Everybody needs a good knife, but one man’s garbage is another man’s gold. So I collected an eclectic variety of knives, carried them, cut with them, boned up on their materials, and tested each component against their intended use. Whether you carry in your pocket or on your belt, or go tactical with a neck knife or drop it in a tackle box, I’ve got a piece you’ll keep handy, whether on the boat, on the dock or in the back yard. I found knives for hard workers for under $20 to “not-too-pricey” craftsman blades that make an admirable piece of art.
Montana Mini Speed Goat 2.0
Josh Smith is a master knife-maker who has been handcrafting knives in Montana for over 30 years. This blade is a downsized version of the company’s most popular Speed Goat. The 3-inch blade is legal in most states for open carry and is ideal for close work around the dock, while fishing, and for handling lines. The full tang blade features a paracorded handle for reliable grip and made for easy open carry. And it is easy to customize with the paracord color of your choice. A concealed pocket-carry leather sheath is $65 or dress it up in gator leather for $130.
In Action: The paracord handle makes the Mini easy to carry in a pocket, and its weight is unnoticeable there or on a belt. The blade will shave the hair off your arm, but I didn’t have the patience to chop lumber with it—that’s part of the test for proving a master knife-maker’s mettle.
- Size: 6 3/4″
- Weight: 1.21 oz.
- Price: $200; montanaknifecompany.com
Montana Flathead Fillet
This knife is so beautiful, I wouldn’t use mine for over a year. When I finally, reverently, lifted it from the shelf, I was sorry I’d been hoarding it. It’s Magnacut stainless steel is designed to balance edge retention, flexibility and corrosion resistance—all mandatory properties of a reliable fillet knife. There’s only one hardness level above it that probably wouldn’t be practical for a blade that needs to flex. The heft and balance come from a properly sized grip of laminated fiberglass and epoxy. To be a master, you have to present five knives to the judges that can cut a ½-inch rope in one pass, cut two two-by-fours in an unlimited number of chops or cuts and still be able to shave hair with it. Oh, and the temper must allow it to bend at 90 degrees without breaking.
In Action: I haven’t filleted a fish with it yet, but I’ve dismembered a chicken for the pot, and it shaved just as nicely afterward as before. The handle is easy to grip, and I agree with the master on the balance—it just feels great in the hand.
- Size: 7.5″ blade; 12.375″ length overall
- Weight: 4.5 oz.
- Price: $300; montanaknifecompany.com
True Titanium Block Multitool
This True pocket-size multitool is an astonishing value (amazon.com). The Tanto blade deploys single handed with a thumb bolt and locks in place. Returning it to the fold is also one-handed, by depressing an internal blade lock with the thumb. The blade is of 3Cr13 steel, a metal that forges well and with 3 percent chromium alloy, and a titanium nitride coating, resists corrosion. This steel is known for taking an edge when re-sharpening becomes necessary. The screwdriver blade locks at 90 degrees or straight out at 180 degrees to be used as a wrench or driver, respectively. A Phillips and a flat blade bit store in the tool magnetically, and it includes a bottle opener—all weighing in at a svelte 1.5 ounces, making it the ideal pocket knife.
In Action: In a test of its edge-holding ability, I used it to open the tough plastic clamshell of another knife, first using the tool to slice paper, and found it sheared off paper equally well after the tough task of cutting hard plastic. This little $23 multitool is quite a pleasant surprise.
- Size: 3.78″ x .79″ x .91″
- Weight: 1.5 oz.
- Price: $22.99; amazon.com
True 7-inch SYK Fillet Knife
The blade is of 9Cr18MoV steel, a high-carbon (.95 percent), high-chromium (18 percent) alloy that resists corrosion while taking and holding a sharp edge. A bright green Cerekote finish further ensures long-lasting durability and anti-corrosion properties in salty fishing situations. The bright blue handle of a material called TraxGrip is firm but “sticky” to the hand, ensuring a reliable grip. The sheath is made of 100 percent recycled plastic and the knife slides in and snaps in securely. The SYK line includes blades from 4- to 9-inches plus one serrated 9-inch blade.
In Action: I didn’t find it as willing to shear paper as the multitool blade, but have used the SYK series blades boning chicken and filleting fish with excellent results. A balance of flex and stiffness enables proper positioning for easy fish skinning and boning, and even with wet fish slime on the hands, the grip remains secure.
