To see how professionals fi llet fi sh, visit boatingmag.com.PHOTOS: JON WHITTLE (CUDA, BUCK), COURTESY BUBBA BLADE, RANDY VANCE (3)Cuda
7-inch WideFillet
$22.99; CUDABRAND.COMBLADE: Made of 4116 German stainless
steel, this wide blade is high in titanium
for corrosion resistance and edge-
holding qualities. It’s honed to a flat
bevel for easy resharpening and nicely
curved for working around rib bones.
GRIP: A combination of clear hard plas-
tic (you can see the full tang through it)
and uniquely contoured grippy, scaled
rubber gives a strong grip, but its
the shape that gives good control
of the cutting angle.
IN THE BOX: Cuda knives are packaged
without sheaths for bench work and
priced well for commercial applications.
BEST FOR: Its stiff back offers plenty
of power for cutting through tough rib
cages on snapper, mahi and kingfish.
CUTTERS’ REMARKS: It proved slippery
in our soap test, but Justin found the
handle’s holes gave secure purchase
for the thumb and forefinger. It was his
favorite blade of the test due to good
ergonomics and a relatively stiff blade.
He kept coming back to this one.
Strokes to cut ½-inch hemp: 1
Strokes to cut hemp after resharpening: 1
Strokes to resharpen: 12
Sharpness after honing:Best
Slip resistance: Best
Corrosion resistance: Best (only one spec
occurred near the grip)Bubba Blade
9-inch Tapered Flex Fillet
$54.95; BUBBABLADE.COMBLADE: High-carbon hard (RC 56-58)
stainless steel honed to a flat bevel, the
blade is nonstick-coated for easy clean-
ing and corrosion protection. It flexes
nicely for skinning but has surprising
backbone for cutting ribs.
GRIP: Only the Titan blade has a grip as
large and comfortable to hold. Rubber
over polymer, the oval handle’s size fits
big hands, plus features a prominent
finger and thumb guard and cups for
the thumb and forefinger for maximum
blade-angle control.
IN THE BOX: Ballistic cloth sheath with
belt loop and hook-and-loop holder.
BEST FOR: Big fish, salt or fresh water;
curved for boning and ideal for kings,
mahi and amberjack. Its stiffer blades
would be better for snapper or grouper.
CUTTERS’ REMARKS: The handle shape
and size made up for material that was
slippery when soapy or slimy. Justin
used the finger cups on the handle sides,
while Jose liked the thumb grip. Both
would’ve preferred the 9-inch Stiffie.
Strokes to cut ½-inch hemp: 1
Strokes to cut hemp after resharpening: 1
Strokes to resharpen: 10
Sharpness after honing:Best
Slip resistance: Best
Corrosion resistance: Best (slight
corrosion was easily honed away)Buck Knives
Clearwater
$50; BUCKKNIVESFISHING.COMBLADE: The 6-inch blade is made of
420HC (high carbon) stainless steel
hardened to a Rockwell hardness factor
of RC 58. It combines a durable, sharp
V-grind edge with corrosion resistance
and easy resharpening characteristics.
The blade’s back is sharpened to cut
ribs while preserving the main blade for
boning and skinning.
GRIP: Molded nylon with rubber covers
the skeleton, and a hard nylon bolster
and finger grip add safety. There is a
wrist lanyard loop on the tang end.
IN THE BOX: The knife snaps firmly
into an injection-molded sheath with
drain holes.
BEST FOR: Panfish to walleye, small-
mouth bass and trout; snapper and
seatrout. It’s an excellent skinner with a
good flex level for finer-boned fish.
CUTTERS’ REMARKS: The flexible blade
would be useful for skinning or on
smaller fish requiring a lighter touch.
The grip was small but secure.
Strokes to cut ½-inch hemp: 1
Strokes to cut hemp after resharpening: 1
Strokes to resharpen: 12
Sharpness after honing: Best
Slip resistance:Best
Corrosion resistance: Good (some
corrosion persisted after honing; the edge
was not diminished)SHARPNESS3SHARPNESS3SHARPNESS3RESISTANCESLIP3RESISTANCESLIP3RESISTANCESLIP3RESISTANCECORROSION3RESISTANCECORROSION3RESISTANCECORROSION296 BOATINGMAG.COM JUNE 2016