Knife discussion

[BoatGuy]

I know we all focus on rods, reels, lures. But I just learned a lot for Leprechaun. My favorite and go to knife has always been my Vintage Rapala J Marttiini Finland Filet Knife which is 14". I also have a Dexter 2333-9.

I wanted to buy a present for my daughter fiancé and Leprechaun mentioned ICEL fillet knives from Portugal and the Cold Steel knife.

He also mentioned diamond honing steel and/or ceramic rod. I have used a steel rod which I never thought was much use. I am thinking of adding a serrated knife to my collection. They seem to help with fish with tough scales like Porgy.

How many knives do you have? Do you use diamond honing steel and/or ceramic rods?

 

[pequa1]

May take longer but if I really want a good edge a whetstone has been best for me. For just getting through a few more fish I just use the v shaped ceramic thing. I agree re: the steel rod. Waste of money.

 

[Leprechaun]

How many knives do you have? Do you use diamond honing steel and/or ceramic rods?

Too many. And yes, as I said in our PM exchange. I would recommend keeping the steel hone in the kitchen, as its purpose is to straighten up a slightly bent cutting edge, it's really not a sharpening tool.

Here's the Dexter serrated knife I like for the starter cuts on all fish. It's the S156SC and mine's in bright red, which hopefully cuts back on the "knife overboard" issue. The handle is slightly smaller than the average Dexter Sani-Safe, which I like for this application.

SANI-SAFE® 6″ Scalloped Utility Knife S156SC-PCP | Dexter Russell – Dexter-Russell

The Dexter SANI_SAFE Scalloped Utility Knife is a sharp kitchen knife with a scalloped edge perfect for cutting tough foods

dexter1818.com

This is a smaller knife than the big 8 and 10" serrated knives that Dexter sells, which are great for chunking bunker and such tasks. I own and like one of those too, just not great for this task.

You can see it in my hand here. It's my original black-handle version. It was lost at sea under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Since replaced with a red version, as above:

Here's the 10" Dexter diamond hone that I use.

Dexter Russell Cutlery | Diamond Sharpeners

Dexter Russell Sharpeners are the go-to sharpeners for knives. Every stroke on a Dexter Sharpener will give you an unbelievably sharp blade and the Honing Rods will keep your knives sharp for years.

www.dexterrussellcutlery.com

Its expense at $65, but like with everything else in this sport, "Buy Once, Cry Once." I've had mine for seemingly forever - has to be 25+ years. Still retains its impregnated diamond grit, unlike the bootleg "Chinesium" version that a friend proudly showed me, that lasted a single season. By November it was glass smooth, no more "diamond grit" or whatever the Chinese coated it with. Money wasted, in my opinion.

Next, here's the Messermeister ceramic hone that I use. After the diamond hone I give the knife a few passes on this and it becomes sharp enough to literally shave the hair off your arm. This tool never hits the fillet table, as its pure ceramic and therefore brittle. It stays in my "knife box" in the truck. But if you want a razor edge without the drama and mess of using whetstones, this is the way to go.

1200 Grit Ceramic Sharpening Rod - 10"

The 1200 grit ceramic sharpening rod from Messermeister is a break-resistant solid core rod that has a comfortable, soft-touch handle with hang ring.

www.messermeister.com

What I NEVER use is those dopey "pull-thru" sharpeners, as they remove too much metal from the blade for my liking. I know, I know, they are VERY popular. Yeah great, I don't care. Just a gentle honing as above with those tools and my knives are razor sharp. If you have a ton of fish to clean (I should be so lucky), then a pass or two on the diamond hone during the cutting process gets it back to my standard of sharpness.

Two other items worth considering. First is a good cut-proof glove for your other hand. I like the Dexter version, but there's plenty of others out there, either Kevlar woven, or with intertwined stainless steel. The Dexter retails for about $40, however if you look on "EPray" or AliExpress, similar gloves are available for just a few bux. Be aware that these Chinese-made gloves will wear small, get one size larger than you think you need.

SSG1-L Sani-Safe cut resistant size large

Dexter makes the highest level cut resistant gloves

dexteroutdoors.com

Don't make a dumb mistake, like I've done, more than once. Save yourself a trip to Urgent Care for stitches, as I had to take, a few months back. Done with my kitchen Deba, spatchcocking a nice, fresh chicken. Strangely, I felt almost no pain, and very little bleeding as well. But it's just not good to be able to look at the inside your hand. Six stitches to close this one up. And not the first time I've done this, either. What can I say, I'm a slow learner. Be better than me.

Very last point, once you get a nice sharp edge on your knife, I strongly suggest buying some inexpensive blade protectors, particularly if you store a bunch of them together, as I do, in my truck. I like these, and they are cheap.

