Fillet knife (aka fillet) - a device for obtaining the ideal fish fillet. In a standard set of knives, the filet is not always included, and usually the housewives do with a simple chopping. However, if you fillet fish often and often, a special filet knife for fish becomes a necessary tool. About how to choose it correctly - in the proposed material.
Material Content:
Distinctive features of a filet knife
Like any knife, a filet consists of a blade and a hilt. However, both parts of the structure have their own distinctive features.
Blade
Blades of sirloin knives differ from others in the following characteristics:
- blade width is less than the width of the handle;
- the blade thickness is small, due to which the blade retains a certain
- flexibility;
- sharpening angle - 25 degrees;
- the shape of the blade is uniformly elongated, elongated with a straight or slightly bent upward point.
Of great importance is the quality of steel. The best are considered sirloin blades of the following materials:
| Type of steel | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 95*18 | Alloy with high corrosion resistance, excellent sharpening, has high flexibility and fracture strength. |
| 65*13 | Very popular high alloy alloy for the production of knives. It has high strength, holds sharpening for a long time, does not rust. |
The attention of many housewives, due to the beautiful patterned surface, is attracted by damask steel fillets. These blades are really strong and durable, but they are characterized by low corrosion resistance. In care, such knives are quite troublesome.
The length of the blade of the loin may be different and depends on how large the fish is planned to fillet. For convenience, a knife is chosen whose length is at least 1.5 times greater than the width of a fish carcass.
Handle
An inconvenient handle can nullify all the advantages of a blade. Therefore, when choosing a knife, it is important to pay attention to this functional part of it. It is better to give preference to the concave shape of the handle, which fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Many lovers are equipped with a limiter at the junction of the blade and the handle. This part protects the hand from slipping to the blade, but is not fundamentally important for a loin knife.
The handle of modern fillet knives are made of wood, plastic or rubber. Each material has its pros and cons:
| Hilt material | Advantages | disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | • aesthetic appearance; • the handle does not slip in the hand when wet. | • the handle absorbs the smell of fish; • requires more complex cleaning care. |
| Plastic | • low weight; • hygiene; • a large selection of colors and designs. | • the handle may slip when wet. |
| Rubber | • high stick strength; • hygiene; • a large selection of colors and designs; • does not slip when wet. | •not detected. |
Some manufacturers offer fish fillets with birch bark handles. It is tactilely pleasant material with high performance. However, when choosing such a knife, you need to make sure that the handle is made qualitatively, otherwise various problems may arise: clogging of the joints with grease or sliding of the birch bark winding to the blade.
Sheath
The scabbard is not a required accessory for home knives. However, fillets are often used by fishermen to cut carcasses directly at the place of fishing. In this case, the sheath becomes an important addition to the loin knife.
When buying a knife in a sheath, you need to pay attention to two points:
- normal fixation - the knife should not fall out of the sheath;
- hygienic, easily washable, odorless material.
Before you send the knife to the scabbard, you need to wash it and wipe it dry.
Whetstone
The sharpness of the knife determines how quickly and efficiently it will be possible to cook the fillet. Therefore, the blade of the loin is important to maintain in perfectly sharp condition.
Some manufacturers sell special sharpeners complete with knives, adjusted to the desired sharpening angle. If you have to buy this accessory separately, it makes sense to pay attention to manual sharpeners with two or three slots. They are equipped with bars with different grain sizes, so they allow you to sharpen the knife in stages.
If you have the skill of sharpening knives yourself, you should look for sharpening sets on sale. For example, the Japanese company Fujitora produces kits consisting of four diamond bars of different grain sizes, a clamp that allows you to keep the right angle and other necessary accessories.
If for some reason there is no certainty that it will be possible to sharpen the loin manually, you can purchase an electric sharpener.
Appointment
The loin is not used as a knife for cleaning fish, they do not cut steaks and do not perform other manipulations. This tool has a very narrow specialization, and its entire construction is subordinated to one goal - the separation of thin, long and even layers of fish meat from bones and skin.
Professional fish cutting knives
The process of cutting fish on a fillet consists of the following operations:
- cleaning from scales;
- opening of the abdomen and gutting;
- separation of fins and head;
- molding;
- removal of the spine and costal bones;
- separation of the pulp from the skin.
It is impossible to do all this with one loin. Therefore, professional knives for cutting fish include a shker knife. It is used for the first three operations, and only after that the loin is used.
Electric filet knives
It is convenient to use electric knives for plasting and filleting of large volumes of fish. However, this device will be interesting for simple housewives, who focus on the speed of cooking.
An electric knife for cutting fish can work from a conventional power supply network, and from a battery, and even from a car cigarette lighter. Therefore, such a tool is indispensable for fishing. For example, the Berkley Deluxe model has special terminals in the kit, with which the knife can be powered directly from the machine’s battery.
Often, electric knives are equipped with interchangeable blades of different lengths. Their common characteristic is a jagged edge. Therefore, sharpening such knives is best done in the workshop.
How to choose a fish fillet knife
Returning to the question of how to choose a sirloin knife for fish, we can summarize the foregoing and highlight five main points:
- A quality fillet knife should be made of good steel, resistant to corrosion. It is worth giving preference to alloys that hold sharpening well.
- The hilt of a filet knife should not slip in wet hands, absorb the smell of fish and create difficulties when cleaning.
- The length of the blade should be matched to the length of the carcass. A universal option is considered to be a loin 19 cm long.
- The shape of the blade is narrow, elongated, preventing pieces of flesh from sticking to the blade.
- The blade must be flexible. Check the compliance of the knife with this parameter by bending the tip. A good filet bends in both directions by 2-3 cm.
Complementing the selected filet knife with good scabbard and a high-quality sharpener, you can get an excellent tool that will last for many years.
Manufacturers
It is traditionally believed that the best fish fillet knives are made in Finland. Trademark "Rapala" firmly holds a leading position in the middle price segment.
A lot of positive feedback is deserved by Japanese-made fillets, to which the brand belongs. "Kasumi". They are more expensive than Finnish ones, but it is they who are most often used by professional chefs.
According to Western ratings, excellent professional fillet knives are produced by a German company Wusthof. This is an old brand that has been supplying the market with a reliable and high-quality product for 200 years.
Among Russian manufacturers can be noted Russian Damask. In this company you can order both a typical loin and a designer gift model. Also, excellent handmade knives are made in a knife workshop "SV Blade" in the city of Vorsma.
Cost in Russia
A good filet knife is an expensive pleasure. Average prices for loin loops are as follows:
| Trademark | Average cost, rub. |
|---|---|
| "Rapala" | 2000 |
| "Kasumi" | 5100 |
| Wusthof | 7500 |
| Russian Damask | 3600 |
| "SV Blade" | 4900 |
Of course, you can buy a filet knife at a lower price. In online stores come across models for 500-800 rubles. However, given that this tool is purchased, almost for life, it is better not to skimp and not to save on quality.
