Best Fillet Knife for Tuna [2024 Review]

When filleting a tuna fish, the right knife can make all the difference you need to take your cooking to a higher level. The best type of fillet knife is one that is sharp, efficient, comfortable, and easy to use. In order to help you choose right, I have compiled the best fillet knife for tuna.

My Top Fillet Knives for Tuna

Whether for professional or casual cooking, here are the best fillet knives that can help you slice through your tuna fish without any hassle:

Best Efficient Fillet Knife for Tuna: KastKing Fillet Knife

This fillet knife from KastKing is top on my list because of the efficiency with which its nine-inch razor-sharp blade works. The blade is made of pitch-black stainless steel, and has a serrated top, making it the only blade on my list with these qualities. It is sturdy and strong, and yet, curved and tapered, making it easy to follow the natural contours of your tuna.

The handle of the knife, made of super polymer, is super comfortable, and thanks to its slip-resistance, ensures that you have a solid grip on your knife, thereby preventing mistakes that could destroy your cutting, or worse, inflict a physical injury. This handle, however, has to be thoroughly cleaned to get rid of the fish odor. Finally, this knife has a protective sheath that can easily be removed and fixed.

The KastKing fillet knife is the only knife on my list with drain holes in its sheath, to ensure your knife stays dry when not in use.

Pros

• Stainless steel construction of the blade makes it resistant to damage
• Strong blade that can easily cut through tuna of any size
• Curved and tapered design allows for smooth hand movement during filleting
• Comfortable handle that promotes a stronger grip
• Comes with a sheath for added protection

Cons

• Blade might require occasional sharpening due to dullness
• Retains fish smell and has to be thoroughly cleaned

Best Professional Fillet Knife for Tuna: Dalstrong Fillet Knife -Gladiator Series

If you are a professional chef looking for a quality fillet knife for your tuna cooking, the Dalstrong Fillet Knife could very well be your best bet. This knife is manufactured from high-quality materials with state-of-the-art technology that promotes outstanding performance, no matter the size of the tuna. Unlike the KastKing knife made of nine inches of stainless steel, the Dalstrong knife blade is made of a forged German high carbon steel with a six-inch blade.

This material is known to have a super-sharp edge that will make slicing easy, and a blade that stays sharp for longer. It also gets rid of the unpleasant fishy odor way quicker than stainless steel.

The handle, made of G10 fiberglass, has an ergonomic design for agility, comfort, and control. It also has a non-slippery hold to make cutting more precise and safe, and unlike the KastKing, does not require harsh cleaning to get rid of odors. This fillet knife comes with a perfect fit sheath that ensures safety from the blade at home or on the go but has no drain holes.

Pros

• Curved, tapered blade allows for easy tuna cutting.
• Ergonomic, non-slip handle for increased comfort during cutting.
• German high carbon steel blade which is more efficient than stainless steel and stays sharp for longer.

Cons

• Sheath of this knife has no drain holes, which means except properly dried, the blade stays wet while not in use.
• Handle is fairly heavy.

Best Tuna Fillet Knife for Harsh Use: Mercer Cutlery Renaissance Forged Fillet Knife

With a five-star rating, this tuna fillet knife from Mercer is indeed a beast when it comes to slicing through tuna, which is thanks to the high-quality materials with which it is constructed. The blade on this knife is seven inches long, making it ideal for most sizes of tuna. Made with one single piece of forged high carbon steel that is heat/cold resistant, oil-resistant, and rust-resistant, this fillet knife is easily the most heavy-duty knife on my list.

Its blade has a sharp tip that can be used as an edgy pointer to check the cooking status of your tuna.

The triple-riveted Delrin handle of this fillet knife is ergonomically friendly to grant ease, comfortability, and agility to your tuna cutting and cooking. The handle has a rounded spine shape that gives it a unique look, and a full tang runs through the entire length of the handle, providing extra balance. However, unlike the Dalstrong and KastKing Knives, the handle of the Mercer Cutlery Renaissance fillet knife lacks a satisfactory slip resistance, which could lead to mistakes during tuna cutting and physical injuries.

Pros

• Forged blade promotes sturdiness.
• High quality design of the knife makes it suitable for heavy-duty tuna cutting.
• Can withstand high or low temperatures without losing its shine.

Cons

• Blade is not curved, which could limit smooth and easy cutting
• Non slip-resistant handle could lead to sloppiness

Best Design Fillet Knife for Tuna: Rapala Fish N Fillet Knife

If you are on the lookout for a highly artistic and classy-looking fillet knife for tuna, then your search should begin and end with the Rapala Fish N Fillet Knife. This knife has a better aesthetic than all other knives on my list. Also, it is efficient for both home and restaurant use.