Here's a five piece set for only $15. Money well-spent, if you care about your tools, that is.

Chef Gear 5pc Knife Edge Guard Sets - Ergo Chef Knives

Chef Gear 5pc Black Knife Edge Guards fit the 5 most common knives from 3" paring to an 8" Chef knife. Made from durable ABS.

ergochef.com

 

[Crabman]

Wow Lep, that's a nasty one. What were your first words? Hopefully no connective tissue was involved.

Too many here too. I'm a Dexter guy. I love them and don't mind the carbon steel blades along with stainless. I have them all. Clam knives, oyster knives, serrated, filet, boning, diamond grit sharpener, etc. Quality knives that you can depend on. I learned the hard way with an off brand oyster knife while visiting a friend. It was one of those knockoff Sani Safe looking Dexters. It was all he had. I told him next time spend a few dollars more and get a Dexter. I didn't expect what happened next. I usually open an oyster through the hinge. Get the tip in an give it a twist and pop, the shell is open. This knife went into the hinge but when I twisted it, the blade snapped and unfortunately an inch and a half leftover blade went into my palm to the handle. It looked surreal for a moment as I pulled it out. Then reality set in as it erupted. Seems my reaction is always the same. I close my hand, say OH SHIT and put it under my arm pit. Kind of out of sight, out of mind. That was the last borrowed oyster knife unless it says, Dexter.

I just got a new Dexter Dextreme. Can't wait to give it a try. When I filet, I always have a serrated knife and depending on the fish either a thin soft filet blade or a boning knife. I use the serrated blade for initial cuts through the skin so I don't dull my straight edge knife. The Dextreme will be used on certain fish. It's a cool looking knife that I'm itching to give it try. Do I need it, no, but there was room in the drawer and it was a new Dexter.

 

[captmike28]

Wow Lep, that's a nasty one. What were your first words? Hopefully no connective tissue was involved.

Too many here too. I'm a Dexter guy. I love them and don't mind the carbon steel blades along with stainless. I have them all. Clam knives, oyster knives, serrated, filet, boning, diamond grit sharpener, etc. Quality knives that you can depend on. I learned the hard way with an off brand oyster knife while visiting a friend. It was one of those knockoff Sani Safe looking Dexters. It was all he had. I told him next time spend a few dollars more and get a Dexter. I didn't expect what happened next. I usually open an oyster through the hinge. Get the tip in an give it a twist and pop, the shell is open. This knife went into the hinge but when I twisted it, the blade snapped and unfortunately an inch and a half leftover blade went into my palm to the handle. It looked surreal for a moment as I pulled it out. Then reality set in as it erupted. Seems my reaction is always the same. I close my hand, say OH SHIT and put it under my arm pit. Kind of out of sight, out of mind. That was the last borrowed oyster knife unless it says, Dexter.

I just got a new Dexter Dextreme. Can't wait to give it a try. When I filet, I always have a serrated knife and depending on the fish either a thin soft filet blade or a boning knife. I use the serrated blade for initial cuts through the skin so I don't dull my straight edge knife. The Dextreme will be used on certain fish. It's a cool looking knife that I'm itching to give it try. Do I need it, no, but there was room in the drawer and it was a new Dexter.
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That is a very impressive collection you have Crabman! I also love the names on the handles of some, perhaps to warn others to stay away from your more preferred models?

I cannot deny the excellent performance, value, and longevity of most of Dexter's products. I also own and regularly use them in many different fishing situations. And as far as a good sharpening system, I completely agree with Lep's recommendations.

However, I also believe that filet knives are a lot like fishing rods and reels. Based upon your own physical characteristics, hand size, shape, etc. some just feel a lot better in your hand than others. Obviously, the best handle in the world will not make up for a poorly constructed blade, but I do have a favorite that I have used for decades and is still my "go to" filet knife.

Over 35 years ago a friend bought me the Cutco Fisherman's Solution and I still use it to this day. Again, everyone's hand shape and size is different but I have yet to find another handle that feels as comfortable and provides as sure a grip with wet slimy hands as this knife. Another bonus is the adjustable length allowing you to go from a 6" to a 9" length with a very secure cam lock system. Some feel it cannot take as sharp an edge as a true carbon steel blade but with its 440A High Carbon Stainless Steel blade I find the edge is more than sufficient in all cases. Plus, it does resist rusting much better than any all-carbon blade will. The beautiful sheath provided also has several functions. as an added feature.

While this product is not cheap at $125, I consider it a lifetime investment. Plus. at the end of each season, I send the blade back to Cutco and for $10 they send me a brand-new replacement each year. When I think about the extremely heavy use my knife gets while running my charter business, I certainly think it is worth consideration if you have the budget.

