A nice assortment of blades, cordless, and many other features plays a great role to determine the best electric fillet knife. Many brands like Bubba, Rapala, Dalstrong, etc. offer some nice quality knives for filleting.
Based on your preference and budget, you can go for the electrical and non-electrical knives. I have covered them both but sadly I did not cover any cheap fillet knives in this article.
By all means, you should avoid anything cheap; especially knives for boning and filleting!
Comparison Table For The Best Fillet Knives
| Image | Brand/Model | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Bubba Cordless |
| View On Amazon |
  | American Angler PRO |
| View On Amazon |
  | Shun Cutlery Classic |
| View On Amazon |
  | DALSTRONG |
| View On Amazon |
  | BUBBA |
| View On Amazon |
  | WÜSTHOF Classic |
| View On Amazon |
  | American Angler PRO |
| View On Amazon |
Top 12 Fillet Knives Reviews 2021
There are plenty of them from numerous brands. I carefully curated 12 of them and all of them are high-end models. Apart from expensive knives, I have included some affordable options too.
Bubba Fillet Knife Reviews
I have put it first in my list simply because it is popular and high-end. No one likes to drag the extension cord while filleting. So, you need a cordless and electric fillet knife with insane battery life.
Let’s try to understand how powerful those batteries are. There will be at least 2 bars left even after cleaning up to 80 crappies. And I am talking about only one of the 2 batteries.
What’s the toughest to clean out there?
Definitely, the shark! Well, with the Bubba, you will find it easy to clean, cutting, and steak. The giant trevally, skin that feels like sandpaper, thick albacore tunas – nothing will seem difficult to clean as long as you have something like this.
Many have tried cleaning plenty of catfish, Jobfish with heavy scales, and almost all of them have declared it as the best electric fish fillet knife.
It’s perfect for all types of fish of all sizes. With the bidirectional blades with the serrated edge of multiple sizes like 7” to 12” E-FLEX, filleting will be effortless.
If you have the budget, don’t look any further. It’s just perfect for your heavy ocean use. When high-performance is a must and you have the budget – Bubba fillet knife is your answer.
I will cover a lot of other cordless and corded knives from other prominent brands like Rapala, but this is a way better knife in every way. With flexible blades, noise-free filleting, and comfortable grip – it has already got thousands+ of recommendations.
Key Features
- Multiple blade sizes (dual-rivet blade) and made of high carbon stainless steel for sturdy performance years after years. It weighs only 1.11 pounds.
- Non-slip 8.5 inches’ grip handle with battery life indicator life. Apart from that, there is a trigger guard for extra security. By the way, you will love the ergonomic trigger.
- The rubber grip on the handle is way better than other reputed brands like Rapala electric knife.
- It comes with everything you need like powerful lithium batteries, a premium-quality EVA case, wall charger with 4 blades. Try it on trout, redfish, or large salmon – it’s just perfect!
- Works like a charm to cut regular meat too. In fact, it can slice anything you want including your homemade bread.
- You can sharpen those fillet blades like any serrated blade. You can also buy them separately too.
American Angler PRO
It’s a favorite for the commercial fishermen and strongly recommended for you! To clean your big fishes, you need something you can trust. American Angler PRO is exactly what you need.
Apart from cutting your fish into fillet, you can use this knife for other purposes too. Thanks to its wide selection of blades. You can now cut your Ham, Turkey, meats, and even bread!
A well-made electric blade that has got some serious recommendations from lots of people who love to fish. If you catch and clean a lot of fish, you need to have this to get the job done in no time.
The long narrow blade will make the slicing effortless. They call it the precision instrument and from the wide variety of blades, you can pick the right one for any sort of boning and filleting.
With clean and smooth cuts, it gets the job done FAST! Many have tried many other models but they have found it very comfortable and easy to clean saugeye, crappie, and walleye.
It does not get heat up no matter how big-boned fish you cut and irrespective of the fact that it has plenty of power! You will have greater control while filleting. Try this with saltwater fish, you won’t be disappointed.
