Best Filleting Knife in the $40-$60 Range

[arvanlaar]

Hey All,

Christmas is almost upon us and I am wanting to get my brother in law a decent filleting knife without breaking the bank. I know he does not like Rapala's as he says they dull VERY fast.

In your experience, what is the best brand and model of knife to get in that price range that takes a sharp edge and holds if for the few fish?

Thanks in advance!

[Marker]

Not to sound like you have not already thought about it, but how about a nice sharpening system. I use the Norton three whetstone oil bath system with the coarse replaced with an Arkansas black and it makes any blade razor sharp. The fishing guides on party boats I go to on the East coast were giving their blades touch ups after a few fish using flat whetstones.

For blades, I have a Cabela's brand, a Grohman's, Zwilling, and Rapala. They all do a good job when sharp but the Zwilling definitely stays sharp the longest, Rapala goes dull the fastest.

[arvanlaar]

Not to sound like you have not already thought about it, but how about a nice sharpening system. I use the Norton three whetstone oil bath system with the coarse replaced with an Arkansas black and it makes any blade razor sharp. The fishing guides on party boats I go to on the East coast were giving their blades touch ups after a few fish using flat whetstones.

For blades, I have a Cabela's brand, a Grohman's, Zwilling, and Rapala. They all do a good job when sharp but the Zwilling definitely stays sharp the longest, Rapala goes dull the fastest.

I have thought of that but he hates sharpening his knives and he does have a decent sharpening system already. I think the main goal is to have a knife that holds its sharpness longer so he has to sharpen less frequently. Its like buying a merino wool shirt so you only have to wash it every few months

Thanks for the suggestions! I have never heard of Grohman so I will need to check them out and I have Zwilling kitchen knives so I don't know why I new thought to look into those. Thanks again

[Fenelon]

I found the best knives are the older Rapala birch handle ones that have Swedish Mora steel in them. Maybe the new Rapala knives don't have the Mora steel anymore ?. The knife isn't being sharpened correctly if its only holding sharp for a few fish. I can easily clean 20+ walleye before I need a resharpen. I use a Spyderco ceramic stick sharpener and I give the blade six quick licks on the razor fine white stones in between fish. The knife is not sharp enough if it can't shave hair on your arm. You need to take "the shoulders" off the blade maybe once per year - install a 15 degree profile to either side, giving the knife what is called "a wire edge". I use a Norton water stone on a grinder to do this, using a jig. Once the blade has its wire edge, your secondary sharpener is all you use. I also have a felt wheel on the other side of the grinder . Woodworkers use these to sharpen precision plane blades and chisels.You dress the wool wheel with tallow fat, then use a block of chromium dioxide (looks like a stick of green plasticene) to coat the wheel. Some people also call this stuff "jeweller's rouge". You buy the Norton wheel, felt wheel, and c.dioxide stick at Lee Valley (can order online). As a trapper of over 45 years I've used just about every knife sharpening system that exists. I've never found a better, easier, faster system to consistently have razor-sharp knives. My system - Norton grind wheel + jig to remove the shoulders on the blade, then felt wheel buff to remove wire edge, then final touch-up and maintenance sharpen with Spyderco ceramic stick sharpener (comes with both medium and fine stones).
re: Grohman knives - made in Nova Scotia. I absolutely hate the steel they use. Must be low carbon steel. I'm surprised that the Canadian military uses them as I think the steel sucks. It never gets a truly sharp edge and they do indeed get dull fast. For pelting and skinning knives I avoid knives made by Grohman and Caribou due to their steel. You have another option for a fillet knife - Piranta brand that takes replaceable blades that are just like big scalpel blades. A good option if you feel challenged with the sharpening work. A lot of trappers are now using the small Pirantas for skinning as the replaceable scalpel blades are not too expensive.