Its blade is six inches long and made of full-tang stainless steel, which gives it resistance against damages, rust, and shines loss. The blade, although not exactly curved, has a finely tuned, sharp edge that can de-skin your tuna or debone your tuna perfectly.

The tang of this knife runs the entire length of its handle, therefore ensuring balance. The handle is made of reinforced and varnished birch, so you do not have to worry about it breaking or absorbing odors from your tuna. Just like the Mercer Renaissance knife, the handle of the Rapala knife is smooth and not very slip-resistant.

However, there is a slight dent in the index finger, which gives a little bit of grip. Also, this fillet knife comes with a real leather sheath for protection, but this sheath does not allow for water drainage.

Pros

• Stylish design
• Stainless steel construction, promoting resistance against rust
• Tapered and flexible design for easy filleting

Cons

• Handle offers very little slip resistance
• Leather sheath has no drain holes which prevents the blade from staying dry while sheathed.

Best Tuna Fillet Knife for Efficiency: Lucky Cook Sashimi Sushi Knife

The Lucky Cook Sashimi Sushi Fillet Knife is specially designed to slice through delicate flesh as effortlessly and swiftly as possible without destroying the structure. The blade of this knife measures up to 10 inches of stainless steel, making it the knife with the longest blade on my list. This blade size makes it easy to fillet your tuna in only a few motions, no matter its size.

Also, thanks to its super-sharp edge and asymmetrical design, this knife offers good balance, especially for angled cuts. One unique feature of this knife is that it is specially designed for right-handed use.

This knife has a slightly oval handle which is a different shape from the handles of other options on my list. It is made of natural and safe wood that makes it look elegant and simple at the same time. It has a non-slip and highly comfortable grip.

The Sashimi Sushi knife has a very stylish box packaging that makes it ideal as a gift item. However, this box does not serve as a protective sheath.

Pros

• Asymmetrical blade design provides increased balance
• Easily and swiftly fillets tuna in only a few motions, thanks to its long and narrow blade
• Comfortable and slip-resistant handle
• Comes in classy packaging.

Cons

• Knife is quite heavy and might be difficult to wield
• Best for only right-handed use
• No sheath for added protection.

Best Versatile Fillet Knife for Tuna: Dexter-Russell Fillet Knife

If you would like to have a tuna fillet knife that is lightweight, versatile, safe, and easy to use, then you should consider getting the Dexter-Russell Fillet Knife. This knife has a blade that extends for seven inches, making it great for filleting a decent-sized tuna.  Although the blade is made from stainless steel and is quite durable, it is a little less durable than other options on my list.

The blade has a straight sharp edge and a pointed tip that makes for clean cutting. Also, the blade is extremely sleek, flexible, and narrow, enabling you to make deep cuts while filleting.

Just like the Mercer Cutlery Renaissance fillet knife, the handle of the Dexter-Russell fillet knife is made of plastic. This plastic handle construction contributes to its lightweight nature. The handle of this knife is specially designed to enhance safety through its slip-free design; it also promotes comfort during use, thanks to its ergonomic design.

One thing to take note of, however, is that the handle of this knife is not exactly built for durability as a result of the plastic material with which it is constructed.

Pros

• Lightweight and easy to wield
• Flexible and narrow blade ensures deep and clean cuts.

Cons

• No protective sheath
• Low handle durability due to plastic material.

Features to Consider for Tuna Fillet Knives

A low-quality knife is not only liable for a stressful and non-satisfying filleting process but also leads to fish wastage and ultimately, the dangers of physical injury. After providing you with the specific product details above, I consider it my duty to include additional information about fillet knives for tuna, in order to ensure that you make the best choice for yourself in terms of your specific needs. The following are important features to look out for in the best tuna fillet knife:

The Blade

A fillet knife is made up of two essential parts: the blade and the handle. The blade is the part responsible for cutting through tuna flesh, either to de-skin or debone it. As a result of the vital role that it plays, certain conditions determine its usefulness and efficiency. They are the blade length, the blade material, and the blade flexibility.

Blade Length

While a few fillet blades measure up to one foot, the average length of fillet blades falls between four and nine inches. Generally, longer blades are needed for larger fish, and so the length of blade that you get should depend on the size of tuna that you usually cook. You could determine which to go for based on this classification:

Short blades (four to six inches)

This fillet knife size is best suited for small tuna sizes, such as the blackfin tuna, which is the smallest tuna species, growing to a maximum of 39 inches. This size of a fillet knife is easy to handle and promotes fluid movements when you cut. They are also very easy to carry around. However, they are not exactly the best for frequent and heavy use. An example of this is the Rapala Fish N Fillet Knife.