Just get the blades locked in place and it will cut anything easily. This is what you need if you smoke a lot of fish. The blades won’t get dull easily but if they do, just push the knife. It will cut nicely.
You get a decent budget and you don’t want your knife to back down from a tight fight – this is exactly what you need. Still, better than Rapala! It lasts longer too!
Key Features:
- The torque is way more than any other heavy-duty EFK. No matter how big bone you will have to deal with, it will cut easily.
- The lifespan is even longer than most other filleting knives.
- It can keep filleting hours after hours without getting hot or the blades getting dull.
- They run cooler hours after hours so that you can fillet
- Compatible with other American Angler replacement blades.
- It comes with all the blades you need with a stainless steel mesh glove.
- Try it for your catfish, perch, and walleye; you will be amazed!
Cons
- Some did not find the handle grip to be comfortable.
Shun Cutlery
No matter how toughest the skin is, the laser-sharp edge of the Shun will slice through effortlessly. You don’t need to put any pressure. Slicing and cutting fish and any type of meat are easy with a shun knife.
Filleting the fish has never been so easier with a Shun knife. It will give you the clean-cut irrespective of the softest skin and hardened bone. Use this to cut rib roast or to trim tenderloins – you will fall in love with!
It may take some time to get used to it but it grows with you and you will find it easy to handle. What more interesting about this is that you can sharpen its blade as easily as any boning knife.
I must re-emphasize it’s sharpness again. If you are new to Shun, I am pretty sure you have never seen such sharpness in a knife before. You must handle it carefully to avoid cutting your finger.
The flexibility and sharpness have exceeded the expectations of many. Without any resistance, it slides through your fish easily. Thanks to its slight curve! And they have priced it very fairly.
It makes filleting and making sushi a matter of snap! Many people use this to trim their meat for BBQ and they find the size and shape of Shun very suitable for this purpose.
For boning and filleting, it’s a wonderful collection for many people. You won’t have any regret having this too. Apart from fishermen, many chefs use this a lot for its precision cutting.
I am sure you have tried many knives already but in terms of sharpness and ease of usage, it’s way better for sure. If you already have a Shun collection, it will go nicely with them.
Key Features:
- Made from Damascus-clad narrow blade from precise and easy cutting. Feels like freshly sharped carbon steel! Highly effective to separate meat from the bone effortlessly.
- The ebony PakkaWood made handle is D-shaped to give you an excellent grip and maximum control.
- It features pure and undisputed VG-MAX steel to retain the sharpness for many days to come. I am talking about Japanese steel here!
- Very agile and won’t back off until it gets the job done. Fish or chicken, does not matter. It’s perfect for boning and filleting.
- A nice cardboard sheath comes with it. No need to buy a separate edge guard.
Cons
- To some, it’s not so flexible!
Dalstrong Fillet Knife [Gladiator Series]
A fillet knife is a must in your kitchen if you love fresh seafood. It’s a premium-quality professional fillet knife that every fisherman should have too. The ultra-thin flexible blade is just great to slice your fishes.
Sure, it’s super sharp as expected but the craftsmanship is simply extraordinary. The handle, the blade – everything is so beautiful to look at. The package itself got huge praise.
It comes with a leather-made sheath which you will love for sure.
If you are using your boning knife for filleting, you don’t know what you are missing. A Dalstrong is what you need in your staple and take your filleting to the next level.
Of course, you have many sharp knives. But if none of them makes filleting easy and effortless – you need the Dalstrong knife with the sharpest blades.
Many have tried Victorinox and Dexter knives to fillet their steelhead and salmon fish. But now they are using the Dalstrong knife because of its razor sharpness.
Sharpening the knife is a breeze too. All it takes a couple of swipes on the steel and you will get a razor sharpness again and again.
Without any hesitation, many veteran chefs have recommended this amazing well-balanced knife. It’s flexible and stiff enough as per your need. With its comfortable handle, the grip is excellent for precise filleting.
You might be surprised knowing many have bought the same Dalstrong many times and they were never disappointed. Their view is still the same till now!
