Fishing Knives

A fishing knife lives in the worst conditions a blade can face: salt, water, and long spells shut in a damp box. That is why the steel choice matters more here than the shape.Fillet blades. Long, narrow and flexible, so the blade can follow the backbone and ride over the ribs rather than cutting through them. Six to eight inches suits most freshwater and inshore fish; nine inches and up is for salmon and larger saltwater species.Steel. For boat and saltwater use, 440C stainless is the right answer and we will say so plainly. Our Damascus takes a finer edge and looks far better, but it is reactive carbon steel and it will spot if it is put away wet. If the knife lives in a tackle box, choose stainless.Ours. Full tang, hardened to 58 to 60 HRC, with grippy handle materials and a fitted sheath.Will a Damascus fillet knife rust? Yes, if neglected. Rinse the salt off, dry it, wipe a little mineral oil down the blade, and it will last a lifetime. Ignore it for a weekend in a wet bag and it will spot.How flexible should a fillet blade be? Enough to flex under light hand pressure, not so much that it wanders. Stiffer blades suit bigger fish.Can I use it for bait? Yes, but a thin fillet edge is not a chopping edge. Keep it off bone and shell.

Not sure which one you need? See boning knife vs fillet knife.

Sheath and carry on the water

Every fixed-blade fillet and bait knife here ships with a hand-stitched leather sheath included, wet-formed to the blade and drilled at the tip so water drains instead of sitting against steel. Full-grain cowhide, waxed saddle stitch, welted edge, belt loop. If your fishing knife lives in a tackle box rather than on a belt, say so at checkout and we will build it a flat pouch sheath instead.

One honest warning: leather and salt water are not friends. Rinse the sheath in fresh water at the end of a saltwater day, let it dry away from direct heat, and condition it a couple of times a season. Treat it that way and it will outlast several rods.

Does the fishing knife come with a sheath? Yes, a hand-stitched leather sheath is included with every fixed blade, wet-formed to that model and drain-drilled at the tip.

Will a leather sheath survive salt water? With a rinse and a dry after each saltwater trip, yes. Left wet and salty in a hatch, no leather survives, ours included.

What is the best steel for a fishing knife? 440C stainless. It holds a fillet edge and shrugs off brine far better than carbon Damascus, which wants oiling after every trip.

Do you make a floating or dive knife? Not a floating handle, but our 440C fixed blades are the right steel for dive and boat work. Ask and we will point you at the models divers actually buy.