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Random Quote: fish tremble at the mention of my name!
I agree. I bought my dad, younger brother and myself each a gift set last year for Christmas that included two dexter russell knives. After using them a couple of times I woulnd't go with anything else. The handle is very comfortable and easy to clean. The blade is sharp and cuts great.
I just got a Forschner (Victorianox) 8" flexible fillet knife and leather sheath for less than $50. There is no better fillet knife than Forschner, period.
I use the Dexters mostly, but when I have a mess of smaller fish (rarely of course ) I like the wood handle Raplas the best, flexible and I'm able to easily put a edge on them best for some reason.
dexter with carbon blades take an edge better but will rust. rap it in a towel with vegtable oil. If you go with the dexter stainless blade less rust but does not take an edge that great.
I use the Dexters mostly, but when I have a mess of smaller fish (rarely of course ) I like the wood handle Raplas the best, flexible and I'm able to easily put a edge on them best for some reason.
It's all in the steel. I could get into the molecular reasons the steel but the bottom line is that in order for a blade to hold an edge it has to have carbon. The higher the carbon content the sharper the blade. Rapala uses a stainless which is high in carbon which is why it take such a good edge but it will also take on a “rusty” look from time to time. Compare the steel alloy used in say a J.A. Henkel or a Kershaw knife to that used in a Dexter Russell or any of the other mid-grade knives and the difference in teh steel is obvious.
I purchased a Buck filet knife with a brown rubber handle back in 1991 for $17 at Wal Mart. It had a great flexible stainless blade that never rusted and was easy to keep sharp. That knife handled so many fish over 15 years I've lost count. I finally managed to break the blade off at the handle this summer. Sent the knife back to Buck two weeks ago and they replaced it for free with their new Buck 229 Ulti-Mate Ocean. Can't beat that for an inexpensive quality product with excellent customer service. The new knife arrived early last week and it seems to be an updated version of the same quality knife. http://www.thebladeshop.com/index.as...ROD&ProdID=505
PS I purchased an SS Dexter Russell two years ago so the white handle would match my shiny new white Sea Hunt. It now sits in a landfill because of the broken tip and a very rusty blade. So much for SS!
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2005 Sea Hunt 202, Honda BF150 2009 Toyota Tundra
I keep a couple of stainless Dexter Russell knives on my Contender, as they're somewhat resistant to rusting; I also have a friend who swears by his Cutco. However, when it comes to using extremely sharp, no-nonsense, high-carbon fillet knives that really hold an edge, my favorites are the Cold Steel fillet knives. They truly are sharp enough to shave with, and they maintain their edges through a lot of use and abuse. They're also amazingly affordable as Cold Steel knives go: http://www.coldsteel.com/fixed-blades-filet-knives.html
Filet knife opinions 
) I like the wood handle Raplas the best, flexible and I'm able to easily put a edge on them best for some reason. 
