The tip of the Rapala wood handle stainless steel filet knife won’t penetrate the underside of the fish (trout) to gut them before taking them home. I insert the knife at the vent and try cutting towards the head but it’s as dull as a butter knife. I’ve sharpened it to the recommended angle but it doesn’t help. Would a carbon steel k ice be sharper? Any insight would be appreciated.
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Need a sharp knife to gut fish before taking them home
- Thread starter Richf7
- Start date
You won't find much better steel than that wooden-handled Rapala. If it's that dull, you're doing something wrong in the sharpening process. Mine will shave you like a razor. I gut trout with my pocket knife, btw. Cut out the vent, slice to the point of the gills, then across the membrane at the point of the lower jaw, Grab that, pull the guts out, and scrape the crud off the backbone with my thumbnail. Takes about ten seconds per trout.
Big7
The Oracle
Gunter, Bushcraft, Buck and Hammer Stahl all make EXCELLENT fish knives in the 50$- 75$ range. Either is all you will ever need unless you are a commercial fishermen.
Now you can spend a ridiculous amount of money- as high as you want to go, but there is no need to do that.
I would stay with Stainless for ease of maintenance but the high quality carbon steel blades are USUALLY, not always, a little easier to sharpen and get a razor's edge.
Thanks - I’ve heard that, too about carbon steel
Big7
The Oracle
And on the Rapalas, a pull through sharpener with CARBIDE, not ceramic inserts will sharpen them about as good as anything because the steel is not really that hard.
I prefer carbon steel on all my blades.
The little red plastic sharpener with the ceramic sticks works well, but only if you don't let it get really dull. You have to keep it sharp instead of letting it get completely dull. The ceramic sticks aren't coarse enough to establish an edge, only to maintain it.
Big7
The Oracle
And as others have said, a good pocket knife is probably better if you gutting, scaling and taking off heads as opposed to fillet knives.
They are designed for filleting where most times you don't even bust a gut or cut off a head.
They are designed for filleting where most times you don't even bust a gut or cut off a head.
Big7
The Oracle
Exactly.
Nice catch! What kind of knife is that? Father’s Day is around the corner.
westcobbdog
Senior Member
Go with Ronco.
White Horse
Senior Member
That’s a fine blade that Hillbilly has. An Old Timer with some age on it. My friend Nic has a similar knife, as do I, but the current Old Timers are inferior.
Mine is more than 30 years old and I watch it like a hawk.
Mine is more than 30 years old and I watch it like a hawk.
An old Old Timer 077 Muskrat skinner that I bought when I was 17 years old. I'm 55 now, and I feel nekkid without it. It guts fish, skins and quarters deer and other game, and lives 24/7 in my right front britches pocket.
That's any decent knife if you know how to sharpen it.
I literally wouldn't take $100,000 for it.
Big7
The Oracle
A Hundred G's? Come on now..
I got an old 3 blade Old Timer about the size of yours. Can't put my hands on it right now. My housekeepers are bad about putting stuff where I can't find it but it always turns up.
I posted a pic in the pocket knife a while back.
It's in 100% New, In Box condition. USA Made.
Daddy always carried a miniature Old Timer or Buck single blade everywhere he went.
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