Best Cheap Filet Knife?

Looking to get a couple new filet knives. Don’t need anything special as I’m pretty good at not catching fish , but looking to see what others use.

Thanks!

Rapala, cheap, durable, reliable, easily available at most sporting goods stores.
https://www.rapala.com/rapala/knives/fillet-knives/fish-n-fillet-superflex-knife-/Fish+n+Fillet+Superflex+Knife.html?cgid=rapala-knives-filletKnives&taglist=Rapala%7CKnives%7CFillet%20Knives#start=6&cgid=rapala-knives-filletKnives

I don’t remember the cost but my new favorite is a Kershaw that I got. Never owned a Bubba but I hear good things.

X2 for the rapala. Just wish mine got more use

X3 for the rapala. The one with the rubber handle seems to be easier to grip than the one with wood. Mine are still sharper than sharp because they almost never get used either!

I have the Rapala posted above, and it’s fine, but never use it since switching to electric. I’d cry once, buy once on the newish Rapala Lithium Ion.

I have a bunch of the Rapala ones as well and they’re ‘fine’. The steel is just really soft so they’re easy to sharpen, flexible, and good for a few fish before they dull.

I much prefer Dexter Basics with the high carbon steel blade and cheap plastic handle. They are fairly stiff and a bear to sharpen but hold an edge forever. Awesome for big fish or doing a lot of small fish. Oh and they’re like $6 at restaurant supply stores.

The newer Rapala with the black blade is awful nice. I don’t clean too many fish though.

I usually use a pair of cheap Gerbers. Plastic sheath with sharpener built in.
They work and have lasted a long time. I also have two old Rapalas and a Puma waiting in the wings that more often see cutting up deer instead of fish.

BigWerm wrote:

I have the Rapala posted above, and it’s fine, but never use it since switching to electric. I’d cry once, buy once on the newish Rapala Lithium Ion.

Agree mine get less use now that I have the same electric as you. Still prefer the regular blade for panfish.

I have both electric and regular Rapala. Walleyes get the electric and panfish get the wooden handled Rapala. Super easy to sharpen. I prefer the short blade

Inwould also agree with Rapala knives because I have a Normark knife I’ve been using for over 20 years and still is my preferred filet knife in my drawer.

I would offer up Victorinox knives as they are widely used by butchers and are very inexpensive. If I buy another it will be one of these.

One can never have to many fish cleaning knives!!

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For best cheap, it’s tough to beat the Rapala.

I got the lithium Bubba beginning of the open water season and I love it.

I, similar to bearcat, still like to use a normal knife when cleaning panfish. I get more meat with a normal knife on bluegills and crappies!

Forschner (Victorinox) makes several good fillet knives at a fair price – $20-30. I bet I have 20+ Forschners (my go to hunting knife is their “Rabbit” knife.

BUT My Mister Twister Electric is all I use for fish. My first one lasted 30+ years. On nearly 10 years with my second one – $30.

Rapala X100

I use it more than my expensive ones

My two favorite ones are a Wusthof classic and a Old Browning one I don’t think they make anymore ( Neither are Cheap ) as far as lower cost ones go I have both the Rapala with the black rubber handle that others are saying. I also have one of the Bubba Tapered Flex and like both about equally. I think the bubba holds a sharp edge longer.

Rapala is fine I have several. I like the Bubba blade I got this year better. And like others, prefer electric on larger fish anyway.

If not using an electric, I find that cutting through the ribs and removing later works great with the right knife.

I have a couple of these. They work great on salmon, lakers, walleyes, pike and big perch.

Walleyes, smaller salmon/trout and perch take one “swipe” from head to tail. It’s faster than electric.

Cut the fillets off just as you would with an electric, then take the ribs out with a fillet or boning knife. This breaking knife also works awesome for taking the skin off (I do that last), and can take ribs out with a little practice.

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Maybe it’s because other brands haven’t been around as long, but when you see pictures of “Grandpa’s old tackle box” for sale online, you never see anything else than an old wooden-handle Rapala filet knife in there amongst the Lazy Ikes, Hula Poppers and rusty Daredevils. And they’re still as good today as they were then. Just get a good sharpener and take care of it; a Rapala will last you a lifetime.

I bought a Victoninox to try something new and I like it better than my Rapalas. Amazon name is: “Victorinox Fibrox Pro Fillet 8″ Fishing Straight Flexible Blade ½ Width at Handle Black, 8″,6″, Multi” Doesn’t come with a sheath though which is annoying.

I will chime in on the Rapala but I think you get the picture.

Chicago Cutlery

the kast king has worked well for me

Every time I read this forum, you guys cost me money. I didn’t know I needed a new leatherman. Now I need a new fillet knife.

glenn57, I see you like the Leech Lake knives. They are good but not cheap. I’ve had mine for 20 years. For cheap, it’s hard to beat the Rapala.

Netguy wrote:

glenn57, I see you like the Leech Lake knives. They are good but not cheap. For cheap, it’s hard to beat the Rapala.

yes i do!!!!!! i bought them years ago from Reeds at the ice show. think they were around 70 bucks back then.

i use them also to cut up deer, but most of them are Rapala knives. not sure what the longer ones are, i use them for skinning fish

ad i dont want noone to say they forgot there knives…….so i have extra!!!!!!

Having a sharpener or sharpening system and knowing how to use it is more important than the knife. This is especially true with fillet knives.

Fish pick up grit during handling and fillet knives have to be made of softer steel so that they can still be flexible. These two things combine to make fillet knives that dull quickly relative to other knives, so they need to be sharpened and honed more often.

I think guys listen to too much BS when it comes to sharpening knives and it becomes this big mystical thing that you have to go to a Buddhist monastery to learn. In reality, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat and most of them work pretty well. All of them work better than having a dull knife.

Personally, to get fillet knives sharp-sharp, I use a set of Japanese waterstones. For quick sharpening in the field, I use Eze Lap set of sharpeners or a quick ceramic pull-through. They all work, it’s just a matter of how much time do I have to spend and how good is good enough.

Quickest and easiest I have found is a Worksharp system. Make sure to also get a leather strop and you will be shaving the hair off your arm. I have used so many different systems and they all do work once you get the hang of using them but the Worksharp has the easiest learning curve. Just pull the knife thru straight and do the other side. Change grits from lowest to the highest and once you make a few passes on the 4000 grit its time for the leather strop.

Reef W wrote:

I bought a Victoninox to try something new and I like it better than my Rapalas. Amazon name is: “Victorinox Fibrox Pro Fillet 8″ Fishing Straight Flexible Blade ½ Width at Handle Black, 8″,6″, Multi” Doesn’t come with a sheath though which is annoying.

Also what I have, good value, got it from a Kitchen Essentials store. Have had Cuda, Dexter, Rapala. All are fine. None of them help make a good fillet if you don’t know what you’re doing anyways.