Hand Forged Fillet Knife, 8 Inch Carbon Steel Blade, Amber Resin

Taking the fillets off a fish means running a thin blade along the backbone and over the ribs without leaving meat behind. That is the job here and nothing else. The blade is 8 inches of 1095 high carbon, dark from the forge along the spine, and the handle is amber resin. No pattern, no etching. What you see on the steel is what the hammer left.

Specification

The blade

1095 is plain high carbon steel with nothing added for looks. The bevel is forged down thin and ground fine, so the blade has enough give to follow the ribs and enough backbone to stay controlled when you push the tip. The spine stays dark gray with the hammer marks on it, and the bevel is a bright satin. The tip is fine and upswept. Carbon steel darkens as you use it and it will spot if you leave it wet. That is the trade you make for steel this plain.

The handle

Amber resin is a poured block, sanded back, and it takes in no water. Wet hands and fish slime do not soften it, and it will not swell or crack the way a porous wood can. The color runs deep gold with darker movement through it. The tang is full and runs the whole length of the handle, with brass pins through the scales. Five inches of handle leaves room to choke up for tight work or sit back for a long stroke.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather, cut and stitched by hand, with a welted edge so the seam sits proud of the blade. The face is stamped in a basket weave, pressed in one strike at a time. A snap strap holds the knife in. It covers the blade and stops there, so it is for keeping an edge covered in a drawer or a bag rather than riding on a belt.

Who it suits

If you have looked at the etched blades here and would rather put the money in steel than in a pattern, this is the one.

• Anyone who wants a plain working blade
• Cooks and anglers filleting fish at home
• People who like carbon steel and do not mind drying it
• Anyone replacing a knife that flexed further than they wanted

What comes in the box

• The 8 inch fillet knife
• The hand stitched leather sheath
• A care card
• A lifetime warranty against defects

Every piece is different

Every blade is forged and ground by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out the same. The hammer marks land where they land. Resin is poured and cut, so the gold in your handle will not match the photographs exactly, and the leather takes the stamp differently every time.

Looking after it

Hand wash it in warm water, then dry it straight away. Never leave it in the sink or the dishwasher. Give the blade a light coat of food safe mineral oil before it goes away. Cut on wood or plastic, never on glass or stone. When the edge starts to slide, take it back on a stone at the angle already there. More sits on our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits, enough for a name and a date. On plain steel the letters read clean. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and that adds 3 to 5 business days to the order. Engraving is free on orders of 10 or more. See the engraving page for what fits.

Questions buyers ask

Why is there no pattern on the blade? Because it is plain 1095, not pattern welded steel. What shows came from the forge.

Is plain steel a step down from Damascus? No. Our Damascus is pattern welded over a high carbon core. The choice is about the finish.

Will it rust? It can. The steel darkens with use and spots if left wet. Dry it and oil it lightly.

How long does shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

Is this the same as a boning knife? No. This one is long, thin and has give, for following the ribs of a fish. Boning knives are shorter and stiffer.

Does the flex make it fragile? No. It bends to follow a fish and comes back straight.

If you want the pattern, the Damascus fillet knife in olive wood does the same job. For meat rather than fish, the hand forged boning knife with a black micarta handle runs the same 1095, shorter and stiffer. The rest sits in fillet and boning knives, 1095 high carbon and gifts for him.