06-29-2004, 10:39 PM
[cool][blue][size 1]Hey cat_man, that Rapala should be required in the knife arsenal of every fisherman who wants to fillet fish. I have used them for more years than I can remember...in several sizes. Is that knife 7 1/2" overall length or 7 1/2" blade. If it is the former, it is best for fine boning work but not heavy enough for butchering bigguns.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]In the attached pic, the largest Rapala knife has a blade of 9". It is a workhorse for all sizes of fish, and is especially good for whipping through a sink full of perch or white bass. You will see it in action in the catfish filleting thread.[/size][/#0000ff]
![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=5329;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=5329;)
[#0000ff][size 1]Rapalas DO have good steel. The hardness is just right for filleting uses. It is hard enough to hold a good edge for quite a few fishes, but it does not take two days to work the edge down to a good enough edge to fillet fish. Some knives need a lot of work before they can be properly called good fillet knives.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I suspect that sharpener would be better for maintaining an edge on regular kitchen knives than on fillet blades. Most of those handy dandy sharpeners put a fast angle on the edge. I like to work the edge with a good stone until it is a slow taper. You have to have two or three good stones, with progessively finer abrasive, and work it down to the right taper and degree of sharpness. I test mine on the hair of my arm. When I am filleting a lot of fish, my left arm looks like it has been in chemotherapy.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I posted another writeup on sharpening last year. I can't find it, but I did keep the pics in my files. The one shows the different stones, diamond sharpeners and steels I keep nearby when I am using my knives. [/size][/#0000ff]
![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=5331;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=5331;)
[#0000ff][size 1]The good news is that you don't have to invest a lot to put a good edge on your knives and keep them in ready condition. I have two 2-sided carborundum stones...one side coarse and the other fine. I paid about $20 for one and only about $3 for the other one at a swap meet. The cheaper one was made in China, but it works fine and usually travels with me whenever I take my knives afield. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]What about diamond hones and sharpeners? They are great for taking a lot of metal off the edge of a new knife, when you are trying to work in a good filleting edge. After that, all you do is shorten the life of the knife blade by using it too much. Once your knife has been properly setup and broken in, a few light strokes on the stone from time to time, and a few licks on the steel to keep the edge true, and you get a lot of efficient filleting without having to spend a lot of time sharpening and resharpening.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]WORD OF ADVICE: Do not mix your good fishing knives with the family stash. Wives love sharp knives for kitchen duties and kids will be out cutting down giant redwoods with them if you leave them where they can get at them. All you know is that you put the knife away sharp and when you need to fillet some fish, the cutting edge is duller than the back edge. How dat hoppen?[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Best bet is to have sheaths for all sharp blades, and keep them rolled up in a cloth protector or safely stored in a box. Also saves some quick trips to the emergency room for stitches in the kids (or wife's) anatomy. Super sharp knives need to be protected and respected.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][size 1]In the attached pic, the largest Rapala knife has a blade of 9". It is a workhorse for all sizes of fish, and is especially good for whipping through a sink full of perch or white bass. You will see it in action in the catfish filleting thread.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Rapalas DO have good steel. The hardness is just right for filleting uses. It is hard enough to hold a good edge for quite a few fishes, but it does not take two days to work the edge down to a good enough edge to fillet fish. Some knives need a lot of work before they can be properly called good fillet knives.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I suspect that sharpener would be better for maintaining an edge on regular kitchen knives than on fillet blades. Most of those handy dandy sharpeners put a fast angle on the edge. I like to work the edge with a good stone until it is a slow taper. You have to have two or three good stones, with progessively finer abrasive, and work it down to the right taper and degree of sharpness. I test mine on the hair of my arm. When I am filleting a lot of fish, my left arm looks like it has been in chemotherapy.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I posted another writeup on sharpening last year. I can't find it, but I did keep the pics in my files. The one shows the different stones, diamond sharpeners and steels I keep nearby when I am using my knives. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The good news is that you don't have to invest a lot to put a good edge on your knives and keep them in ready condition. I have two 2-sided carborundum stones...one side coarse and the other fine. I paid about $20 for one and only about $3 for the other one at a swap meet. The cheaper one was made in China, but it works fine and usually travels with me whenever I take my knives afield. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]What about diamond hones and sharpeners? They are great for taking a lot of metal off the edge of a new knife, when you are trying to work in a good filleting edge. After that, all you do is shorten the life of the knife blade by using it too much. Once your knife has been properly setup and broken in, a few light strokes on the stone from time to time, and a few licks on the steel to keep the edge true, and you get a lot of efficient filleting without having to spend a lot of time sharpening and resharpening.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]WORD OF ADVICE: Do not mix your good fishing knives with the family stash. Wives love sharp knives for kitchen duties and kids will be out cutting down giant redwoods with them if you leave them where they can get at them. All you know is that you put the knife away sharp and when you need to fillet some fish, the cutting edge is duller than the back edge. How dat hoppen?[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Best bet is to have sheaths for all sharp blades, and keep them rolled up in a cloth protector or safely stored in a box. Also saves some quick trips to the emergency room for stitches in the kids (or wife's) anatomy. Super sharp knives need to be protected and respected.[/size][/#0000ff]
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