This becomes infinitely easier to transform your catch into fine table-fare, when you have the perfect knife for your task.
Be it when you are busy settling a shore lunch on the banks of a lake or cleaning at home at the latest limit on the kitchen counter, the fillet knife is the one that will perform in the quickest, safest, and most efficient way.
Choosing the wrong knife could be harmful? An inappropriate choice can make you waste precious meat, fish-cleaning duties could be frustrating or a slow process, and may increase the risk of getting you harmed or cut.
So, from transitioning your catch of fish from lake to your plate, pick the right type of folding fillet knife. These thin, flexible, relatively short and narrow blade knives will let you experience and enjoy the easy maneuverability, precision cuts, and a perfect blend of control while you handle cutting different types of fish and field-dressing big game.
Not all the fillet knives are the same, and out of the literally countless options we have shortlisted some of the coolest brands of folding fillet knives here.
Expert advice: Choose with care the right fillet knife, weighing the very many aspects such as the design, quality, raw materials, and your affordability.
Recommended Read: Senzu Knife Sharpener Reviews | Perfect For All Kitchen Knives
COMPARE 3 BEST FISHING FOLDING FILLET KNIVES
★ Premium Choice ★
- Great “Cigarette” Light Attachment
- Ergonomic Handle And Sharp Blades
- Enough Power For Max Performance
★ Best Overall ★
- Waterproof Handle
- High Quality & Durable Knife
- Flexible And Corrosion Resistant
★ Best Budget ★
- Easy To Operate
- Thin And Flexible Blade
- Belt Case Is Lightweight
SOME OF THE DECASE FILLET KNIFE AVAILABLE ARE:
★ Most Recommended ★
1. Columbia River Knife & Tool Folding Fillet Knife
They have named it right as you not just hold CRKT but confidence. The Columbia River has been doing wonderfully for the past 25 years and they believe in innovation and integrity.
The brand is known to be the most renowned independent knife designers in the world. The knife is designed by Ken Steigerwalt in Orangeville, Pennsylvania, and is robust enough which reflects in the terrain they come from.
Even more than the cordless fillet knives, these folding fillets are quite appreciated by fishermen. These sit safe and secure and the tail locks blade into the place for security. The convenient carry reinforced nylon sheath offers many options. The limited lifetime warranty covers any defects in workmanship and materials.
Pros:
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Designed with innovation and integrity.
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Safe and secure to use.
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Limited lifetime warranty.
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Nylon sheath included for storage.
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It folds down to a tackle box size.
Cons:
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Excellent fillet travel knife, but larger fish take time and effort due to the small size of knife.
★ Most Recommended ★
2. Toadfish Stowaway 7" Folding Fillet
This folding fillet knife is a combination of ergonomics of a full-length fixed knife, high-end performance along with versatility of a folding knife.
This comes in a convenient size that fits into kitchen drawers, tackle bags, boat boxes, or travel packs. The Stowaway doesn’t need a bulky sheath.
The knife features a titanium-coating on its 7” high carbon stainless-steel blade and also on all internal stainless-steel components. This provides superior salt-tough corrosion resistance for saltwater conditions. The anti-slip raised rib rubber grip lets the user feel comfortable filleting experience.
Pros:
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Features a full-length ergonomic handle.
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7” Titanium Coated Salt-Tough Blade.
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Anti-slip raised rib rubber grip.
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Comes with a Stowaway Carabiner.
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Salt-tough and corrosion-resistant components.
Cons:
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A new release nice folding fillet.
★ Most Recommended ★
3. Bubba Sculpin Folding Knife
Like the other great brands even Bubba are the proud creators of some of the iconic, and non-slip grip knives that offer superior quality-performance.
The Bubba Sculpin are persistently the most durable fillet knife on water. The demanding saltwater conditions are easily met by this tough knife. This features a finger flipper for quick access, liner lock for a secure cut and thin profile for easy carry.
This remains reliable with a jumping and a guard for a secure grip and protection from the blade and spines of fish. For any kind of detailed precision cutting, this is an ideal knife and the super thin blade allows effortless maneuvering.
Pros:
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The dimensions are 8.5” overall length with 4” blade.
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Ideal pocket knife.
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Makes precision cutting tasks easier.
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Features a jumping and a guard for safe grip.