Even after comparing it with German blades after several years of usage, many have confirmed they are no match for the Dalstrong. A highly recommended fillet knife for saltwater fish and freshwater fish.
Key Features:
- Made from German ThyssenKrupp Steel (high carbon = ultra-sharp).
- It features a tapered design for maximum flexibility and hardness.
- Perfectly wear resistance. Thanks to its added chromium!
- Its mirror polished and it features finger protective bolster.
- Low maintenance required. It cleans easily!
- Ergonomic handle shape for great maneuverability and grip (military-grade G10 handle for long durability).
- From freshwater fish to sea fish, it’s perfect to fillet everything.
- For a perfect balance between the maximum resilience and blade sharpness, the edge is hand sharpened to 16-18° per side.
- Very affordable price.
- Perfectly resistant against heat, cold, and moisture. Triple rivet for maximum durability.
Cons
- Not good enough to cut through the bone.
BUBBA Electric Fillet Knife
You have already got a BUBBA fillet knife reviews at first, but along with this, more will come later. The reason is pretty simple. It is designed by the fishermen for the fishermen.
If you have already used the non-electric fillet knife from BUBBA, you know their quality and durability. Well, the electric version is no different.
Even many new BUBBA users have loved it so much. Apart from the fact that it works so well, inserting and removing the blade is very easy. The push trigger is very easy to operate.
They love the 4 blades and the functional case. The smaller blades cut better than most other cheap fillet knives out there. It cuts like butter! The grip is awesome. You will love its craftsmanship.
Some fishermen tried electrical fillet knives from all brands and they have confirmed it beats them all! Many people have become the BUBBA guy simply because they can fillet 30 freshwater fish in a row effortlessly.
BUBBA has more power than other prominent brands. And they can clean up crappie really well. If you fish a lot and you need something dependable, it’s highly recommended.
Although, there is a safety feature to protect the motor where it will quit on you if you try to finish 3 or 5-man limit of walleye. That’s just a safety feature to protect it from overheating.
From professional to newbie, if you have a decent – you can go for it without any hesitation.
Pros & Key Features:
- Outstanding non-slip grip for maximum security and comfort in filleting.
- The handle has a length of 8.5 inches with an awesome grip.
- It comes with 4 blades (both flexible and stiff kind) and an 8 feet long power cord. You can remove those blades to clean them.
- All the blades are made from high carbon stainless steel with incredible sharpness.
- Not just for fish, you can use them for multiple usages like carving your Thanksgiving Turkey!
- For your maximum security, it features a safety lock and trigger guard.
- The motor has incredible torque. It runs on 110 volts. If you need to run it on your boat energy, you will be needing a 300-watt power inverter.
- It comes with a storage case where you can put the blades in the special zippered section.
Cons
- Overheating issues with constant usage. But it does not heat up as bad as most other knives out there.
WÜSTHOF Classic Fillet Knife
How about a German fillet knife? It features PEtec edge technology. So, the sharpness is almost 20% greater than the rest of its counterparts. Well, it’s German technology we are talking about here. So, it’s not cheap and you should have a decent budget.
Apart from being a well-crafted knife, you will have greater control. Besides, many have confirmed that the blade is nothing but laser-sharp. As per too many opinions, it’s evil-sharp!
It can take care of your boning, carving, and filleting like you have never seen before. Not just fish, this precision instrument can take care of your fowl to mammal too!
Any avid fisherman should immediately fall in love with it. No matter what type of fish you are onto (catfish, stripper bass, panfish, etc.), you will love filleting them effortlessly. Not just satisfied, you will be raving about it!
The handle will fit perfectly in your hand and you will have a firm grip while filleting. Slicing and dicing will seem to be a piece of cake. It’s so flexible for filleting!
How many times does it take to fillet 25 seabass? Whereas other knives will take more or less 20 minutes, this little beast can fillet them in less than 5 minutes!
Apart from fish of any type, it can cut meats and chicken breasts like butter! Very fast and smooth slicing! The balance is just perfect. You simply can’t go wrong with the Wusthof knife.