- Sizes: 4″ to 9″
- Weight: 4.2 oz.
- Price: $42.99; amazon.com
Gerber Center-Drive Plus
This tool has everything but a hammer, yet comes with a nail puller in the handle. Its screwdriver folds out to be perfectly centered (the cause of its name) for balanced driving. The pliers have a wire cutter precise enough to cut monofilament and larger braid. The 420 high-carbon stainless-steel blade sports a smooth razor edge on the pointy end and serration closer to the handle—ideal for cutting rope. Scissors, a file, bottle opener and 12 screwdriver bits in the included leather sheath fill out the array of usefulness. Driver bits include hex, star, square, flat and Phillips.
In Action: I have used Gerber multitools for years, and I have two that are more than 20-years old; they’ve seen heavy saltwater use and remain rust-free and fully functional. The Center-Drive is easy to use due to its centering design, and the knife slices paper with no snags. The scissors cut from the finest material, such as braided fishing line, to the toughest, such as heavy mono.
- Size: 4.7″
- Weight: 9.5 oz.
- Price: $164.99; amazon.com
Relentless Venator Skeleton Knife
Relentless knives are scary sharp (amazon.com). This one is made from aircraft-grade titanium and has what Relentless calls Perpetual Edge Technology. This is a carbide and diamond composite added to just one side of the aircraft-quality titanium blade. Never sharpen it—or if you do, only sharpen the noncoated edge. It sharpens itself like a beaver’s teeth in use, honing the softer titanium side as it works through material leaving the carbide diamond edge intact, forming what Relentless calls micro serrations that cut…relentlessly. The Venator Skeleton knife is idea for its light, compact shape and titanium’s ability to slough off corrosion. It’s titanium handle works great as is, but is designed to allow the owner to customize it with paracord braid adornment and extra grip. It comes with a Cordura sheath.
In Action: The micro-serration edge tends to snag paper, so it may not slice as smoothly as a traditionally smooth-edged blade. But what it does do is hold its edge while cutting almost anything, including leather, cardboard, and fish bone.
- Size: 6.8″
- Weight: .8 oz.
- Price: $109.99; amazon.com
Benchmade Undercurrent
It’s made for the water with Magnacut stainless steel and a grippy, sticky Santoprene Sheeps foot (it kind of looks like a sheep’s foot) handle. The drop point is still pointy enough to work into tight spaces with little effort but not sharp enough to inadvertently pierce something—such as an inflatable toy or RIB tube. For cutting rope, there’s a bit more than an inch of serration near the handle and it smooths out to a hair-cutting curved edge to the point. It snaps positively into a polymer scabbard and won’t come out until the thumb latch is depressed. If you do manage to dull it, Benchmade will put a complimentary new factory edge on it—and there’s no limit to how often.
In Action:This is a substantial and hefty tool in the hand and its handle is definitely grippy, even when wet. It’s scabbard can be strapped on a belt or suspend it on a lanyard via the hole in the butt.
- Size: 4.32″ blade; 9.44″ length overall
- Weight: 5.38 oz.
- Price: $250; amazon.com
Read Next: Choosing the Right Tools for Boat Repairs
Relentless 6-Inch Curved Fillet Knife
This is a stiffer 6-inch fillet knife with Relentless’ carbide/diamond Perpetual Edge on one side of the aircraft-grade titanium blade and boron nitride on the other side. This coating acts as an anti-friction compound. The blade’s flex is just right for skinning while maintaining the backbone needed to fillet large fish, such as grouper or snapper. To add to the knife’s comfort and utility, it has been fitted with a glass-reinforced handle coated with high-friction material that remains secure even in the oiliest, slimiest hands. The blade’s balanced flex, corrosion-proof titanium blade with boron nitride on one side and the carbide/diamond Perpetual Edge on the other should rarely need to be sharpened.
In Action: I’ve tested several, cut through fish bones, skinned fish and smoothly separated perfect fillets from ribs and spine. I’ve had a couple for nearly ten years and don’t recall ever needing to hone the edge. Whether my hands were wet, slippery or slimy, it always remained firm in my grip.
- Size: 6.8″
- Weight: 8 oz.
- Price: $109.99; amazon.com
