The three Greatest Fish Fillet Knives of 2025, Examined & Reviewed

Past your trusty chef’s knife, there are tons of specialised knives. Paring knives are quick and inflexible to expertly maneuver round vegetables and fruit, whereas the long-toothed blade of a serrated knife works by way of crusty bread or smooth tomatoes with out tearing or mashing. Fish fillet knives are designed to—you guessed it—fillet fish. They’re light-weight with skinny, versatile, razor-sharp edges that may take away flesh from tiny bones and work round small areas. 

Whereas some choose hefty deba knives to work with entire fish, many dwelling cooks and anglers attain for a fillet knife due to its precision, flexibility, and ease of use. Not like the thick, wedge-shaped blade of a deba, which is constructed for chopping by way of fish heads and spines, a fillet knife glides effortlessly alongside bones, preserving as a lot meat as doable. Whether or not you’re breaking down a freshly caught trout, skinning a fragile sole, and even tackling non-fish duties like trimming beef or slicing ham, a superb fish fillet knife could make all of the distinction. However with so many choices available on the market, various in size, flexibility, deal with design, and blade materials, how do you select the suitable one? I examined eight choices to seek out one of the best ones in your kitchen (or deal with field).

The Winners, at a Look

The razor-sharp blade that ends in an ultra-fine level yielded exact outcomes, whether or not I used to be slicing between pores and skin and flesh or navigating round gills and fins. It has a cushty deal with that your hand can grip securely and a versatile blade that’s straightforward to make use of.

The Shun fillet knife stands out with its totally curved blade and razor-sharp edge, making it probably the most exact and easy knife I examined. Its ultra-sharp, high-quality Damascus metal edge glides by way of fish with minimal resistance, and the curved design helps keep clear, steady cuts alongside the bone.

This can be a wallet-friendly possibility that’s straightforward to scrub and will get the job achieved for infrequent use. The curved tip helps maneuver round bones, and the lengthy blade can slice between pores and skin and flesh with minimal resistance. 

The Checks

• Sharpness Check: Earlier than testing, I measured every knife’s sharpness thrice utilizing knowledgeable edge tester. I averaged the outcomes and repeated the check after utilizing every knife to chop fish.
• Massive Fish Check: The principle function of a fish fillet knife is to interrupt down and take away fillets from entire fish, so I used every knife to cleave a fillet off the aspect of a complete barramundi. After eradicating the fillet, I used the knife to separate the pores and skin, noting if the knife gave me any resistance or left pores and skin hooked up.
• Smaller Fish Check: To see how every knife might carry out with ultra-delicate work, I filleted a complete mackerel, which is a smaller fish. I used the tip of the knife to take away the pinnacle, then eliminated fillets from all sides, forsaking the bones. I then used the knife to take away the pores and skin from every fillet.
• Ease of Use and Cleansing Checks: All through testing, I noticed if the knives have been straightforward to make use of and swift to scrub afterwards. 

What We Discovered

Sharpness Mattered Above All

In fact, any knife ought to be sharp out of the field. Unsurprisingly, the sharpest knives have been the best to work with. Whether or not the knife was inflexible or versatile, longer or shorter, curved or straight, what actually mattered was pure sharpness. A razor-sharp edge made each process simpler and let me glide the blade throughout bone effortlessly with minimal waste. Even probably the most well-designed knives felt clumsy and inefficient once they lacked a really sharp edge. Whereas elements like flexibility and form nonetheless performed a job, sharpness is the only greatest differentiator between a irritating expertise and a seamless one.

Not All Fillet Knives Had been Versatile

I had a preconceived notion {that a} fillet knife had to be versatile earlier than beginning this check. However after I unboxed every knife and began working with it, I shortly realized that flexibility diversified broadly between fashions. Some knives had an excessive bend, making it simpler to glide alongside bones, whereas others have been fairly stiff and straight, extra like a boning knife, which is usually designed for chopping by way of harder meats and round joints reasonably than delicately separating flesh from bone. Fillet knives prioritize thinness and adaptability. I reached out to Cody Requejo, the chef and culinary ambassador for Seremoni, a sustainable seafood provider, for some insights. 

“Relying on what dimension of fish and what cuts you want, curved knives have sure makes use of. I like curved knives for eradicating rib bones and for extra detailed cuts which have a tougher time gaining access to,” he informed me. “I believe it’s private desire.”

Past the form, flexibility could make a knife extra maneuverable, particularly for delicate fish. This requires a sure finesse, nevertheless, and a information or “really feel” for the place the flesh meets the pores and skin or bone. I discovered {that a} stiffer blade typically provided higher management, particularly when coupled with glorious sharpness. In the long run, the suitable steadiness of flexibility relies on the kind of fish you’re working with and your talent stage.

Pricier Knives Had Profitable Upgrades

It could come as some aid to know that the higher-priced knives did carry out higher—it’s not only a matter of promoting. The premium price ticket usually displays superior supplies, equivalent to high-carbon chrome steel, which not solely enhances sharpness but additionally improves edge retention and total sturdiness. Knives with increased carbon content material appeared to carry their edge higher after I retested them after chopping fish. Funds knives sometimes have plastic or rubberized handles, that are straightforward to scrub and supply a safe grip, however typically really feel cumbersome and, properly, low cost. Larger-end fashions, just like the Shun, use pakkawood, which affords higher weight distribution and a sure aesthetic enchantment that makes the knife really feel like a long-lasting artisan instrument.

The Standards: What to Search for in a Fish Fillet Knife

Above all issues, a superb fish fillet knife ought to be sharp. That’s one of the simplest ways to get easy, clear cuts with out hacking away. A medium-length blade between six and seven.5 inches is usually preferrred for all-purpose filleting, offering sufficient flexibility and attain for many fish whereas remaining straightforward to regulate. Search for a knife that’s skinny, versatile, and has a properly pointed tip to navigate tight spots. A curved blade can be a superb wager, since it may well make it straightforward to work alongside contours.