Regardless of my long relationship with this particular filet knife, I am still a "knife junkie" and am really intrigued by the new Dexter Dextreme. Hmm, I have a birthday coming up in a few months; time to start dropping some hints!

 

[BennyV]

I grew up using the old style wood handle Dexters back in my days working Partyboats out of City Island. The problem is the new ones aren’t made of the same steel and they rust.

Somewhere along the line I picked up a Bubba Blade. I must say I enjoy it a lot. Holds an edge better, great handle, and comes with a sheath. I even picked up a serrated model for filleting buckets of porgies (no sharpening needed).

For a sharpener I recommend the Accursharp notch sharpener - $12 on Amazon. I was a big stone guy, but you just can’t find the old big ones anymore and if you do they are nothing great.

I do wear a glove on my hand that is holding the fish. It is just a basic cotton, mesh glove. I get them for 1 pair for $1 at Jack’s. They work well for grip, are disposable, and when wet offer decent cut protection.

I tend to look for the path of least resistance and a better option since the name of the game was volume. A lot of customers on the boat & hopefully a lot of fish.

 

[pequa1]

I have been using the Cutco knife since I bought it from a friend's son who the year before, sold us our kitchen block full of Cutco knives while a college freshman in 2001. It was the equivalent of the college age door to door encyclopedia salesman although we did the supermarket Funk and Wagnalls back then ! Inexplicably it broke at the handle about 12 years ago. I had stabbed downward to begin a cut. I don't recall if I had to send the broken one back, but within a few days got a brand new one in the mail, along with another belt sheath, all free. I use the second sheath for a cheaper knife when I surfcast. For smaller fish, like the three snappers too big to liveline, I still use a folding "The Traveler", a Chicago Cutlery knife. Both are REALLY sharp and hold the edge a looooong time, or maybe its because I just don't catch and keep as many anymore, lol.

 

[Crabman]

That is a very impressive collection you have Crabman! I also love the names on the handles of some, perhaps to warn others to stay away from your more preferred models?

Actually, all mine. My downeast boat was named "Elizabeth". While on chunking trip, some of my crew brought their own knives. To distinguish whose knife, is whose and to stop knife loss, I put the boat name on the handle. When I sold the boat, I changed to putting my name on the handle.

That Cutco Fisherman's Solution knife has a very cool blade extension. Is the blade locked in tight when extended. Part of my Dexter collection is due to the different blade lengths and blade stiffness I like for cutting different fish. Plus, when we cut fish, some guys mignt not bring a knife or they don't have a specific knife for the job such as shucking scallops. Cutco seems to have blade length covered. Cutco's blade replacement is a great incentive to buying an expensive knife.

Scallop shucking on the "Elizabeth".

 

[Snapprhead27]

I'm embarrassed to say with all the fishing I've done since being a little kid, I never tried to Filet a fish. All my fishing is done on party/ charter boats.

 

[pequa1]

I'm embarrassed to say with all the fishing I've done since being a little kid, I never tried to Filet a fish. All my fishing is done on party/ charter boats.

LOL. I am not sure I would have been as brave to admit that ! I have never been on a party or charter boat except to interview as a reference the Captree skipper of a mate who needed a TS for the USN. But you have missed out on the challenge of locating the fish yourself.

 

[Snapprhead27]

LOL. I am not sure I would have been as brave to admit that ! I have never been on a party or charter boat except to interview as a reference the Captree skipper of a mate who needed a TS for the USN. But you have missed out on the challenge of locating the fish yourself.

It's all good. I've gotten to the point in life that I don't let what people think bother me.

 

[Crabman]

It's all good. I've gotten to the point in life that I don't let what people think bother me.

Snapper, you are missing out on some of the fun by not cutting your own fish. I truly love getting back to the dock with the guys lined up cleaning fish. I have friends that a pros and I have friends that absolutely should not be allowed to touch a knife and a fish at the same time. I was lucky as a kid and might have cleaned your fish while I was working as the lowly last mate on Capt. George Roman's Captree Queen. You learn fast as the passengers squawk if you miss meat during the filet process. Tips were also a motivator.

 

[Snapprhead27]

Snapper, you are missing out on some of the fun by not cutting your own fish. I truly love getting back to the dock with the guys lined up cleaning fish. I have friends that a pros and I have friends that absolutely should not be allowed to touch a knife and a fish at the same time. I was lucky as a kid and might have cleaned your fish while I was working as the lowly last mate on Capt. George Roman's Captree Queen. You learn fast as the passengers squawk if you miss meat during the filet process. Tips were also a motivator.

