Thread: Sharpening fishing fillet knife

I want to import my knowledge about sharpening razor to my fly fishing hobby. I have taken the edge of my fillet knife to a almost shavable edge with my coticule but I am wondering if it is the right way to sharpen this kind of knife. Can an edge be too fine (or polish) to do the right job? Should I use a lower grit stone (at this point, the fish won't mind a less comfortable edge...)?

Tight line!

What kind of fish do you usually catch and or fillet..
I used to work on a fishing boat and always had several types of knives depending of the catch. I always felt that a too sharp knife would not skin the fillets that well on delicate skin fish because it would just cut through the skin as opposed to glide along it.
Alot of saltwater fish you can get away with it a bit more but I find fresh water fish the skin is not as tough.
What kind of knife? I had a preference for Dexter Russel knives...all carbon steel and they held a great edge.

Freshwater fish: bass, trout and perch. I use a "hand ground" Rapala knife made with stainless but I would be surprise if it is great quality steel. It doesn't cost that must. I used it on these fish with success but I wonder if the edge is too delicate when sharpen the same way as razors are. Will a lower grit leaving a more "serrated" edge be more efficient?

From I have seen in the past is that serrations are not that much of a benefits. I have used the same type of knife in the past and literally have just chucked it..
I never was able to get or maintain a good edge on them...but back to the serration thing...I don't think it would do you much good to have a more serrated for lack of a better term edge.
I tend to find that it will just "rip" the meat off of a fillet as you are pulling the knife.

Well, the micro serrations might very well help.
Of course the edge has to be fine enough, but microserrations work.
I remember Mike Blue saying that's the reason why wootz blade can outcut most other things in cutting tests.
The carbide dendrils create small protrusions where the softer Iron has worn away, thus acting like teeth on a very fine hacksaw.

And a too fine edge can crumble. This is more related to honing angle. I once got a cheap knife so sharp I could cut half inch thick branches clean through just by flicking the edge against it. And then the edge just fell to pieces because the steel was crap

That's the micro serrations I had in mind. Would a coticule edge be too fine then?