Our Favourite Fish Fillet Knives

What we favored: This knife was extremely sharp out of the field and retained its edge even after chopping by way of fish bones and tissue. I used to be particularly impressed by the finely tapered tip, which navigated round tight spots and made exact, delicate cuts. The blade’s flexibility let me effortlessly glide it alongside the spine with little waste. I discovered that the marginally curved form naturally adopted the contours of the fish. The deal with, made out of sturdy and easy polypropylene, supplies a safe, comfy grip, even when moist. Whether or not working with small mackerel or bigger barramundi, this knife delivered an unbeatable mixture of sharpness, agility, and luxury.

What we didn’t like: The worth is excessive for the common one that might not have to fillet fish usually. 

Key Specs

• Blade size: 7 inches
• Blade materials: Excessive-carbon metal
• Blade Flexibility: Excessive
• Deal with size: 5 inches
• Deal with materials: Polypropylene with metal rivets
• Weight: 5 ounces
• Out-of-the-box sharpness common: 66
• Put up-testing sharpness common: 68
• Cleansing: Hand-wash

What we favored: The sharpness of the blade genuinely shocked me. I didn’t have to use a lot strain to slice proper by way of bones, fins, pores and skin, and scales. Regardless that the sharpness score from the tester was increased (that means it was much less sharp) than the Wüsthof, it felt sharper because of the curved design. A blade with excessive curvature naturally follows the form of the fish and is designed to glide the sting alongside from tang to tip, chopping by way of with out a lot strain and offering expert-level outcomes. 

What we didn’t like: The blade is just not versatile, requiring a bit extra finesse to work round tight areas. I don’t make a behavior of dealing with knives with moist palms, so I had no challenge getting a safe grip on the deal with, nevertheless it could possibly be slippery when moist. Curved blades like this one aren’t as straightforward to sharpen and would require a little bit of observe. 

Key Specs

• Blade size: 6.5 inches
• Blade materials: VG-MAX metal with folded Damascus cladding
• Blade flexibility: None
• Deal with size: 4.5 inches
• Deal with materials: Pakkawood
• Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Out-of-the-box sharpness common: 105
• Put up-testing sharpness common: 120
• Cleansing: Hand-wash

What we favored: Most individuals in all probability don’t want a top-dollar fish fillet knife, and the Victorinox comes at a low-enough value that you would be able to decide one up simply to have readily available. The marginally curved tip was helpful when maneuvering round small bones, and the size of the blade was greater than enough to take away fillets from the physique. The plastic deal with and chrome steel development are unfussy to scrub.

What we didn’t like: Although the deal with is 5 inches lengthy in complete, a cumbersome thumb guard and rounded butt provide you with an efficient 3.5 inches of hand house. Bigger palms would possibly discover this to be a tad uncomfortable. There have been a number of spots the place the knife struggled to make clear, easy cuts because of sharpness. The center-of-the-road sharpness meant I needed to apply extra strain than I’d have favored as properly, which typically led to jagged edges and extra meat left on bones.

Key Specs

• Blade size: 8 inches
• Blade materials: Stainless-steel
• Blade flexibility: Medium
• Deal with size: 5 inches
• Deal with materials: Plastic
• Weight: 3 ounces
• Out-of-the-box sharpness common: 145
• Put up-testing sharpness common: 187
• Cleansing: Hand-wash

The Competitors

• Zwilling Professional Fillet Knife: This can be a superb knife with first rate sharpness and glorious flexibility, although it was outperformed by our winners. The worth is on the upper finish. 
• Dexter-Russell P94812 Fillet Knife: The blade was stiff and uninteresting, even when recent from the field. This resulted in much less exact, messy cuts. Couple that with a thumb guard that stands out and prevents you from getting a superb horizontal slice when skinning, and I needed to go.
• Rapala Fish ‘n Fillet Knife Basic: I didn’t discover the wood deal with to be all that comfy to carry. The blade made a multitude of fillets.
• International G-30-8″ Versatile Swedish Fillet Knife: Whereas this knife is decently versatile and light-weight, the size makes it tough to work with.
• Misen 7.5-inch Fillet Knife: This knife didn’t impress me with its sharpness, flexibility, or design, and it provided middling outcomes.

FAQs

What’s a fillet knife good for apart from fish?

Skinny and versatile, a fillet knife is a superb possibility for eradicating silver pores and skin and undesirable bits from rooster, beef, or pork and different proteins. You need to use your fillet knife to get translucent slices of prosciutto or different cured meats when you don’t have a slicer. In a pinch, you might use a fillet knife to do delicate work on vegetables and fruit. 

What’s one of the simplest ways to scrub a fillet knife?

Not one of the knives on this check suggest cleansing within the dishwasher, and I wouldn’t suggest it both. To scrub the knife, merely wash with soapy water and dry with a clear towel.

What’s the greatest fillet knife sharpener?

In case you’re contemplating buying a fillet knife, it’s probably that you simply’re severe sufficient about your cutlery to have some concept of how greatest to sharpen. We choose whetstones for sharpening, and a 1000/6000 grit stone ought to do properly for returning your edge to razor-sharp.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Taylor Murray has labored in meals and meals media for over 10 years, together with in award-winning eating places like Eleven Madison Park. She has written extensively for Severe Eats. (Take a look at her opinions of carbon metal pans and carving boards.)
• Taylor examined eight fillet knives, utilizing every to manufacture mackerel and barramundi. Throughout testing, she evaluated every knife’s sharpness, usability, and design.