cleans hundreds of fish a day, that's what you usually find in their hand.
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Get a Leech Lake filet knife. Hands down the best of the best.
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Mora, by far my favorite.
(http://theknifeseller.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Mora-Fishing-Comfort-Fillet-Knife-0.jpg)
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I would agree with the recommendation of the Mora. I bought one last year at this time and have cleaned hundreds of fish with it and even processed a few deer with it. It hasn't even been "sharpened" on a stone yet, only strop it on a leather strop with green compound. (KnivesPlus strop for $23 is awesome) Holds an edge very very well, and the handle is very comfortable. By far my favorite knife! I'd have to say the wooden handled 4" blade (I believe?) are a good second place. Used those until I got the Mora, and now most of my knives are Mora's. Quality steel at great prices!