8 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Fillet Knife

Are you looking for the best fillet knives on the market today? Do you know which factors to look for when choosing a fillet knife? With so many brands and models of fillet knives on the market today, it can sometimes be a little challenging finding the right one. In this article, we discuss the main factors to consider when choosing fillet knives.

1. Blade Material

The material of the blade is one of the important factors to consider when choosing a fillet knife. There are two main blade materials that are commonly used to make fillet knives. They are carbon steel and stainless steel.

Carbon steel blades are harder and require more maintenance as it is not corrosive and rust-resistant. Stainless steel blades, on the other hand, are more corrosive and rust-resistant and as a result, don’t require a lot of maintenance.

2. Blade Thickness

How thick the blade is, is another important factor to take into consideration when choosing a fillet knife. The thickness determines how flexible is the fillet knife with regards to following the contours of the fish and separating the flesh from the skin. The thicker the blade, the more rigid it is,, and the thinner it is, the more flexible the blade will be.

Therefore, it is a matter of preference and the nature of the work you will use the fillet knife for tht will determine how thick or thin you want your fillet knife’s blade to be.

3. Blade Length

The length of the blade of the fillet knife is also very important when choosing a fillet knife. Once again, the kind of work you will use the fillet knife for will dictate the length of the fillet knife that you want. Most fillet knives can be found with lengths ranging from 6 to 11 inches. Additionally, the size of the fillet knife will be directly related to the length of the blade.

4. Blade Shape

The shape of the fillet knife is also an important factor to consider when choosing one. You can find fillet knives with curved edges while others do not have curved edges. A fillet knife with a curved edge allows you to use the entire length of the cutting edge to quickly and easily fillet a fish. Therefore, depending on how you will use a fillet knife will dictate whether you choose one with a curved edge or not.

5. Bevel

How much bevel the fillet knife possesses is another important to consider when choosing one. The bevel plays a role in determining how sharp the edge of the knife will be to pierce the flesh and separate it from the skin. You can easily find fillet knives with bevels between 12 and 17 degrees.

6. Tang

Another important factor to consider when choosing a fillet knife is the level of tang it possesses. It helps determine how durable the fillet knife is. There are full and partial tang.

The steel of the knife’s blade run through the entire handle for the full tang knife. This gives the knife a more balanced feel and more control. A partial tang knife features the steel of the blade running only halfway. This design limits how much pressure you can apply on the knife. A partial tang knife is not the best option to fillet a large fish.

7. Safety

Fillet knives are razor sharp and safety is always an issue when using one. Most fillet knives have a safety feature to keep your fingers from the blade while cutting. They are usually situated on the top of the handle, right behind the heel of the blade.

8. Handle Material

The material that the fillet knife’s handle is made of is another important factor to consider when choosing one.  Most fillet knives have a wooden, plastic, or rubber handle.

The wooden handle is harder to maintain and can feel slippery when filleting a fish. It also tends to soak up odor from the fish and emit a bad odor. On the other hand, plastic and rubber handles feature a firmer grip than wooden handles and they don’t keep odors like wooden handles do. They are designed to be ergonomic and they are also easier to clean.

Conclusion

Fillet knives make it easy to quickly fillet a fish. They are usually very sharp and feature a safety mechanism to prevent injuries to your fingers. With so many different fillet knives available today, it can sometimes be challenging deciding which fillet knife to choose.

In this article, we discussed some of the main factors to consider when choosing a fillet knife. If you are also interested in pocket knives, then you can read this review of the best pocket knives. Additionally, if you would like to learn more about outdoor activities like fishing and hunting, then click here.