A couple of 12 months and a half in the past I wanted a bigger fillet or breaker knife for the sushi place I work at to interrupt down bluefin tuna and different fish. It wanted to be a protracted knife with a superb quantity of spine and never a lot flex. I might have gone with a big Deba knife, however with how a lot they’ve gone up in worth together with the upkeep and care wanted with Japanese knives I made a decision to search for one thing else. I’ve all the time seen BUBBA promoting round and different fishermen use them as properly on the pier and boats so thought why not. I acquired a few large BUBBA blades, a 9-inch Stiff Fillet Knife, and a 12-inch Flex Fillet Knife. However right this moment I’ll solely be reviewing the 9-inch Stiff Fillet Knife.
The packaging of the stiff fillet knife was alright for a sub $50 knife. It got here with some paperwork, decals, and stickers. The knife got here in sharp and with a nylon webbing sheath. First dealing with the knife, you’ll discover the deal with has nice grip and texturing. The titanium nitride coating on the blade could be very slick and can shield the metal from corrosion in the long term. The blade has a hole grind close to a few 1/2 inch up from the sting after which a secondary bevel for the sting. This type of grind for the blade will make for a really inflexible blade. Worth-wise these knives are a bit greater than different choices obtainable, however you do get extra options within the deal with and blade coatings. I acquired the Stiff fillet knife from Amazon again in April of 2021 and paid about $49. I do need to say the present MSRP for the knives is $69.99 however they nonetheless promote on Amazon for $61 now.
After utilizing the knife for over a 12 months I’ve to say I prefer it, the grip has held up properly over time and even when my gloves had been coated in grouper slime or tuna fats, they stayed grippy and didn’t twist or slip in my fingers. The titanium nitride coating has additionally held up properly, even with being scrubbed with abrasive Scotch Brite pads often when cleaned. The metal itself holds up properly and doesn’t boring to rapidly. Even when going via bones I haven’t had many points. I’ve solely rounded the sting a few occasions up to now 12 months. Each of them had been my fault for simply making an attempt to cut a tuna spine like I used to be utilizing a cleaver or machete.
To check simply how properly the knife stored its edge I did go for so long as I might with out sharpening or touching up the sting. I used to be capable of comfortably use it for about three weeks of arduous use, breaking down a number of large tuna and a bunch of grouper and yellowtail. I’ll say the knife does take extra effort than different knives to get actually sharp, as soon as the sting actually will get worn. Even utilizing some nicer ceramic stones going from boring to razor sharp is an concerned course of, that can take a good period of time. So for lots of people, it is a large turn-off, however in the event you really feel assured in your sharpening expertise or don’t thoughts spending time sharpening, this might be a non-issue. I did discover so long as I stored doing common touch-ups with a better grit ending stone perhaps as soon as every week the sting would keep sharp with little effort. The stiffness of the blade was nice for placing in a number of power to push via bones and scales with none flexing or twisting.
The BUBBA Stiff Flex fillet knife labored nice for lining out tuna. I might power via the thick scales and boney plates across the dorsal fin with out a lot subject. The pin bones and ribs of the tuna didn’t trigger points both, through the use of my different hand behind the blade I might simply push the knife via the bones. I might use it to interrupt down large fish like bluefin tunas and cobia, however it nonetheless might be used for filleting out smaller snapper and speckled sea trout. Even being a big stiff blade the great curve on the tip made straightforward work of filleting out these smaller species. I’ll say although, this isn’t a superb skinning knife although. However actually you need to have a factor “fillet” knife for taking good care of skinning in any case.
Total I really feel the BUBBA 9-inch Stiff Fillet Knife is an efficient selection in the event you’re needing a superb high quality breaker knife and are comfy round a whetstone. They’re tremendous solidly constructed even when abused, the coatings maintain up properly over time in tough circumstances, and the no-slip grip has held up properly with minimal yellowing or tackiness from deterioration. A 12 months and a half and I’m nonetheless pleased with this knife and see much more time with it until it goes over the facet of the boat as lots of my earlier knives have. And even when it does go into the drink, I’d greater than probably go purchase one other one.