Bite the bullet, go for it! You won’t regret it at all! It will change your boning experience completely that you call yourself filleting with greater sharpness and flexibility.
Key Features:
- The classic series from the WÜSTHOF is best-selling from generation after generation.
- Full tang 7” laser-sharp thin knife (from tip to the bolster). The blade is made from a single block of high carbon stainless steel. You will find the flexible blade perfect for deboning and filleting highly precise and FAST.
- The blade has 14 degrees sharpened angle. From large to small fish, it’s just perfect!
- No corrosion or dulling for many years to come!
- Removing the fish’s skin has never been so easy either. Thanks to its thin blade that enables moving the knife smoothly along the backbone of the fish you are filleting!
- No fading or discolorations for many years to come. Thanks to its triple-riveted handles.
- It comes with a leather sheath. A must-have knife for professional fishermen and even for your kitchen!
- The little sharpening tool that comes with it works great too.
American Angler PRO Electric Fillet Knife
You need something to fillet your trout, catfish, bass, and perch effortlessly. The electric version knife from the American Angler PRO is what you need. It’s no match for any manual fillet knife. I believe you have already guessed it.
It’s very flexible, so there is no chance of wasting any fish while filleting. It’s comfortable to hold and it does not make any awful noise; very quiet!
Don’t be surprised if you see many people review it how ridiculously awesome it performs. If you try to clean any tougher redfish, it won’t even checkup when going to the thick ribs. You can outperform your fishermen buddies as you have never seen before!
Cleaning a big fish requires huge power. It has the awesome torque and power to clean any fish you might catch. Many have confirmed it works better than other brands filleting big fishes. And that includes both the saltwater and freshwater fish.
The blade eject button is awesome and you should not have any trouble removing the blade for cleaning and sharpening purposes. The sharp tip is also great to take out the ribs.
You will love your work and take pride in filleting your fish with this powerful electric fillet knife. Your bass fishing or whatever you are onto will be much more effortless.
Not just for its great quality, it’s durable too. So, of course, the price is a little steep; but depending on how well it performs – it worth every penny!
Key Features
- Don’t worry about any big bones when you have the American Angler PRO. It has 2X more torque just to deal with such hard nut to crack stuff. The torque is simply unmatched and you will feel the torque!
- Even after continuous filleting for hours, it will still remain cool and won’t heat up. Thanks to its advanced airflow design!
- It features a safety lock (orange button). You will find it on the side of the trigger button. Pushing it left and right will allow the trigger button to activate and deactivate.
- The blade is compatible with other American Angler series. For example, it is compatible with the 8-inch curved replacement blade & 8-inch curved replacement shark blade of the same brand.
- Long cord.
- It provides a reciprocating 2-blade action for greater maneuverability and precision.
Cons
- Steep price. But you do not want any cheap EFK. The blade will get dull and they will get overheat easily.
Bubba Tapered Flex Fillet Knife
This is the last BUBBA fillet knife review. I have covered it so many times simply because the brand is great and highly popular among fishermen and chefs. And if you are none of them professionally, you should still have it for your kitchen at least.
People who are onto offshore fishing a lot, you need a bigger knife that can hold on edge for longer. BUBBA is notorious just for that cause! The blade is extremely sharp and the handle is non-slip.
You may not find it as flexible as Rapala fillet knives, but you will be surprised how well it performs filleting and even skinning. Besides, it flexible enough to cut boneless fillets.
If you are suffering from processing your catfish or any seawater fish with your cheap knife, it will be a huge improvement for you! Do not deprive yourself.
From bass to big salmon (you can try up to 20 to 30-pound big fish), the edge is just great. In fact, the edge is much better than most other expensive brands.
Most of the time, you won’t be needing to use any saw too. Yes, it’s that sharp! Do not settle for a ‘lesser’ knife. It will be with you for so many years to come. Settle for the best only.
In a nutshell, this is what you need for your next fishing season. You do not want your knife to give up after trying a few filleting! So, you need something professional. You need a BUBBA!