Captree Queen was way before my time.

 

[Snapprhead27]

Snapper, you are missing out on some of the fun by not cutting your own fish. I truly love getting back to the dock with the guys lined up cleaning fish. I have friends that a pros and I have friends that absolutely should not be allowed to touch a knife and a fish at the same time. I was lucky as a kid and might have cleaned your fish while I was working as the lowly last mate on Capt. George Roman's Captree Queen. You learn fast as the passengers squawk if you miss meat during the filet process. Tips were also a motivator.

Not opposed to it. Just never the opportunity presented

 

[BennyV]

Not opposed to it. Just never the opportunity presented

I learned to cut fish when I was working my first job on a PB working galley. I did not want to ruin a customers fish. So I’d only cut the fish if it caught it. After a few mess ups I was good to go. I worked on a bluefish jigging boat back then. The Riptide III. Now everything is porgies around here.

 

[captmike28]

I'm embarrassed to say with all the fishing I've done since being a little kid, I never tried to Filet a fish. All my fishing is done on party/ charter boats.

Sounds like a new challenge to attempt this season, Matt. I would be happy to give you some lessons on one of your trips.

There is definitely an increased sense of satisfaction in both catching and then performing the prep work yourself.
Not that you ever have to on my boat, but if you want to learn I am happy to oblige.

 

[captmike28]

That is a very impressive collection you have Crabman! I also love the names on the handles of some, perhaps to warn others to stay away from your more preferred models?

Actually, all mine. My downeast boat was named "Elizabeth". While on chunking trip, some of my crew brought their own knives. To distinguish whose knife, is whose and to stop knife loss, I put the boat name on the handle. When I sold the boat, I changed to putting my name on the handle.

That Cutco Fisherman's Solution knife has a very cool blade extension. Is the blade locked in tight when extended. Part of my Dexter collection is due to the different blade lengths and blade stiffness I like for cutting different fish. Plus, when we cut fish, some guys mignt not bring a knife or they don't have a specific knife for the job such as shucking scallops. Cutco seems to have blade length covered. Cutco's blade replacement is a great incentive to buying an expensive knife.

Scallop shucking on the "Elizabeth".
View attachment 90855

Judging by the size of your crew and the number of baskets, I would say you enjoyed quite a feast that day!

Regarding the locking mechanism on the Cutco, it is rock solid regardless of whether you work at the 6" minimum, 9" maximum extension, or anywhere in between. In my opinion it is a fairly flexible blade, but certainly not heavy enough to produce steaks or do any bone cutting. With the ability to change lengths I use the same knife for Fluke, Sea Bass, Weakfish, Tog, Striped Bass, Blues and Cod. I don't do any offshore stuff so I can't say how well it would fare on Tuna or Shark.

The only time I go to a smaller 4" blade is with the Porgies. A family member bought me the Cuda 4" and while the handle is not the greatest, I feel like I have more control with the short blade on Scup. Naturally, a serrated blade is a must whenever tackling the occasional Triggerfish. My serrated is, of course, a Dexter.

 

[Snapprhead27]

Sounds like a new challenge to attempt this season, Matt. I would be happy to give you some lessons on one of your trips.

There is definitely an increased sense of satisfaction in both catching and then performing the prep work yourself.
Not that you ever have to on my boat, but if you want to learn I am happy to oblige.

Greatly appreciate the offer!!

 

[BoatGuy]

at the end of each season, I send the blade back to Cutco and for $10 they send me a brand-new replacement each year. When I think about the extremely heavy use my knife gets while running my charter business, I certainly think it is worth consideration if you have the budget.

Regardless of my long relationship with this particular filet knife, I am still a "knife junkie" and am really intrigued by the new Dexter Dextreme. Hmm, I have a birthday coming up in a few months; time to start dropping some hints!






View attachment 90821

You have to send them your old blade? They replace it? Do you wear it out to the point they can't sharpen it?

I guess you fillet more fillets than me. I have had mine for years and just keep it sharp.

 

[captmike28]

Actually, Guy, over the years Cutco has done a mix of resharpening and replacement for me. I guess it depends upon the amount of wear on the blade during any given year. But typically mine gets a very large amount of use, hopefully not abuse. Still there are times when I do find several deep knicks surface over the course of the season.

I am quite sure that for a huge company like Cutco it is just as easy, if not even more cost effective for them to just replace the blade. No difference to me. I think they are one of the few company's left that really understand the meaning to "customer service"!

You have to send them your old blade? They replace it? Do you wear it out to the point they can't sharpen it?

I guess you fillet more fillets than me. I have had mine for years and just keep it sharp.