What is the best electric fillet knife?

[kuip]

My wife who is our official fishcleaner wants a new electric fillet knife. What is the best one?

[CLM]

I have an American Angler and am very happy with it. Been using it for three years now and no problems. Had a Mister Twister brand before that and burned the motor the third time I used it.

[hot-tot]

i too am looking for a good one i also had 2 mister twisters and burned both out after short use

[Mac]

Get a Household type. I've used my wife's for 3 years since the Mr Twister burned out and never had any problems. (with either wife or knife)

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON May-30-01 AT 05:18AM (CST)[p]I second the American Angler! This is one nice knife with a healthy motor and the blades last. I've had this one for over 4 years and I use it for hams, roasts, etc. as well.

By the way..they come in 110v AND 12v flavors and have variable sizes in the knives, too. I believe they range from 5" to 9".


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD!"

[vetspet(ind)]

a while back a supposed camp guide posted that the black and decker slim grip is his choice...he said he does like 4600 fillets a yr...tried all but the american angler and this knife outlasts them all...i bought two for 10 dollars each...have been using it all spring...catch lots of fish and so far so good but it is still early...my twisters last me a year at most...have used 3-4 up...bought the cheaper american angler...black handle...it lasted 2 months...definitely not as good as the twisters....the more expensive american angler is supposed to be the best knife out there but the cost is 40 dollars...one guy said he got one off e-bay for like 20 dollars...so i'm hoping the guide was not a black and decker employee and so far his advice seems well made....i went to e-bay and foung the slim grip but the price went up to like 20 dollars so a bunch of us wc guys must have been interested...i found this knife at ace hardware...goes on sale there several times a yr...steve

[REW]

I have had a couple of mr. twister and have burned them both out.
I have a third mr. twister and I really like the blades and the way that it cleans fish.

However, last week, I had the privilidge of using my buddys American Angler. This knife works extrememly well and the motor is much quieter than the Mr. Twister. However, I have to admit that I don't like the shape of the American Angler blades at all. I much prefer the straight blades of the Mr. twister much better.

The only problem is that the blades of the Mr. Twister won't fit the blade holders of the American Angler. If only the American angler would make straight blades????

Take care

REW

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON May-30-01 AT 08:02AM (CST)[p]REW,

Personally, I think the shape of the blades are far better then straight ones. The reason - I use the full (8", I think) blade for larger fish and as they get smaller I get closer to the curved tip, especially on bluegills. I like the curve for the smaller fish because of the way I rotate my wrist when following the backbone. I have more control then with a straight blade.

I can relate, though. One of my buddies has small hands and he hates the knife. He has trouble with the curved blade because his wrist doesn't want to rotate with the hand being spread out over that big grip. I don't know what your hands are like but mine are big and I can't hold a more comfortable knife, IMHO.

Now, having said that, >> kuip << }> This knife might not be suitable for your wife because of the large grip. You may want to try it out first, like borrow from a friend that has one. Come to think of it, I would most DEFFINETLY "test drive" one for her. This is a great knife, worth seeing if it works for your lady!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD!"

[jigemup]

I believe the American Angler retails at Gander Mountain for $29.99 for either the 120 or 12V models. Check into it.

[RANGER]

vetspet(ind),

I agree, the small American Anglers aren't worth a damm. Wal-Mart puts the big ones on sale in the early Fall (late August) for around $20 to $25 bucks but you have to visit the store, they don't advertise them. It is a "Managers' Special" sale.


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD!"

[river rat]

I also prefer the american angler knife , But i don't like the curved blades. I used my blades from my mister twister and they worked great.

[REW]

River rat,
I didn't have the blades with me when I was using my friends American angler, so I never tried the Mr. Twister blades. If these fit, as you indicate, perhaps this is the best of both worlds.

Because I have burned out several Mr. Twister Knives, I have several sets of these blades. If they fit in an American angler, I will be picking up one of the American angler knives and use with the Mr. Twister blades.

Take care

rEW

[vetspet(ind)]

twister blades definitely fit the cheap american angler...they do not fit the black and decker

[Slugchucker]

I own the Mister Twister and have been satisfied with it. However after spending a week north of the border cleaning eyes, I like the American better. My friend has the American so I used them side by side, I think I do a better job on the fish with the American even though it was my first time using it. Pointed tip really helps on larger fish as well as small species. I have a tough time with the Twister knife on gills.

[fisherman]

I work part-time at Black and Decker outlet store and have used the slim handled B&D knife for the last couple of yrs. Has held up to several 5 gallons buckets of crappies and gills.Best of all it runs around 14 bucks.

[Cangl]

Mister twister, with the bird on the counter and a electrical outlet "RIGHT" behind it OK that short cord what a nightmare!
Looking forward to buying something with a longer cord for those days when the 100ft extension cord does not seem right in the kitchen.

[Brad/nd]

After cleaning hundreds of perch the last couple of winters & walleyes, the american angler ultra is my only choice. It has both the flat & curved blades. You really have to watch out for some of the new blades, many are sold that don't line up correctly & aren't "flat" like they should be. I've exchanged a few over the years.

Take care,

Brad

[Chuck Pederson MN]

Got my Mr. twister for fathers day 11 years ago have done 5 gallon buckets of perch, The knife got hot but it didn't miss a beat. Yes the cord is short ,I put a 5ft extention on it. Now I guess it does'nt owe me anything and the only time it tried to get me was when I got sprayed at the cleaning station. Electricity and water do not mix, glad I had my bean boots on.

[Supposed Camp Guide]

I'm the "supposed camp guide" that does 4 -5,000 fish a season (as many as 200 / day) with a Black & Decker Slim Grip. No, I'm not connected in any way with B&D. Like I said a few months ago, I've tried many different brands and I like the feel and durability of this one the best. The B&D runs at a higher speed (which I prefer) than the American Angler and the Twisters burn out switches very quickly. Can't speak of the durability of the American Angler (I've had limited experience with it), but the B&D will typically last a season for me. It does depend on how you run the knife though, ie - how often you hit the trigger per fish. BTW, I also get my knives at Ace Hardware.

[Gumbo]

This is a great, informative post. And it started me looking for an electric fillet knife.

I found an American Angler at Wal-Mart for $25, but Cabela's and Bass Pro sells it for around $50. Are they the same? Is one recommended over the other? Seems like a big price discrepancy if the Cabela's one just comes with extra blades and a 'handy carry bag'.

How easy are these knives to clean up after getting them bloody and slimy?

[Chuck Pederson MN]

The actual handel doesn't seem to get into the mess much. The blades detach to be sprayed off. Be sure to detach and unplug hense my earlier post. ZZZZZZZap.

[vetspet(ind)]

if the american angler has a square black handle it's the cheap on which lasted me two months only...very poor quality...if it has the contoured greenish handle it is the ultra and well worth the 25 dollars....my wife complained that my fish smells were on her knife when cutting fresh bread out of the breadmaker...which is a great use for elec knives....so i bought two knives...mine does not smell...to me...steve

[Mal]

I personally like the American Angler Knife. I don't like the curved blades for fileting the skin off but have found that the Mister Twister Blades do fit and now I have the best of both.

[vetspet(ind)]

great advice...i only posted the word "supposed" as the thought passed thru my mind as i bid on e-bay and later purchased two.. like i said..the knife seems to do real well and the price was super...so thanks for the advice...