These knives are indespensible for cleaning your catch in Alaska from 100 lb halibut, 17 pound silvers, 12 pound reds, and assorted rockfish, lingcod, or pinks. The next 4 knives are my Alaskan Butchering Kit. It has a 6" blade and is excellent for skinning the fillet. Often he surprises me with a special gift and one year he brought a fillet knife with my name engraved on it. Charlie has move south but comes up every year and we try to get out fishing. Chuck lived in the same apartment some 30 years ago and we have been friends since. The next knife on the left is a special knife that was given to me by a friend Chuck Teasley. They are no longer made and have become collectors items so I have put them away for now. I have cleaned many a walleye with these. The knives are a typical Chicago Cutlery brittle but mild steel with a black walnut riveted handle in a matching leather sheath. These knives were given to me by my good friends Pat and Linda Holmes (Dugar). The next picture on the right is a Chicago Cutlery folding Traveler Fillet Knife. I keep forgetting to bring it back to the show for a touch up, which he will do at no charge. Being sharp on both sides can cause problems however. I love the knife and use it occasionally as it is a sharp as ever. Having perfected the method that cuts around the rib bones as part of the fillet process (except for Alaskan fish), it is hard to change your habits. With this knife you cut through the scales with the chisel top of the point, cut the entire fillet off the fish through the rib bones, cut the rib bones out as a separate process, then remove the skin. The theory is that what dulls a fillet knife are the fish scales. Although a beautiful knife, the design is such that both sides of the blade are sharpened. It has a laminated handle, 7" blade, and is the sharpest knife I own. I bought this at the Northwest Sportshow about 10 years ago. My most expensive knife is the red handled Leech Lake Knife on the left. Both blades seem equal in ability to hold an edge. Although the original Birch handle is a classic, I am liking the rubber handled ones as they grip better. The 6" blades are the best for taking the skin off. I love the 4 inch blade for taking the fillet off, even for larger fish as it is easy to control when cutting around the ribs. These knives are the workhorses for filleting fish. Rubber handled knives again in a 4" and 6" blades. I also have a couple of their black handled I have at least 3, 1 - 4" blade and 2 - 6" blades. I suspect that everyone has the standard birch handled Rapala Fillet knife (upper left). Driving home gave me time to think of the collection of fillet knives I have so I decided it would be a good post. Although I needed another knife like I needed the swine flu, it was too much of a bargain to pass up. There was a guy standing next to me eyeing up my prize and waiting for me to give it back. The salesman pulled it out to give a look, it was pretty interesting, a nice knife, well constructed, just the right flexibility and shape. Checking the price it was only $8.99, almost 65% off. It was a Cabela's brand 6 inch knife with a riveted laminated handle (feature top left). Walking around the counter a fillet knife caught my eye. I told the guy in the store my story and he thought it was pretty funny. Calling my friend Mark who originally bought it there, he had returned it and they put it in the bargain bin, less the bolt that was stripped out in the first place. One thing that caught my eye was a french fry cutter that I had used the weekend before at Leech Lake. Located close to home, I like to stop at Cabela every two weeks or so to see whats new in the bargain bin.
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