SHIMANO unveiled its fillet knife range earlier this year, and together with a long list of rods, reels, lures, will have it on show at this week’s AFTA tackle show on the Gold Coast.
I’ve been using the 6-inch version of the fillet knife over the past couple of months. In addition to the 6-inch, there’s also a 7 and 9-inch for the bigger jobs.
The knives are built using a 5CR15 stainless steel blade and come coated in a black teflon coating for added rust resistance. There’s also a “vented” sheath supplied. The vent is for removing moisture when being stored. The blue handles feature a soft grip with a scale pattern. The material, according to Shimano, is designed to prevent contamination.
So how did they perform? I judge a knife on its ability to stay sharp without the constant need to sharpen. I also want something grippy, and a knife that feels comfortable to use. And finally, it needs to be safe!
The Shimano fillet knife ticks all of the above boxes. I used it extensively filleting a bunch of tailor and Aussie salmon over several trips and only needed to resharpen it once. The salmon in particular are slimy and have a tough skin; the perfect fish to test these knives. The handle was very grippy, even when coated in that gooey Aussie salmon slime (hungry still?). I probably should have opted for the 7 or 9-inch version to be safer, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the Shimano fillet knife cutting through the tough exterior and leaving a nice fillet. The blades have a small amount of flex, a handy feature for smaller fish.
They’re a nice looking knife with the blue handle, slotted sheath and black blade. But more importantly, they performed well and a durable and safe knife and I’d gladly recommend them as an every day fillet knife for the boat or kitchen. They’re also well priced with a RRP of $39.99.
More info at fish.shimano.com/en-AU
