When shopping, we shoppers typically go for the known brands for many reasons. Famous brands already have a reputation for offering quality products that live up to their promises. Despite the higher prices of their products, every shopper knows their money will be worth it because they are sure to get a superb item. After all, paying more is better than purchasing cheaper tools that will wear out after only a couple of uses.
In picking knives, specifically a fish-cleaning knife or a fillet knife set, buyers should have the same standard. Cooking and food preparation are essential activities, so having tools that can stand the test of time and perform kitchen tasks excellently is a must.
If fish is a staple in your kitchen and you aim to execute different types of fish cuts beautifully, we have listed here seven of the best knives for fish preparation from well-known brands in kitchen cutlery.
Wusthof 7″ Classic Fillet Knife
Product Highlights
The first thing you will notice upon seeing the Wusthof 7″ Classic Fillet Knife is that it has a narrower blade than other fillet knives. This characteristic makes the knife perfect for super thin fish fillets because of its flexibility.
Pros
You can use this knife for thin cuts. Despite being called a fish knife, you can also utilize the Wusthof 7″ Classic Fillet Knife in filleting meat and peeling fruits.
This knife is full-tang and forged, which makes it durable. Also, the handle is made of polypropylene, ensuring it will remain pristine despite being wet from cutting fish and other ingredients.
The blade is made of high-carbon stainless steel, so even if you scrape hard bones in the process of filleting, the edge will remain sharp.
Cons
If you are looking for affordable fish knives, look elsewhere. Wusthof 7″ Classic Fillet Knife is more expensive than other knives of the same type. Also, ensure that you clean this knife properly. You may notice discoloration in time, a weakness of high-carbon stainless steel.
Spyderco Itamae Funayuki
Product Highlights
This knife is a part of Spyderco’s Itamae collection, which is made in collaboration with Murray Carter, a knifemaker trained in Japan. Itamae is known for its blade made of three layers of steel. The Aogami Super Blue is among the most robust steel in Japan. It serves as the blade’s core, sandwiched between SUS410 stainless steel, making the knife impenetrable and highly durable.
Pros
Funayuki, when translated in English, means “ship going,” a perfect name for a knife that is famous among fishermen. It is a reliable tool for fish cutting, slicing, and filleting, although the tasks it can accomplish are not limited to it. You can use it as an all-around kitchen knife for slicing fruits, vegetables, and meat.
Cons
The Funayuki is not as narrow and thin as other fish-filleting and fish-cutting knives, so the blade may make performing intricate cuts challenging.
Kershaw 9″ Clearwater Fish Cutting Knife
Product Highlights
Kershaw was born out of its founder’s desire to create excellent hunting and fishing knives. Since 1974, this has been the company's aim, so you can expect to get the best knife for cutting fish from this brand.
Pros
This knife is intended for people who often serve fish dishes on the dinner table and for individuals always sailing the sea. Sailors will find the neon light helpful when preparing food and fish in dark environments. This feature is a fine addition to the handle, which is made of copolymer material for a comfortable and solid grip.
If you are thinking about learning how to fillet a fish, especially larger ones, Kershaw 9″ Clearwater’s blade is perfect. The 420J2 stainless blade ensures that all your cuts and slices are flawless because of its sharpness.
Cons
You would rather use a smaller knife instead of the Kershaw 9″ Clearwater if you have a small catch. Otherwise, your cuts will not be as perfect if you use their 9-inch blade.
Florentine F4 Slicer
Product Highlights
What you’ll love about Florentine knives, including its fish knife, is their design. Many five-star Michelin restaurants have Florentine knives on their dinner tables because of the knife quality and aesthetics.
Have you seen Middle Eastern textiles with unique patterns and warm colors? Looking at the knife, the handle color and blade design give a hint of Middle Eastern colors. The pattern might be linear, but the familiar feel when looking at Middle Easter products is there.
Pros
Aside from being beautiful, the Florentine F4 Slicer is a reliable tool for cutting large fish. It is a 10-inch-long blade made durable and sharp by its stainless steel material. This knife is also semi-flexible, so you can slightly bend it whenever needed in any of your cutting, slicing, and filleting tasks.
You can also use this knife to cut ingredients too big for a chef’s knife.
Cons
Florentine knives are limited in stock, so you need to request custom-made designs if you decide to buy from this brand. It takes a couple of months to design and create knives, so ordering in advance would be best.
Cutco Fisherman’s Solution
Product Highlights
Cutco is one of the most famous brands in the kitchen knife industry and has become a part of many kitchens. You can purchase a knife set on Cutco and a fishing fillet knife that is every fisherman’s dream.
Pros
This knife is made explicitly for fishers. The knife is perfectly named because it provides solutions to many fishermen’s needs, such as the following:
- The blade can be adjusted from 9 inches to a shorter 6 inches to cut, slice, and fillet different fish sizes and cut fishing lines.
- The blade is removable so that you can clean it thoroughly after use.
- The sheath has a sharpening stone for the fishing hook and the knife blade.
- Once you catch a fish, use the gripper on the sheath to hold the fish.
Cutco has a Forever Guarantee assurance, so anytime the knife performs below expectation, Cutco will handle the repair and sharpening.
Cons
Like any other knife that does not have a fixed blade, the blade and handle may become loose and unstable in time.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Professional 7″ Fillet Knife
Product Highlights
Zwilling J.A. Henckels is a brand that manufactures its knives in Solingen, Germany, the city of blades. For more than 200 years, the brand has created excellent knives, including the Professional 7″ fillet knife.
Pros
This knife has a narrow blade design that is advantageous in making precise and thin cuts. The blade is designed with a pinch grip for more controlled cutting. Its full-tang design, together with the handle secured by three rivets, solidifies your grip when slicing bigger and tougher fish.
The process of blade creation gives birth to a visually pleasing, razor-sharp, and 100% stainless knife. The blade is forged and hardened on ice through a process unique to Zwilling J.A. Henckels.
Although the knife is intended for filleting fish, you can also use it in peeling fruits and vegetables and other kitchen tasks that need detailed cuts.
Cons
Since it is a short filleting knife, you can rely better on knives with longer blades in preparing huge fish. Also, because of the brand name and quality, this knife is more expensive than other knives.
Rapala Electric Fillet Knife
Product Highlights
No knife can beat the capacity of this fillet knife to slice without tiring the user because it is a fish-cutting electric knife. Even in kitchen knives, high technology is present.
Pros
This knife is best for fishers and businesses that fillet tons of fish every day. Sharp knives can make the filleting easier, but an electric knife’s auto-slicing movement allows your hand to relax. Even if there are many fish to fillet, you can maintain a stable grip because of the comfort the Rapala Electric Fillet Knife provides.
The 7.5-inch blade is long enough to slice, cut, and fillet small- and medium-sized fish. The motor power of the tool is faster than other electric knives. You can finish kitchen tasks three times as fast as other electric knives.
Cons
If you are new to using electric knives, it is better to have a few practices first as the Rapala Electric Fillet Knife is exceptionally sharp. If you are not gentle and do not have complete control of the blade, you may cut through the whole fish.
Final Thoughts
These are the different fish knives you can buy from famous knife brands. You are sure to get a quality product only if you buy from them. It is good to go for cheaper fish knives, but it is better to invest in these knives if you want a certain quality.
By now, you might be having a hard time deciding which fish fillet knife to pick. If fish is something you prepare more often than other ingredients, having more than one knife from different brands would not hurt. Reward yourself with more than one knife. Let us know your top picks in the comment section below.
August 19, 2022
