If you’re looking for a heavy-duty fish filleting knife, look no further. You’re going to like the Smith’s Sea Hunter Curved Fillet Knife. It is stout enough that I’d also recommend it for trimming the fat cover on a brisket or slicing a ribeye into steaks.
It has a stout, thick blade. It’d be a great fillet knife for fish with coarse scales and thick bones that you have to cut through, like redfish and big stripers. However, make no mistake, it will also work on filleting lighter, scaled, and smaller-boned fish.
Smith’s Sea Hunter Curved Fillet Knife
Today, I had Sam Bruder, a guide at the legendary Plummer’s Lodge in the NWT, test out the Smith’s Sea Hunter 9-Inch Fillet Knife on a northern that he had fried up for our shore lunch. I took a new knife, still in the package, for him to test out.
The first step was to check the sharpness. Whoa, ok, it easily passed that test. It has a 9-inch blade, which, for me, is as long a blade as I’ll ever want for filleting. If my fish need a longer blade than that, then I’ll do a double cut. I suppose it’s a matter of preference to some degree, but I had a striper guide a year ago who balked at using, I believe, either a 7-inch or an 8-inch fillet knife that I had him test out. He just wanted to make one fast cut and be done.
Personally, I don’t favor anything over a 6-inch blade, but that’s what I used for years in beef packing plants. We only used 8-inch knives for trimming fat. And I guess we did use a 12-inch knife for two cuts.
- To mark (Separate the hindquarter.
- Mark the forequarter (Make the cut between the 5th & 6th rib).
However, some guides prefer to make one-and-done cuts. Sam didn’t rush through but followed the contour of the bones, thereby greatly increasing the yield, which is the correct way to do it. He did a good job filleting the whole week which isn’t the case with a majority of the guides in the country. Many of them want to whip them out and be done.
As with all knife jobs, one size doesn’t fit all. Without having time to do extensive testing with the Smith’s Sea Hunter 9-Inch Fillet Knife, I’d say it’d be better on larger, thick-scaled, big boned fish.
The Smith’s Sea Hunter Curved 9 inch Fillet Knife does have some features that I like. It has a full-sized handle that affords for a good grip. It features a slight inward groove, allowing your little finger to lock in, and a finger hole for your pointer finger. On this knife, you’ll have about as good a grip as you’ll ever have on a fillet knife. If your hand slides forward onto the blade, it’d have to be classified as operator error! If you like lanyards, a hole is drilled in the hilt of the handle, allowing you to install one.
As with all of the Smith fillet knives, it comes with a hard plastic sheath. The sheath slots are cut on both sides to allow for good air ventilation. This will help slow down the rusting of the blade and prevent bacterial growth. The blade snaps firmly into place, so it shouldn’t slip out under normal working/fishing conditions.
The MSRP on the Seahunter 9-inch Curved Fillet Knife is $64.99. As usual, we will close with the specs.
Product Features:
- 9” BLADE – Smith’s 9” Curved Fillet Knife is a curved straight-edge fillet knife made with corrosion-resistant coated 400 series stainless steel and will make filleting and deboning a breeze.
- FILLET KNIFE – The razor-sharp edge is ideal for filleting various fresh or saltwater fish types. The handle features a lanyard hole for easy tethering and will quickly become your go-to.
- ERGONOMIC HANDLE – The soft grip non-slip handle allows you to be comfortable while having a safe and sturdy grip for efficient knife work, and the ergonomic handle will help prevent fatigue.
- EASY CARE – Simply wipe your Smith’s Sea Hunter 9” Curved Fillet Knife with a damp cloth for the best care and long-lasting use. This knife will make a great gift for the fisherman in your life!
- SHEATH INCLUDED – This fillet knife comes with a breathable protective sheath to protect the blade and keep you safe in between jobs, proving this knife’s versatility and function.
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
