What is a real good brand? I have always used Rapalas but can't keep them sharp anymore. Looking for a good 8 inch that I can get sharp and it stay sharp. I always have a steel or a ceramic rod to touch them up as I use them.

Buck Silver Creek is a nice knife for fileting. IMO you have one of the best right now. I have 3 of the Rapalas/Finland and are as good as they get.

I got a rapala at Walmart last which came with a sharpener $10 used it skinning fur stayed sharp. You can get a real decent J.A. Heckle at target that won't break the bank.

Dexter Russel, I’ve cleaned around 100,000 fish just in the past 2 years with the two knifes I have now. An 7 in to take em off the sides and a 8 to take the skin off, little more flex in the 8, I’ve worn a thumb groove on the top of the handle of one lol. Knifes are strong steel, I just use the accu sharp quick sharpen things and they cut like butter every time. There only like $15

Dexter or Victorinox

One of these rides in my pocket daily.

https://www.opinel-usa.com/pocket-knives...binga-slim-line

I'll also vouch for both Dexter and Victorinox. I have Dexter filet knives in the truck and the Victorinox little Vicky serrated paring knives.
If I have a lot of cutting to do I go for the fixed blades but that opinel is always available to hand and nearly the equal of a good fixed blade.

Cutco, fisherman's friend, not cheap but good

You can pay more, but probably not buy a better filet knife than the Rapala. I have been using Rapala filet knives for about 45 years and have filleted thousands of fish, butchered turtles small game and big game, and skinned thousands of critters. They work great.

There may be a better blade design for other purposes, but if I could only have one knife for the rest of my life, a Rapala 6” filet knife would definitely ne in the final running.

I also have other filet knives that are great, but not necessarily better than the Rapala. Western brand with rosewood handle is excellent. Also a Skyblade custom filet knife made for me to my specs.

I really like fine knives, but knives are similar to cameras - the best knife is the one that you have with you at the moment.

The electric knives in the kitchen section at Walmart are cheaper than the electric fillet knives in the fishing section.

Once you get the hang of the electric, you'll never go back to traditional.


You can't beat rapala when it comes to traditional fillet knives.

rapala

If you have had your Rapala knife for a long time and have not used a stone to sharpen it, perhaps you have lost the bevel. If the bevel is too steep, it will not stay sharp. I don't think there is a thing wrong with your knife, except the blade needs some attention.

cutco also makes a boning knife that is nothing more than a stiff fillet knife i really like.rapala's are awesome also.

Dunn. My buddy used mine to fillet a couple salmon and a stealhead. He came back and told me how much easier it was with that knife. Not the easiest to sharpen (S30V) but holds an edges for quite some time.

Dexter, easy to sharpen and stays sharp..inexpensive to boot!

I have a few of them but wind up using the Rapala the most.

I was gifted a cutco and that thing is slick.
adjustable length, sharp out of the box and touches up quick and easy too

I prefer the old USA made uncle henry #167 and #168. Older Normarks and Leech Lake knives are good too.

Of what I’ve observed over the years the majority of recreational guys are all rapala or some other brand like that that they’ve had for decades but nearly every commercial guy will have a white handle knife, dexter. If that says anything

Just about any brand Electric for me, except for the big Salmon. I can roll threw 50 panfish in no time at all!

Read the back of the package and avoid the Chinese Rap's and stick with the originals.

That is the key IMO. Accept no substitute...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/AccuSharp-Knife-and-Tool-Sharpener/16661762

My office



You gotta clean a lot of fish to wear a thumb print in a knife lol

PM me your address and I'll send you 1 of each, skinner and fillet, off my website.

I quite like a Deba for small to medium size fish ..... thats 1 to 20 pounds. I also find myself just using my chef knife a lot of the time. Here is the disclaimer though. all my knives are sharp. No matter what you use, if it ain't sharp, its not going to work well. I have shown some hobby fishing guys that I can filet a fish better and faster with the forest axe I carry in the truck then they can with their fancy fillet knives. Because a lot of those folks cant sharpen a knife. I see that here most days at the fish cleaning station in the marina. I should offer a knife sharpening service i guess

I have had one these knives since the 80's and the other for about ten years. I think I have worn through the "good" steel. I keep them plenty sharp at the right bevel, they just won't stay sharp like they used to. I also have a rapala that I bought 2-3 years ago. It has never stayed sharp like the others did.

I will try the dexter knives. If I can find one locally I will try the victronix, or however you spell it. I have a set of those for butchering deer and they are great knives. Never tried thier fillet knives though.

I don't like super flexible fillet knives. I like the Victorinox 40630 12" cimeter knife.

Electric fillet knife is great for production work when I come home from Lake Erie with a bunch of walleyes and perch.

In the electrics, I prefer the Rapala cordless rechargeable, then the Rapala kit set up for both 12volt and 110, then the mister twister 110 volt model. The Rapala blades have a better shape and are sharper.

After using the electric, I clean up and split the fillets with a regular fillet knife.

A fillet knife is perfect to remove the breast meat from Canada geese and wild turkeys.

What scuba said about sharp knives. I bought a bass pro brand knife a while back. No clue who makes it. I really like it. Non slip rubbery handle. Lots better than wood or hard plastic. Blade is black not shiny. Was sharp when I got it. Didn't take much to get it truly sharp. I've cleaned a lot of fish with it and so far only touched it up with a butchers steel. Haven't had to resharpen it.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-xps-professional-grade-fillet-knife

I bought the 9 inch one

Broke down and bought a new one this morning, sending ole faithful to the retirement home today. Best $13 investment you could ever make. New one on the left, old one on the right, same style knife

I sure like dexter russel poultry knives for pelting. They make one now with a blaze orange handle for when you leave it on the side of your pick up bed after pelting a coyote. Makes it lot easier to find it again. You can do a LOT of pelting with one just touching up with a butchers steel before they need resharpened on a stone.

Yah I like those too, I use the serrated pelter quite a bit

Those two Dexter Russell knives shown a few spots up are about all we ever used when I helped at a fish cleaning operation. We also had some serated Dexter that was 14 inches that we used to steak wahoo and king mackeral.

Sharpened ours with an F.Dick hypdrsteel. Anout once every two weeks the bose would hit the knives with the electric sharpener to restore the hollow grind edges.

Schrade...
https://www.knifecountryusa.com/store/pr...ASABEgJBRvD_BwE


I think this discussion can on & on as other personal choice threads about good boots, decent rain gear, best flesh'n knife and so on. Fillet knife opinions will vary. Holding an edge, length, comfortable in hand, price is personal choice.

That Schrade/Uncle Henry is my all time favorite, although it will be hard to find an American made one for $20 anymore. Glad I have enough of them to last me and my kids lifetimes.

ive got an old made in America shrade fillet knife. wont hold an edge at all.

Thats weird, I have bought and sold/gifted more than 50 of them over the years and never had a problem sharpening them,or with edge holding ability. If it hasnt been destroyed by a grinder or worksharp belt sander you can quite easily sell them- lots of people want them.

Check out the bubba blades,they are awesome.