[biglenr]

I was talking about filetting fish, and an older gentleman I work with said that he had a 40-50 year old filet knife that he used to love. He no longer fishes, so he gave it to me.

Apparently, they sold 40 million of these in the last 50 years.

Yep... The Rapala Marttiini filet knife.

This is the old style, with wood handle, and brass on the end. And the engraving is early as well, with just the Finland. Later ones said Hard ground stainless, or swedish.... The new ones, I hear are made in China (shocking).

It's at least as good as the $20 filet knife I bought at Neuse Sport shop a couple of years ago. This one really takes a good edge.

Now I need to get out there and see how it cuts fish!

 

[trigger22]

My all time favorite filet knife

 

[catfish_hunter]

i have a couple in my box...

 

[BigE818]

My Father-in-law has that same knife and sheath, and still uses it. Me, Ill stick with my Bubba Blade...

 

[OptiMystic]

I have one. I will have to look later to see where it is made and what it says. I have had it a long time and I think it is Swedish. Yes it takes an edge and is a good knife.

 

[Bruce]

I have and use that exact knife along with a folding Buck filet knife.

 

[Calabash513]

I was talking about filetting fish, and an older gentleman I work with said that he had a 40-50 year old filet knife that he used to love. He no longer fishes, so he gave it to me.

Apparently, they sold 40 million of these in the last 50 years.

Yep... The Rapala Marttiini filet knife.

This is the old style, with wood handle, and brass on the end. And the engraving is early as well, with just the Finland. Later ones said Hard ground stainless, or swedish.... The new ones, I hear are made in China (shocking).

It's at least as good as the $20 filet knife I bought at Neuse Sport shop a couple of years ago. This one really takes a good edge.

Now I need to get out there and see how it cuts fish!

View attachment 63883

Biglen,
I've had several of those. Great knives IMHO. Hold and edge and easy to maintain a shaving edge. A little flemsy on larger fish like 20+ in drum rib bones careful you dont run it thru your hand if it slips, but awesome on flounder, smaller drum and panfish (crappie, bream, etc.) I have a small i use as a neck knife and the larger 8" for filleting. Hard to beat for 25 bucks or less.

 

[dbeam]

I have 2 one is the 6 inch and at least 50 yrs old, the other is the 4 inch size.

Darrell

 

[tallastro]

Had one for about a decade until it fell apart. Didn't like the curved blade, made it a right to left only knife.

 

[Neilslure]

Think I got 2 or 3 of them laying around. One from probably 1990ish and the other about 2005.

 

[fishjunky]

I have three different sizes of that knife. I like them a lot.

 

[h2ohhh]

I had a primo Wusthoff filet knife for 20 years that I lost on Cape Lookout a few years ago. Broke my heart as it was a gift from my late mother. That was some premium german steel. You can buy them now starting at around $35 but you can spend $120 on one too. I bet that $35 number will put a rapala to shame. Be interested if anyone on here owns one....

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Silve...405607651&sr=1-3&keywords=wusthof+filet+knife

 

[2840-FISH]

I have a few as well and all i use still

 

[sundrop]

I never filetted a fish until the last few years. My folks never filleted they said it was wasting meat and the taste of fried fish was better on the bone. I am still perfecting it, but I know a good knife makes ALL the difference!!

 

[drumchaser]

I have two I still use for flounder. Only fish I keep and filets to the bone.

 

[h2ohhh]

A flounder is usually about all that I will keep too. Well, except for bull bream and nice crappie. My girls don't like dealing with the bones so a good filet knife is essential. Drumchaser, do you use the 4 filet per flounder technique to keep from wasting meat? It's a slower process for me but you can see through that flattie afterwards.

 

[RouseD]

I have one just like that, but the handle has rotted. Trying to find some material to make another handle out of. This knife would be over 40 years old. I may have another one, but not sure if the same writing is on the blade. I also got the leather sheath soaked a few times over the years.

 

[biglenr]

Thanks for the feedback.... I'm hoping to give it an initial workout next week, but I used it to clean jumbo shrimp the other night just to check it out....What a difference it made compared to my normal kitchen knife, and it felt more responsive and "alive" than the filet knife I already had.

 

[dbeam]

I have one just like that, but the handle has rotted. Trying to find some material to make another handle out of. This knife would be over 40 years old. I may have another one, but not sure if the same writing is on the blade. I also got the leather sheath soaked a few times over the years.

Bring it to me at BayRiver and I will make you one over the winter.

Darrell

 

[rollcast]

Have one that's probably 20 years old. I have other, newer filet knives, but this is my go to.