Fillet knife just completed

[2703adam]

Hello again,

Well this is my first fillet knife. It is made from a piece of leaf spring steel forged out with a hidden tang and the handle is cedar and poplar in a wasp tail shape. A friend at work asked for a fillet knife so I told him I would do it. It was a learning experience for me and I can guarantee that if I do another one of these I will be sure to hammer the knife a lot thinner before I heat treat. Man I thought I would never finish grinding . I didn't realize how thin this thing needed to be before it would be flexible. Oh well, every knife is a learning experience and that's why I love doing it. Over all it is 12 3/4" long, the blade is 8" long. The handle has a super glue finish, which I love. Enjoy!


-Adam

P.S As always comments/criticism welcome, just don't be to mean. :)

[bigfootnampa]

One reason that you had to thin it so much is that you have made the blade too wide, especially at the tip. It should taper in width as well as thickness to get the right flex and the tip should be quite thin in BOTH directions. It is okay for the blade to be moderately stiff about halfway along it's length but the couple of inches at the tip need to be pretty flexible and shockingly SHARP! I have not made my own but I have re-tapered filet knives that I have bought because many of the factory models have the same flaws that yours does. It makes a BIG difference. My old friend Ted Trueblood favored old boning knives that were nearly ground away from years of use and many sharpenings. He caught a few fish in his lifetime! Here is a link to a factory made knife that does have the right type profile.

Filet Knife

As you have discovered filet knife making is all about the GRINDING and the SHARPENING.