Pacific Salt doing some fish work.

[Surfingringo]

It's been a while since I've put up any glamour shots of my Salt cleaning fish so here ya go. I love this knife! Actually, I love both of these knives.

[Ruarch]

Do you find the serrations make it more difficult to clean them? Love the Salts! Keep the pics coming.

[Surfingringo]

Do you find the serrations make it more difficult to clean them? Love the Salts! Keep the pics coming.

Hi Ruarch, I do all the actual fillet work with the Phil Wilson. The Pacific Salt does things like steaking and head and tail removal. The serrated edge excels at some of the rough work and saves the edge on my fillet knife.

I have actually filleted a few mackerel with the serrated salt and while certainly not the best tool for the job, as long as it is kept very sharp it works surprisingly well.

[elena86]

I'd like to see a picture of a SE Pac Salt near an aussie Salty.Both have deadly teeth.But your shot has glamour indeed Lance.

[Surfingringo]

I'd like to see a picture of a SE Pac Salt near an aussie Salty.Both have deadly teeth.But your shot has glamour indeed Lance.

Haha, I kind of hope you never get your wish. Australia isn't the only place where those big boys swim in the ocean. I see them from time to time on my kayak, sometimes MILES from the nearest rivermouth. Some of those guys go 6 meters down here.

[Mushroom]

Great picture, thanks for sharing!

[elena86]

Keep'em coming

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Would the Pacific Salt be a good one to clean an octopus or squid with or no?

[Ruarch]

Do you find the serrations make it more difficult to clean them? Love the Salts! Keep the pics coming.

Hi Ruarch, I do all the actual fillet work with the Phil Wilson. The Pacific Salt does things like steaking and head and tail removal. The serrated edge excels at some of the rough work and saves the edge on my fillet knife.

I have actually filleted a few mackerel with the serrated salt and while certainly not the best tool for the job, as long as it is kept very sharp it works surprisingly well.

Hi Surfingringo, so the H1 SE holds up to sawing through bones pretty well? And does well with filleting? I will have to try it out.

The reason I ask is because my (cheap not-quite-walmart-version) fillet knives dull pretty fast and I am guessing it is because I cut right to the bone and make sure I go through the meat and into the bone and draw across the ribcage. It could just be that they are cheap knives and would dull on paper. I guess I just grew up with cheap fillet knives and have just now thought about getting a decent one.

[Doc Dan]

That Salt probably makes short work of heads and tails. Thanks for the pics.

[Surfingringo]

Would the Pacific Salt be a good one to clean an octopus or squid with or no?

Hi SEF, never messed with octopus but I prefer a plain edge for cutting squid. It is so soft and squishy that a se tends to pull it too much.

[Surfingringo]

Do you find the serrations make it more difficult to clean them? Love the Salts! Keep the pics coming.

Hi Ruarch, I do all the actual fillet work with the Phil Wilson. The Pacific Salt does things like steaking and head and tail removal. The serrated edge excels at some of the rough work and saves the edge on my fillet knife.

I have actually filleted a few mackerel with the serrated salt and while certainly not the best tool for the job, as long as it is kept very sharp it works surprisingly well.

Hi Surfingringo, so the H1 SE holds up to sawing through bones pretty well? And does well with filleting? I will have to try it out.

The reason I ask is because my (cheap not-quite-walmart-version) fillet knives dull pretty fast and I am guessing it is because I cut right to the bone and make sure I go through the meat and into the bone and draw across the ribcage. It could just be that they are cheap knives and would dull on paper. I guess I just grew up with cheap fillet knives and have just now thought about getting a decent one.

Hi Ruarch, remember that i said the se salt was capable of filleting, not that it was good at it. Until Spyderco comes out with the Phil Wilson collaboration fillet knife I would just get a $20 Dexter Russel. A gazillion commercial fishermen can't be that wrong.

[Surfingringo]

Do you find the serrations make it more difficult to clean them? Love the Salts! Keep the pics coming.

Hi Ruarch, I do all the actual fillet work with the Phil Wilson. The Pacific Salt does things like steaking and head and tail removal. The serrated edge excels at some of the rough work and saves the edge on my fillet knife.

I have actually filleted a few mackerel with the serrated salt and while certainly not the best tool for the job, as long as it is kept very sharp it works surprisingly well.

Hi Surfingringo, so the H1 SE holds up to sawing through bones pretty well? And does well with filleting? I will have to try it out.

The reason I ask is because my (cheap not-quite-walmart-version) fillet knives dull pretty fast and I am guessing it is because I cut right to the bone and make sure I go through the meat and into the bone and draw across the ribcage. It could just be that they are cheap knives and would dull on paper. I guess I just grew up with cheap fillet knives and have just now thought about getting a decent one.

Hi Ruarch, remember that i said the se salt was capable of filleting, not that it was good at it. Until Spyderco comes out with the Phil Wilson collaboration fillet knife I would just get a $20 Dexter Russel. A gazillion commercial fishermen can't be that wrong.

