Best Fillet Knife/ Knife sharpener

[Jigmaster]

What is your fav. Knife- Carbide steel or Stainless.

Means of sharpening ???

I have at least half dozen sharpeners and usually go through 1 knife every two years not that that the major expense.

More interested in getting and keeping a Razor sharp edge....Any thought/Tips???

[kingfisherman23]

Hands down the best knife sharpener for the money is the yellow two-sided one with the coarse and fine slots. It will give you a razor edge in no time at all. I have one for my tackle box, one for my hunting bag and one for my saddle bags at the barn.

As far as knives, I like Gerber with carbide blades. The Schrade Uncle Henry series (which I think is no longer in production) had some awesome fixed-blade hunting and filet knives.

Evan

[SmoothLures]

Stainless doesn't sharpen and hold an edge good, but most fishing knives are because they generally don't get taken care of. My advice is to buy a good fillet knife in a restaurant supply store and take care of it. For sharpening I use an electric sharpener most of the time. Knowing how to properly use any sharpener you buy is more important than what sharpener you get.

[jcreamer]

Hands down the best knife sharpener for the money is the yellow two-sided one with the coarse and fine slots. It will give you a razor edge in no time at all. I have one for my tackle box, one for my hunting bag and one for my saddle bags at the barn.

As far as knives, I like Gerber with carbide blades. The Schrade Uncle Henry series (which I think is no longer in production) had some awesome fixed-blade hunting and filet knives.

Evan

I got a Schrade Hunting knive at Walmart the other day. It sharpened easy and I just wonder how long it will keep the edge. Right now I can shave with it.

[AL_N_VB]

Russell's. Get your knives professional sharpened or do it yourself with a soap stone and a lil elbow grease.

Just don't lose any digits or draw blood.

[Jigmaster]

I got a Schrade Hunting knive at Walmart the other day. It sharpened easy and I just wonder how long it will keep the edge. Right now I can shave with it.

Thats what im talking about!!! sharp enough to shave with ive tried the accu sharp not bad ...elec....sharpening stone, Diamond File etc. Still cant get that new Razor edge...

So far i prefer the 7in Rada withe the sharpening wheel not bad but i have to re-sharpen every couple 3 Fish.
When it was new it cut like butter.

My Cold Steel carbide stays a little sharper but doesn't flex as well along the Rib cage.

[jcreamer]

A friend in West Virginia had a fillet knive and a hunting knife made for me. The man who made them lives in Berkley Springs. They are hard to put an edge on but hold it for ever. I keep them at home and use the fillet set I bought at Tylers in Chesapeake Beach.

JC

[Lightload]

I like the Russell filet knives. They have a great hand-filling handle and they take a good edge and hold it.

For sharpening, I use a fine machinist's stone. Been using the same stone for over 40 years. Takes a little more skill to get a razor edge but the results are worth it.

If ya wanna cheat and use a "machine", the Lansky sharpening systems are very good. The key to the Lanskys (and any other sharpener for that matter) is that they hold the blade at a constant angle to the stone.

Kingfisherman23 mentioned those yellow two sided sharpeners you can get at Walmart for $2.98. I got one of those to put an edge on my bait knives and I was really impressed with how good they worked. They have a carbide "V" on one side and a ceramic "V" on the other. A few strokes on the carbide side, then a few strokes on the ceramic side and you're ready to chunk up some more bunker! My son-in-law is "sharpening stone challenged" and I got tired of trying to use his knives when I was visiting. I got him one of those elcheapo yellow sharpener jobs and now his kitchen knives are at least usable!

[jcreamer]

The worst cut I ever had was with a dull knife. I was cutting and the dull blade skipped right into my hand.

[Lightload]

The worst cut I ever had was with a dull knife. I was cutting and the dull blade skipped right into my hand.

I was always taught that a dull knife was more dangerous than a sharp knife just for that reason. And the person who taught me that was the same individual who taught me the PROPER way to sharpen a knife. That guy was my Scoutmaster. I was very fortunate as a boy to #1, be introduced to Scouting and #2, to have a very good, knowledgeable Scoutmaster.

[RuddeDogg]

Russell's. Get your knives professional sharpened or do it yourself with a soap stone and a lil elbow grease.

Just don't lose any digits or draw blood.

