Dexter 8” Sofgrip Fillet Knife
Buy Here for $40
We all know what to do when someone brings home the bacon, but what happens when someone brings home a whole striped bass?
As myself and many of you can attest, the fine knife-work required to fillet or skin a larger piece of fish is not easily accommodated by even the highest quality french-style kitchen knife. This work requires the slender, flexible and extra sharp blade of a fillet knife.
In the realm of knives, one can easily go down a rabbit hole of craftsmanship, provenance and specificity; but you can also just buy a Dexter knife and know that you have the perfect tool for the job. By most accounts, Dexter is the industry standard for commercial fishermen in the US.
I am not an accomplished angler, but I have the pleasure of living with a friend who is both a fisheries professor and passionate fisherman. I have always noticed he has Dexter knives on the boat and in the kitchen drawer, and when I asked him about it, he said “You won’t find me on any boat without at least two Dexter knives, sharp as hell.” When you see the trademark white ribbed handle of a Dexter knife, you can be sure you have the proper instrument.
As a longtime American-made object dilettante, the utility and quality of these knives piqued my interest. Dexter has been manufacturing in SouthBridge MA since 1818 and all of their products come with a lifetime warranty.
While Dexter manufactures an impressive array of specialty knives and tools, you can believe The Hardware Store Of My Dreams is stocking at the very least, the classic 8” Sofgrip Outdoor Fillet knife - shoutout to Dexter for dropping the T in “soft”, not needed in ‘merica. There is an argument to also carry the wood-handled version of the 8”, but in matters related to dressing fish, having the outdoor model in the kitchen drawer is a nice flex. An 8” model is a good all-around tool that can handle all sizes and types of fish.
If you happen to go on the Dexter website and treat yourselves to one of these knives, I’d highly recommend you also pick up an Edge 1 Sharpener to keep your tool operating at peak performance, as well as a 2 ⅜ Sanisafe Providence Pattern Oyster Knife for shellfish.