Key Features
- Total length of the knife is 15 inches with 9 inches long blade.
- The blade is too sharp and super slim to offer you greater & effortless maneuvering. It’s awesome to remove meat without any loss. The blade is completely rust-resistant too.
- It features all the flex you need. From stiff to ultra-flex, it features tapered flex too.
- You should use any honing stone to sharpen the blade. The same brand offers such honing stone too. You can sharpen it to 20-25deg.
- Greater flexibility to pluck bones.
- Trigger grip for added security. Non-slip grip for your maximum control while filleting.
- You can use the knife for venison too.
- It comes with a sheath to store and carry it wherever you go.
Cons
- Some found the textured grip hard to clean (if you allow the fish slime and guts to dry on the handle).
Outdoor Edge ReelFlex
It’s perfect for filleting and boning. More so, you can cut and trim all types of fish, meats, and even veggies! With razor-sharp edges, you will get precise cuts always. Not only for outdoors, but it’s also a perfect addition for your kitchen too.
You do not need anything else if you buy this. It’s a complete package. You will get 3 different knifes perfect for filleting any type of fish with greater flexibility, a sharpener, and a case. Yes, this is the last set you will even need to buy!
3 sets of knives are all you need for your filleting and skinning. The carry case is really convenient and holds everything nicely.
But there is a problem with the case. Many have confirmed that it’s poorly executed. Water can fill it up pretty bad or worse – the blood of your fish!
However, if you can ignore this problem, it’s still a good idea to have it.
Along with the laser sharpness and good grip on the handle, its sharpener works like a charm too. Just run your knife through the side of the sharpener a few times and the sharp edges will simply make you ‘wow’.
It’s very budget-friendly and already made huge fans. They are happy and recommend it to anyone without any reservations. Highly recommended for you by professional fishermen.
Key Features
- The length of the 3 sets of fillet knives is 6″, 7.5″ and 9.5″. The blades are made from German stainless steel. All of them are just perfect to get the toughest fillet job effortlessly.
- Apart from fish fillets, they work nicely on meat and steak.
- Perfectly corrosion-resistant and edge retention is excellent.
- Features an ergonomic non-slip handle.
- It comes with a ceramic/carbide sharpener.
- You will love the rugged case for storing knives.
Cons
- You need to keep sharpening the blade almost every time. Also, the sharpener becomes useless within weeks.
- Water/blood easily gets into the case. It will take several days to dry it up.
Regalia Knives
It’s not a cheap fillet knife but it won’t break your bank account either. It’s the perfect balance where you can get the perfect razor-sharp fillet and boning knife that won’t feel like stealing your money.
After comparing it to the expensive knives like Shun and Global or cheap models like Victorinox, many have come to the conclusion that it’s simply unbeatable!
Upon receiving the package, you will be impressed. The craftsmanship is really praiseworthy. Many have fallen in love with the Damascus patterns. A great gift item indeed!
Right out of the box, it’s razor-sharp. Apart from sharpness, it’s as pointy as a needle. Your fish will run for life seeing it coming! You must be careful while handling it.
Not just for fish filleting, you can use it as a bread knife too. Women love this knife too for their smaller hands. The round handle feels amazing in their hand!
You will love the absolute razor sharpness of the blades. Everything cuts like butter! The smooth rounded profile on the handle offers you a great grip. The blade has a slight curve profile to make rock chopping a breeze.
What you will love most is the customer service of the company. You can send it to them for sharpening anytime you want.
Key Features
- Made from Japanese super steel for maximum edge retention and flexibility. No chance of chipping or dulling! Full-tang for the highest durability.
- Pure Damascus cladding and beauty. Forget about rusting or corrosion. It’s your ultimate beautiful but the toughest workhorse in your arsenal.
- In between the strength and semi-flexibility, it’s just perfectly balanced. Thanks to its 2.0 thickness at the spine!
- The thin and sharp blade separates the skin and meat from the bone like butter.