And remember, when cleaning fish, a coarse low grit edge is your friend. I freehand my fillet knives on a 600 grit Lanky diamond stone. The finished edge will still shave facial hair but has a TON of bite so requires much less force when cutting through skin and scale and will "grip" the media instead of sliding across it. This results in much less downward force and much better edge retention.

edit: Apparently I quoted my own post rather than editing it. Oh well.

[bearfacedkiller]

I passed on the Southfork (so far) and am very interested in the Sprig. I would be EXTREMELY interested in a Phil Wilson fillet knife. Do you know something Lance? Please tell me this is a real possibility. :-)

I second the Dexter Russel option. They are wildly popular in the fishing industry. I have contacted them directly and they use 1095 at 56-58 for their carbon steel knives. It is not some crazy steel or hardened to high hardness but they are affordable, quality and American made and the steel is durable and easy to sharpen. I actually use a Dexter Russel filet knife and a Dexter Russel Chinese cleaver quite a bit.

[Ruarch]

Do you find the serrations make it more difficult to clean them? Love the Salts! Keep the pics coming.

Hi Ruarch, I do all the actual fillet work with the Phil Wilson. The Pacific Salt does things like steaking and head and tail removal. The serrated edge excels at some of the rough work and saves the edge on my fillet knife.

I have actually filleted a few mackerel with the serrated salt and while certainly not the best tool for the job, as long as it is kept very sharp it works surprisingly well.

Hi Surfingringo, so the H1 SE holds up to sawing through bones pretty well? And does well with filleting? I will have to try it out.

The reason I ask is because my (cheap not-quite-walmart-version) fillet knives dull pretty fast and I am guessing it is because I cut right to the bone and make sure I go through the meat and into the bone and draw across the ribcage. It could just be that they are cheap knives and would dull on paper. I guess I just grew up with cheap fillet knives and have just now thought about getting a decent one.

Hi Ruarch, remember that i said the se salt was capable of filleting, not that it was good at it. Until Spyderco comes out with the Phil Wilson collaboration fillet knife I would just get a $20 Dexter Russel. A gazillion commercial fishermen can't be that wrong.

And remember, when cleaning fish, a coarse low grit edge is your friend. I freehand my fillet knives on a 600 grit Lanky diamond stone. The finished edge will still shave facial hair but has a TON of bite so requires much less force when cutting through skin and scale and will "grip" the media instead of sliding across it. This results in much less downward force and much better edge retention.

edit: Apparently I quoted my own post rather than editing it. Oh well.

Thank you sir! I have never bothered to sharpen a cheap knife, just got a new one. I will have to use a low grit and try that.

[Surfingringo]

I passed on the Southfork (so far) and am very interested in the Sprig. I would be EXTREMELY interested in a Phil Wilson fillet knife. Do you know something Lance? Please tell me this is a real possibility. :-)

I have heard Sal mention that they are working on something. Not sure if it is near future or far over the rainbow. I believe there was even a prototype at Blade this year? Someone please correct me if i'm wrong about that.

[El Gato]

Enjoyed the nice photo. Always fun to see knives at work.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I don't know if this would be doable or the market would be amendable to it, but I have wondered if Spyderco would ever make something along the lines of a Spyder-streamlined version of the Dexter-Russell meat and fish skinning knives popular in the professional butchering industry and fishing world. I have a friend who worked the fishing boats and he would use nothing but the Dexter line of knives. Believe it or not, he claimed he chose the carbon over the stainless, because it was easier for him to personally sharpen to a shaving edge and he rinsed and cleaned `em up anyway so the rust never really got in the way.

I mean, yes, Spyderco makes the kitchen series of blades, but picture something like the Russell sheep or beef skinner, but, with FRN handles, and either H1 or VG10 or some other exotic steel blade. Would it go well for sales or probably not?

[arty]

I think that a Spyderco fillet knife in a good steel would sell. By good steel, I mean something like S35V or VG10, preferably S35V.
Other companies have fishing knives in VG10 and are selling them (Fallkniven). Bark River and Warther have fillet knives in S35V, and I have been using one of my Warthers in the kitchen for some time.
If Spyderco puts out a new fishing knife, it will sell, for sure. I'll likely get one, assuming the specs are right.

[Surfingringo]

I think that a Spyderco fillet knife in a good steel would sell. By good steel, I mean something like S35V or VG10, preferably S35V.
Other companies have fishing knives in VG10 and are selling them (Fallkniven). Bark River and Warther have fillet knives in S35V, and I have been using one of my Warthers in the kitchen for some time.
If Spyderco puts out a new fishing knife, it will sell, for sure. I'll likely get one, assuming the specs are right.

Hi Arty, last I heard they were discussing doing the fillet knife in cpm154. I don't remember if I read that here or heard it at the Blade show. Either way I would be really happy to find out it were true because it is a great steel! I chose cpm154 for my custom fillet knife that Phil made me.