Medium Blades (seven to eight inches)

Medium-sized blades are generally considered a safe size. This is because they are big enough to fillet both small and big tunas -such as the yellowfin tuna or the bigeye tuna- satisfactorily, hence offering you a wide functional variety. Examples of this are the Mercer Renaissance and Dexter-Russell fillet knives.

Long Blades (nine inches and more)

Fillet knives that have long blades are great for filleting large-sized tuna, such as the bluefin tuna that measures an average of 6.6 feet long. This is because they provide you with great control during cutting and also, save a lot of time. However, these knives could be very difficult to carry around, and could also be quite technical to wield. Examples of knives in this category are the KastKing and Sashimi Sushi fillet knives.

Blade Material

No one would want to purchase a fillet knife that looks good but cannot cut efficiently. One factor that affects the sharpness of a blade is the material with which it was made. The material has to be one that is durable enough to withstand weather conditions, high temperature, and heavy uses, without losing its sharpness and shine.

One of the most common materials used to make blades is stainless steel, such as the one used to make the Rapala Fish N Fillet Knife. Blades made with this material are usually quite durable, corrosion-resistant, and easy to sharpen.

However, if you engage in filleting tuna often, perhaps as a daily profession, you might want to go for a blade with a much stronger material, such as high carbon steel, like the one the Dalstrong fillet knife is made with. This material not only provides great resistance against rust but also remains sharp for a longer time than common stainless steel and is very easy to clean. Although these extra qualities might make high carbon steel knives pricier than stainless steel knives, they often prove to be worth the expense.

Blade Flexibility

The amount of flex a blade has is a very important feature to consider while purchasing a fillet knife. The blade should be more flexible than that of a kitchen knife or a butcher’s knife. It should be flexible enough to bend around the contours of your tuna to make slicing easier and more precise, but should not be too flexible to break easily.

The flexibility of a blade is majorly determined by its thickness, that is, the thicker the blade, the less flexible it will be, and vice versa. High flexibility is commonly seen in small and medium-sized blades because they are usually quite thin. Longer blades, on the other hand, are usually thicker because of their extra length, and thus have a lesser amount of flexibility.

The Handle

The handle of a fillet knife is its second major component. A good handle should offer comfort and a good grip, helping to work safely and effortlessly. If you are big on extra comfort, you should, particularly lookout for an ergonomic handle that is built to offer maximum comfort, such as that of the Dalstrong fillet knife.

When selecting a handle, the material it is made of is a very important consideration. Wood has always been used to make handles because it offers a good, natural feel and grip when held. However, wood has a high tendency to lose its grip when wet, therefore leading to slips.

Also, it absorbs a lot of fish smell and oils and is more likely to retain bacteria, making it a less healthy option.

Plastic and molded rubber are other materials that can be used. They are great because they are light and very easy to clean. They also offer a good grip, molded rubber especially. Although more durable than wood, these materials also wear out easily and are not safe for use next to fires or high heat sources.

One more thing to look out for in a handle is if it makes provision for your index finger to sit in. This provides extra grip and protection against slips.

Knife Sheath

A knife sheath is a great instrument to store your knife in when it is not in use. Some protective sheaths also come with an option to attach them to your belt for easy carriage. This prevents the risk of you or someone else getting a physical injury from the sharp edge of the blade.

A good protective sheath should have drain holes to get rid of moisture and keep your knife safe and dry which is where the Rapala Fish N Fillet Knife is lacking.

Knife Color

If you are big on aesthetics, you might want to look out for the color of a fillet knife before purchasing. A knife whose color matches your kitchen or workplace decor could be a little more exciting for you to use than a knife with a color that is out of place. Thankfully, fillet knives come in a wide variety of colors, so you are very likely to find one that you like.

Knife Weight

The weight of a knife, which is mostly determined by the materials used in its construction, plays a role in the ease with which you wield it. No doubt, a lightweight knife like the Dexter-Russell fillet knife would be much easier to work with than one that is heavy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Often Should I Sharpen My Fillet Knife for Tuna?

Fillet knives often lose their sharpness due to excessive use or use in unfavorable conditions. Some blades retain sharpness for a longer time than other blades, due to the material with which they are made. These factors determine the frequency at which you would need to sharpen your blade.

Ideally, once you begin to notice some dullness in your blade’s edge, you should sharpen it.

What Fillet Knife Blade Length Is Best for Me?

The blade length that you need would depend on the general size of tuna that you usually fillet. To be on the safe side, however, it is advisable to get a medium-sized blade that measures between seven and eight inches. With this, you would easily be able to fillet both small and large-sized tunas.

Conclusion

While all of the fillet knives mentioned above are great options for filleting tuna, the best choice for you should depend on your specific filleting needs. Make sure to consider factors such as the blade material and flexibility levels before purchasing a fillet knife.