- Evil sharp. Unless you are careful, you will cut yourself! The curved edge with vicious sharpness is exactly what you need for skinning, slicing, and trimming.
- It features a rounded handle with a pinch-grip bolster. It’s totally immune to heat, cold, and even moisture.
- For ultimate toughness, it’s triple-riveted.
- If you need to buy any sharpener, go for the Whetstone sharpening.
Cons
- It’s a semi-stiff knife and not as curved/bendy as a fillet knife for skinning and fishing.
- The handle is a little smaller for big hands. Bad grip for big boys!
Dexter Russell Fillet Knives
If you need something within your budget and that is extremely sharp right out of the box and that cuts like butter, consider having the Dexter Russell fillet knife. If you are a BBQ person, you will love it. It’s just perfect to trim a Brisket!
It’s the Sani-Safe series from the Dexter Russell brand which is renowned for everything better. The nice curve of the knife will allow you to cut away fat and skin effortlessly.
The handle is designed in a way to keep it comfy and sealed so that no germs can live there.
However, it’s much stiffer than a traditional fish boning knife. That is the reason why it’s so good for trimming Turkey breast from the rib case. If you compare it with your traditional kitchen knife, it has more flex than them.
A game-changer if you need to work with meat too often. With a great grip and super sharp edge, it’s just perfect to cut everything! In fact, you will feel great just holding it in your hand.
For your general-purpose slicing and boning, this will be your favorite go-to knife. The thin & curved blade is just great to separate layers. For your jerky, you can cut thin slices easily.
You will find the semi-flexible blade convenient enough to sharpen. Get a Whetstone to keep it sharp always. It’s very easy to clean when you are done slicing too.
Key Features
- 6” blade length and it is made from high-carbon steel to make it notoriously sharp. The tapered blade comes with a precision point.
- The length of the blade is just perfect to trim off the fat cap.
- From chickens to pork, you will find it convenient clean to turtles and deer too. You will find it even better than your Wusthofs and Henckels knives.
- Sealed handle (Grip-tex) to keep it clean. The well-textured grip will never get slippery even in a greasy hand.
- Keeping it sharp is easy. Just run it through the side of a Whetstone whenever it gets dull.
- All the famous BBQ houses use this knife.
Cons
- Not suitable for you if you plan to use it for filleting purposes only.
Rapala Heavy Duty Fillet Knife
All the big fishes come with bigger and tougher rib bones. If any knife can cut such rib bones effortlessly, that’s a good one. This one from Rapala is exactly that kind of knife to fillet bigger fishes.
The ergonomic large handle, longer cord, and fast-moving super-sharp blades have made it an ideal filleting knife. It’s even better than most other cheap electrical fillet knives. It will simply smoke the others inter terms of power and speed. After filleting thousands of fishes, people have come to that conclusion!
If you have a grudge against any electrical knives, give this a try. Many avid fishermen have changed their view towards them.
The handle is just perfect and it fits like a glove. The super-sharp blades are fascinating. In a word, you will love this little monster.
It can cut right through the backbone of the bigger fishes. Cleaning up the tough scales from the red fishes will seem like a breeze. Yes, it’s that good!
You must go slow at first if using an electrical knife is a first time experience yourself. You do not want to cut yourself, right? Make sure to use a light touch for smooth filleting.
Applying too much pressure will cut right through the skin and bone of the fish.
What makes a better fillet knife depends on how well it can cut through the rib bones. And it does it pretty well! But it will take some time to get used to it.
If cleaning a lot of fish is what you, you need something that cuts FAST and that holds up well for the bigger fishes. After comparing it with other comprehensive models, many have concluded it’s way much better than them.
It can fillet a fish within minutes! Catfish filleting won’t seem any drudgery at all. So, if you notice a lot of fishermen are lauding about it, don’t be surprised. They are not exaggerating at all.
Key Features
- Reciprocating blades of 7.5-inches length. And yes, it’s dishwasher safe too. A must-have blade for FAST filleting seawater and freshwater fishes.
