This knife I had a different plan for, but it did not end up the shape I was aiming for.  This knife was an order I was to copy another guy's skinner, still ended up as a nice knife in my oppinion. It is an integral.   I had an order for a fillet knife, so I made 2 I was not supper happy with either, but I think they will cut fish this one is an intergral.

  This is a small Caping knife, and integral.

  A friend traded a pair of ram horns for me to make this small skinner for him, this is dall sheep horn handle, with a bear track damascus blade no bolster.

All nice, but I love the sheep horn! That really is nice.

I love the patterns in your steel. Nice little collection! I'll be over later to get them.....thanks for holding on to them for me! :)

Really a nice batch!  I too love the ram's horn skinner!  As for the filet knives... I have found that it is quite difficult to have blades as wide as yours that will also flex properly!  Even with factory made filet knives I often regrind the tapers thinning the blades in both directions especially toward the tips.  My old friend Ted Trueblood used to like to use old boning knives honed for so many years that they were worn very thin.  Personally I prefer to work at my knife grinder and adjust the tapers to get a nice smooth flex that is especially soft near the tip.  As example my current favorite filet knife is only 5/8" wide by 1/32" thick at the base and tapers to a sharp point over it's length of 5 5/8" an inch and a half from the tip it is only about 1/64" thick along the spine.  This is a knife that I bought and has good steel but was stiff as a 2 X 4 before I reground it tapering it in both thickness and width.  It is still a little firm on the flex, but quite good for using! Most knife makers seem to way over size the blades of their filet knives... even manufacturers who make thousands of them.  Spend time at the grinder and check to feel for and see a smooth firm but NOT hard flex as the knife is bent.  At least that is my advice.

Thanks for the compliments guys. I also really liked the sheep horn knife, I am just starting to use more expensive handle material, not going to jump into ivory before I goof up a bunch more wood and some antlers.

   Big foot I have made fillet knives before, and had them more flexable than these and you are right the flexable ones are thinner. I have made some that are not thin and not flexable as well they both will work, but most people seem to like the flex more, my brother who guides salmon fishermen for a living and of course cleans their fish for them uses a buck knife with absolutely no flex. That does not mean it is the way to go, just shows that not everyone likes the same thing. I may need to make another as I think my customer wil want more flex, and I want him to be happy.  

   Darren if you are willing to come get them, just send me the cost of your airline ticket or gas if you would rather drive and I will box them up and save you the travel time. :)  

Of course it makes a difference what kind of fish you are filleting too.  I mostly fillet bluegill and for larger fish a longer and firmer knife is better.   I wouldn't use my bluegill knife for filleting salmon.

 We don't have blue gills here, I did see my father-in-law fillet some this past Christmas. I was suprised at how small a bite of meat he got. He also skinned them I imagine that flex would be huge there.

Actually for skinning I use the firmer part of the blade... skinning is easy if you leave the tail or a part thereof on each fillet to hold and have a wet surface to slide the skin on... the knife is stationary and the skin is pulled under it so the meat curls like a plane shaving.  You really need the flex to get the cutting portion of the blade parallel with the board as you split the fish down each side of the backbone leaving about half a tail on each side!  When you have it down the meat slice in the center is gossamer thin!  Lotsa meat on a salmon compared to a bluegill but cutting salmon for preservation is QUITE an ART among the native peoples that have traditionally depended upon them for food!  

the Best of the Best is the Rapala  Knife collection (http://www.rapala.com/Rapala/Knives/Collectors/rapala-knives-collectors,default,sc.html) the forge form and design is the up most knife to forge and grind for a fillet knife . they have been around for many years . take a page from them on design ,grind and thickness . you have some very nice knives  .

 

Sam

Thanks Sam. Here is the first one that I completed for 2013. 15n20 and 1080, with caribou antler handle, intregal bolster and guard, I think it was about 160 layers.

well do looks good nice patten on the blade and good fit and finish .

 

Sam

You're getting better and better at these things Mark. Your pattern contrast is really standing out for good effect. And while most of these profiles are not my preference outside the caping blade they're still excellently done.

 

I've always filleted fish with my Buck or a kitchen knife. I have a couple fillet knives and they're okay but I like more rigidity, heck the fish has all the flex I need. <grin> Filleted a Grunion on a dare once I think that was the hardest yet. Halibut are easier than they look but a machete is probably more to scale. I skin fish with the skin on the table and slide the blade on the skin, I don't think I've ever nicked the meat except maybe the time we started celebrating before everything was done. <Hick hick, burp.> Skinning likes some flex and fillet knives work pretty well.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the compliments Frosty. I will be at the gun show instead of our meeting later this month trying to sell some of these things. Seems with the time you get into one of these the price gets bumped up there and practical people shy away. They are kind of addictive to make though. The last few days I have been working on orders for iron work so I have not had time for knives. I am hopeing to get some bills paid though. :)

Very nice work!

really like your damascus

Thanks guys.