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For close carry and secure travel this owns a pocket clip.
Cons:
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The knife is less salt-water friendly as compared to the others in the category.
★ Most Recommended ★
4. Berkley Electric Fillet Fishing Knife
Berkley, a brand that needs no introduction, has expertise in making superior quality fishing gear and has created some of the best electric fillet fishing knives.
This electric fillet knife comes with precision ground blades that males cut fish a lot more effortlessly than experienced anglers. This is not a dangerous knife but you need to be careful while using it.
The carrying and storage is quite easy as this comes with a nice carrying case and maintenance is absolutely easy. The side-release buttons prevent any accidental blade release during operation and the ergonomic design keeps you safe and confident. This is an 8” stainless-steel blade that resists corrosion and runs on 110-volt power for maximum performance.
Pros:
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Fillets your catch with ease.
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Features precision ground blades.
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Side release button prevents accidental release.
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Stainless-steel construction resists corrosion.
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Rune on 110-volt power.
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Includes carrying case.
Cons:
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Difficult to cut through large fish.
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Blades may get jammed so proper care needed.
★ Most Recommended ★
5. BUBBA 7" Tapered Flex Folding Knife
You can just unfold perfection with the 7” tapered flex folding knife. This folding knife is specially designed for anglers who possess a lifestyle of adventure and need a highly portable knife that is built-to-last for a lifetime.
Durability is completely related to how versatile a knife is to handle the freshwater or saltwater fish.
This knife folds down decently for easy storage in a tackle box, boat, or your pocket. The knife measures 15-inch overall length, 7-inch blade, and an 8-inch handle.
The Ti-nitride coated rust-resistant blade cuts through scales easily and features an extra sharp tip that makes you cut like a breeze. The belt loop enables a hands free carry. The folding knife comes with a sheath and a lanyard hole for added-security.
Pros:
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Designed for anglers.
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Non-slip grip handle.
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Super thin serrated edge.
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Features safety guard for protection.
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Cuts medium and large-sized fish effortlessly.
Cons:
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Sharp and portable but a bit higher-priced than its counterparts.
★ Most Recommended ★
6. Outdoor Edge Fish & Bone Fillet Knife
The Outdoor Edge Fish & Bone is a perfect folding knife that makes the task of deboning big game and filleting fish a lot easier.
This is a 5” razor-sharp 440A stainless-steel with an overall length of 11.3”. The fish & bone knife is lightweight, slim, and easily fits in your pocket, backpack, tackle box, or flying bag.
The blaze orange handle not only appears good but a double-molded Zytel handle that features a rubberized, non-slip TPR that inserts securely.
This one is an ideal option for filleting trout, bass, catfish, walleye, perch, rock fish, and processing wild game including, big game, and big game. The add-ons such as Mossy Oak nylon belt sheath make it more useful.
Pros:
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Slim, lightweight, that fits anywhere.
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Non-slip grip keeps it safe.
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Blaze-orange handle is easy to spot.
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Includes a Mossy oak nylon sheath and pocket clip.
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Perfect fish filleting and deboning folding knife.
Cons:
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Users of this knife are satisfied with this excellent foldable fillet knife.
★ Most Recommended ★
7. Kershaw Folding Fillet Knife
Kershaw’s folding fillet is something that every cook or angler would appreciate to include in their tackle box or part of fishing gear. This is an example of a good outdoor knife.
This is a high-quality fillet which is tough, comes with a sharp 420J2 stainless steel folding blade and exhibits ideal corrosion-resistance that can be used in a wet environment. These are easy to sharpen and maintain.
The softer steel of the knife blade enables easy cutting through the fish’s body without breaking down. For easy portability and access, the knife is drilled to accept a lanyard.
This high-performance, reliable, and cutlery knife is used for purposes such as boning, camping, stabbing, slicing, filleting, skinning, and hunting etc. The knife opens manually and back lock secured blade during use.
Pros:
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Hunters, bakers, chefs, cooks, or fishermen benefit from this.
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High-quality, durable cutlery knife.
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Softer steel enables blade to bend without breaking.
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Tough, quality, sharp stainless-steel folding blade.
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Back lock secures blade during use.
Cons:
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May get rusted, care has to be taken.