Yep

[lil red jeep]

I just recently closed shop on a sharpening business I ran in my off time. I concentrated on mainly carbide stuff for cabinet shops, but would occasionally be asked to sharpen knives. I agree that Dexter-Russells are terrific filet knives. They are hollow ground initially and if you sharpen them later yourself you will have to be on your game to put a hollow edge on them. I agree with kingfisherman that the hand held carbide sharpeners you rake across the blade do a pretty darn good job, especially for their portability and speed. I still sharpen my own wood working tools like chisels and stuff and for them I use Japanese water stones up to about 8 or 10 thousand grit. My wife can tell when I've been sharpening because I have no hair on my arms from the elbow down! It's not really easy to put a good edge on a knife without a quality jig to hold it in place, but it can be done with practice. I think it comes down to what type of edge you are satisfied with. Obviously cutting bait doesn't need nearly the edge that fileting a pup requires.

[Carolina Rebel]

The DMT diamond 2 sided sharpener, with the one red side and one yellow side, is the best sharpener I've found for speed and quality. If a knife is in really bad shape, the yellow 'coarse' side will get it straightened out, then the 'fine' side will get it shaving sharp. Every knife I own is shaving sharp at the moment, as I haven't cleaned any deer or fish in awhile. All of them will shave the little hairs on the top of my hand.:)
Regarding a fillet knife, you can not go wrong with the Dexter Russels. 3 licks on the fine side of the DMT sharpener and its shaving again, can't ask for much better than that.

[kingfisherman23]

jCreamer - I don't have any experience with the standard Schrade series knives. I own two Old Uncle Henrys, a folder and a fixed. Schrade discontinued the Uncle Henry series (15 styles, from a 3" folder to a 9" filet) in 2002. It's a real shame. The Uncle Henrys were all made in America, out of high-quality materials and built to last. I'll be handing these down to my grandkids one day.

My newest knives (I'm kind of a knife ho) are the Gerber Evo folder (thin strong carbide blade, great for working fish) and the Kershaw fixed blade that I can't find a model number on.

Kershaw has done nothing but impress me with their knives. This one I just got has a hyperbolic edge design that will run right around bone when working deer or other large game. And it has kept a terrific edge so far this season, despite being made of stainless steel.

Evan

[Southern Man]

Uncle Henry Fillet Knife if you can find one. It is very flexible, when you do a flounder you can see through the ribs, what you leave is news paper thin.
You can find them on Ebay sometimes.

[TreednNC]

Ill second, third, forth, fifth or whatever were up to for the Dexter Russell.....Forschner makes a mean one as well though.

[Jigmaster]

Thanks for the input guys! Think im going to give that 8 in Dexter a try.

[sprtsracer]

Thanks for the input guys! Think im going to give that 8 in Dexter a try.

Jigmaster: They have them at the Fishin' Shack across the bridge.

[Jigmaster]

Thanks Larry ..... think i found a good deal online for only 8 bucks....if shipping is too much or on Back order will check it out.

I know its good to keep our Local Bait guys in business especially howards

not doing so good on that side of the Bridge.

[sprtsracer]

Thanks Larry ..... think i found a good deal online for only 8 bucks....if shipping is too much or on Back order will check it out.

I know its good to keep our Local Bait guys in business especially howards

not doing so good on that side of the Bridge.

8 bucks sounds good...but like you said...it does help to support the locals. BTW>>>Do you need some protection when you come "beachside", LOL! At least I don't discriminate over here...despite ALL THE SNOBS! BTW...nice flatties from High Bridge! Congrats!

[Al Kai]

I got two Dexter-Russell's I use alot. Also one Fjord fillet knife I really like as well.

[narfpoit]

Yeah I use dexter russel to got a 9 inch fillet and a 6 inch boner and have everything covered with that. I usually start my sharpening with a lansky diamond set to get the blade angle set right and finish with a japanese waterstone 1000 then 6000. Even with a 30 dergee blade angle on a big camp knife I can shave effortlessly. Edge retention depends on the hardness of the steel used here is where buying a quality knife pays for itself. AS much as I love to sit around and sharpen knives I dont like stopping what I am doing to have to sharpen one.

[lil red jeep]

"and a 6 inch boner":eek: Good God man, remember this is a family site!:eek:

[old linesides]

:eek: Good God man, remember this is a family site!:eek: He bought that one just so he could say he had one .:D