- Long-lasting motor that runs very quietly. 110 volts’ electricity compatible.
- Apart from filleting fish, you use the same for slicing bread, cheese, and brisket too.
- Replacement blades are available for separate buying as well.
How To Get The Best Electric Fish Fillet Knife?
There is no single brand to trust, there are plenty of them who offer high-quality fillet knives. You have seen it above from my reviews. Another great way to get the right one is to trust someone else recommendation.
But if you are on your own, I would strongly recommend considering the following factors before you make up your mind:
- Electric Vs. Non-electric
If you are a professional or you have to fillet a lot of fish too frequently, you should go for the electric fillet knife. Yes, they are costly, but worth every penny.
If you have a decent budget and you are about to get an electric model, try to get the cordless model. You will have greater control while filleting.
- The Right Size
The length of any such knife can be as long as 4 to 9 inches. Depending on the fish you are about to fillet, you need to choose the blade wisely. If you are dealing with bigger fishes, you need a bigger blade and vice versa.
You need a smaller blade to fillet smaller fishes for easy handling. A 6-inch blade will be ideal for any panfish (crappie, perch, and bluegills). You need a 7.5-inch blade to fillet trout of smaller to medium in size.
But if you are dealing with a bigger salmon or other types of bigger fish, you need a 9-inch blade.
Luckily, most brands offer several blades with their knife. I strongly recommend the HUBBA for this purpose as they offer several blades with their electrical knives.
- Blade Material
All the blades of any fillet knife are made from stainless steel. But the problem is there are many kinds of stainless steel and not all brands reveal that information.
So, you have to consider whether it is made from a single block of stainless steel or not. That stainless steel should be corrosion resistant, extremely durable, and strong.
It may sound lame but read such information from the product description. If not available, ask the seller about this vital information.
- Flex Vs. Stiff
There should be ample flex in the blade when it comes to optimum slicing and cutting. This is a critical part to consider while choosing the right fillet knife.
If the blade is thicker, it will have lesser flex. These blades are still great to fillet larger fishes. But if your blade size is small to fillet smaller fishes, you need more flexibility.
All the brands reveal how much thinner their blades are. So, read that information carefully too.
- Knife Handle
It has to be non-slip and you should have a comfortable and strong grip for effortless filleting. If you need a greater grip on the handle, you should choose the handle made of rubber.
This is an important factor to consider for every angler. A well-constructed handle allows the angler to filler effortlessly and comfortably. Don’t be disappointed if you see the handle is made of plastic material.
The days of the wooden handle are gone.
- Knife Sheath
All the fillet knife comes with a sheath to easy carrying and storing. It has multiple great usages like you can attach it with your belt on you are on the boat. A sheath is a must to prevent injuries too.
- Sharpening Stone
Though not quickly, the blades getting dull eventually. So, you must clean your knife after filleting and sharpen them when needed. Most branded knives come with a honing stone so that you can sharpen as per your need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are boning and fillet knives the same?
Answer: No. If you are an avid fisherman, you can’t use a boning knife for filleting fish. Boning knives are mainly for meat while filleting knife is mainly for filleting fishes.
What size fish fillet knife is best?
Answer: A 6-inch knife is the best to fillet your fishes. That’s especially true for freshwater fish. Also, a thin blade will work better for this purpose.
How flexible should a fillet knife be?
Answer: All the filleting knives should as thin as 2.5–3.5 mm at the spine at least. That’s what makes them so flexible! So, yes, it has to flex and bend while maintaining the edge.
What angle do you sharpen a fillet knife?
Answer: At 18 to 21 degrees’ angle, you should sharpen your knife. The manual from the manufacturer should mention it clearly.
Can you fillet with a boning knife?
Answer: Of course, you can! But it’s not ideal or effective if you have to fillet a lot of fish daily. You will never get the same result.
Conclusion
Don’t settle for the cheap knife for filleting even if you don’t need a professional reason. You want to achieve precision effortlessly, you need the best fillet knife for saltwater fish. If you ask me, I would go for the Bubba or Rapala.
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