Things To Look For While Buying Folding Fillet Knife
Before you go out to purchase a new fillet knife, a few things should be considered –
The Blade
The Blade is probably the most important part of the fillet knife, as it determines the type of cut you will be able to make and how clean the cut will be.
You should make sure that the blade you are choosing is corrosion resistant in a wet environment, particularly salt water affects the performance of the blade.
A Stainless Steel Blade is a good choice and is quite common on fish fillet knives and is usually corrosion resistant.
Handle grip and comfort
When you use your fillet knife, one with a comfortable grip and handle, makes the process of slicing and dicing easier and quicker.
When you are fishing out, you might be using the knife with wet hands, which requires a non-slip grip for you. If you are wearing gloves you need a strong grip on the handle before you start cutting.
All the knives come with a range of different handle materials from traditional wood to plastic or rubber. It’s a matter of personal preference which handle material you choose. Be sure that it is comfortable to hold, while you are cutting and consider your slicing conditions.
Size matters
You may not think of the size when it comes to choosing a knife as long as it is sharp. Actually choosing the correct size of knife and blade plays an important role in determining how easy it is to cut and fillet a fish. It all basically comes down the type of fish you plan on catching.
Blades are available in various lengths, each lens suited for a particular size and type of fish. The shorter blades are beneficial for use on smaller fish such as crappie or where precision cutting is required. You may use a medium-sized blade , around 7 to 7 and a half inches with Trout or bass.
The large size blades are better suited to large fish, the size of the knife should be considered when you think about your storage or transportation options. If there is shortage on space, a folding knife is a good option.
Strength
Along with the size of blade, also consider its strength to make sure it’s able to do the job that you want. Fillet knives are available in a variety of blade thickness levels.
The thinner blade you choose the more flexible it should be. A flexible knife is handy for using on small fish and for removing bones but may not be good at slicing large fish as there may be less strength in the blade and too much flexibility.
Electric Fillet Knives
To fillet fish with an electric knife is possible, and it could be handy, if you try to fillet a lot of fish after a successful fishing trip, and can be quicker.
Many electric knives let you change the blades, so you should use specific blades for different cutting purposes. It can be a good idea if you fish in different areas and catch variety of different species of fish and so need several knives .
Q1. Is It Right To Put A Folding Fillet Knife In A Dishwasher For Cleaning?
Ans1. Be it a folding fillet knife or any other knife, the best way to take care of them is to keep them clean and dry. It is recommended to hand wash them with warm and soapy water for the best results. In the dishwasher, the blades tend to remain soaked in water for some time and that could be harmful to their longevity.
Q2. Which Is The Best Folding Fillet Knife?
Ans2. Columbia, Kershaw, Outdoor Edge, and a few more mentioned above in the article are some of the well-known folding fillet knife brands. They are known for their versatility, durability, reliability, and quality. You can pick the one which suits your need as an angler, chef, hunter, and fisherman, etc.
Q3. What Is The Standard Size Of A Fillet Knife That I Should Buy?
Ans3. There are folding fillet knives that are available in different blade lengths of 6, 7, 8 inches, etc. For cutting through smaller fish you can go for a blade which has length comfortable and not very long. The 7 inch is an ideal and generous size for performing various filleting tasks (big and small both).
Q4. How Long Do The Folding Fillet Knife Last?
Ans4. Any good knife will help you for a lifetime like your best friend. The same applies to a folding fillet knife and if good care and maintenance are done by you of your possession then these knives are built-to-last long and strong.
Q5. Is A Case Or Sheath The Right Place To Store A Knife?
Ans5. Yes, if you are outdoors and want to make the best of it then a folding fillet knife with a case or sheath remains more protected and safe. Even in your indoor kitchens the case or sheath tends to offer the same protection. Ensure that you keep your knife clean and dry before you insert it in its cover to prevent overtime rusting and blade damage.
The Wrap Up
These were some of the really great folding fillet knives, your best overall choice being the Columbia river knife and Tool Clark folding fillet knife-with Buck Knives Silver Creek folding fillet knife and Rapala folding fillet knife, not too far behind.
The Gerber Controller 6 inch folding fillet knife is a great saltwater choice. When you are in the market searching for a folding fillet knife, you may also want to check the best fillet gloves for fishing. You can never be safe when it comes to your hands and knives.
It is also recommended to check out the article on hunting knives and knife sharpeners to help you keep your knives in the best condition possible.
