Early final yr, Benchmade introduced the Water Collection of knives—a brand new set of six high-quality fishing knives manufactured from the brand new corrosion-resistant CPM-MagnaCut metal. Then, on the following ICAST, the Water Assortment knives received Better of Class – Cutlery, Hand Plier, or Device, within the New Product Showcase. Of those 4 award-winning knives, I’m reviewing the Fishcrafter 9″, the bigger of the 2 fillet knife choices from the gathering. It’s a good semi-rigid fillet knife that I’ve used to interrupt down the whole lot from panfish to giant pelagic predators for nearly a yr now. Let’s see how this fillet knife has held up.
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Specs – Benchmade Fishcrafter 9″– Water Assortment
- General Size – 13.94″ inches (35.41 cm)
- Blade Size – 9.05″ inches (22.99 cm)
- Blade Thickness – 0..09 inches (2.29 mm)
- Deal with Thickness – 0.67″ inches (17.02 mm)
- Blade Materials – CPM-Magnacut Stainless Metal (60-62 HRC)
- Blade Model – Trailing Level
- Mechanism – Mounted Blade
- Blade End – Stonewash
- Blade Coloration – Polish
- Deal with Materials – Santoprene
- Deal with Coloration – Depth Blue
- Lanyard Gap – Sure
- Ambidextrous – Sure
- Weight – 3.7 ounces (104.89 g)
- Sheath – Molded
- Retention – Friction
- Sheath Weight – 2.55 ounces (72.29 g)
- Nation of Origin: USA
- MSRP: $260
The Fishcrafter 9″, like all of the Water Assortment knives, comes with two ensures from Benchmade. The primary is the LifeSharp Assure, which ensures free knife sharpening for the lifetime of your blade. Fill out a kind and ship it to Benchmade, and they’ll ship it again with a pointy new manufacturing unit edge. Second is the Restricted Lifetime Guarantee, which covers all different points that might happen through the lifetime of the knife so long as you aren’t making an attempt to make use of the knife like a meat cleaver on bones or one thing loopy for a fillet knife.
Materials Choice and Design – Benchmade Fishcrafter 9″ – Water Assortment
The blade of the Benchmade Fishcrafter 9″ is manufactured from CPM-Magnacut Stainless Metal (60-62 HRC). It is a new metal alloy that was first made within the USA again in 2021 by Crucible Industries. Whereas it’s a chrome steel, it scores excessive in toughness and hardness, making for nice sharpness and edge retention. On prime of that, the alloy may be very corrosion-resistant, much more so than many different chrome steel alloys available on the market. The deal with of the knife is manufactured from deep blue-colored santoprene, a high-performance vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer that appears and seems like rubber however is much more sturdy than conventional rubber. This deal with materials holds up nicely to UV and oil publicity and has good grip high quality even when moist or slimy.
The nine-inch trailing level blade has a full flat grind with a little bit of a swedge within the center, giving it a pleasant flat floor that helps the knife glide alongside the bones as you take away the fillets of the fish. There’s a good stomach to the blade, giving the consumer much more cutting-edge. The blade is a bit stiffer than most assume for a fillet knife, however I actually favor a stiffer fillet knife. The deal with is a really modern design that matches properly within the hand and has jimping in-built for added grip when doing push cuts. It additionally has a built-in lanyard loop, which may assist with ensuring your knife doesn’t find yourself in Davy Jone’s Locker.
On The Water – Benchmade Fishcrafter 9″ – Water Assortment
As I stated earlier than, I used this knife to scrub virtually each fish I saved this previous yr—the whole lot from crappie and white bass to mahi and king mackerel. If I went fishing, this knife got here with me. The knife excelled at its job regardless of the dimensions of the fish. The profile and stomach of the knife gave me loads of edge actual property to make good clean cuts once I was taking the perimeters off of fish. The hardness and sturdiness of the Magnacut metal had been top-notch for a chrome steel knife, giving the knife glorious edge life. Usually once I clear fish, I take away the top first. The Fishcrafter had no points pushing by way of fish spines and ribs, I skilled no chipping or rolls within the edge even when doing this with bigger saltwater species.
I used to be initially involved concerning the deal with profile. Once I first picked up the knife, I used to be apprehensive the smaller deal with would develop into uncomfortable when cleansing loads of fish. However I discovered that to not be the case. Sure, the deal with is smaller in profile than different knives I’ve used. I discovered it oddly comfy and ergonomic within the hand, with numerous grips whereas cleansing fish. The Santoprene materials of the deal with has the proper quantity of grip for a fillet knife. That, plus the jimping close to the heel of the blade, made it so I had no points with the grip being slippery when moist or slimy.
Lastly, the Fishcrafter didn’t have a single situation with corrosion or staining. The CPM Magnacut chrome steel actually lived as much as the hype, and I had no points with salt and blood publicity. I purposely left blood and saltwater on the blade earlier than placing it into the sheath a number of occasions simply to see how far I may push it. Leaving the blade moist for days at a time, and apart from only a wipe down and wash with some cleaning soap the blade got here out no worse for the damage.
Within the Woods – Benchmade Fishcrafter 9″ – Water Assortment
Simply because the Fishcrafter 9″ was designed with fishing in thoughts doesn’t imply it couldn’t be utilized in different conditions. Together with all of the fish I reduce with it over the previous yr of use. Me and my buddy used it to butcher just a few whitetail deer and a turkey as nicely. The Magnacut metal edge held up nicely even when reducing alongside and scrapping the deer and turkey bones. The curvature of the blade close to the tip was glorious at following alongside bones to drag out huge muscle tissues off the bones. The knife edge nearer to the heel simply pushed by way of connective tissue and cartilage whereas splitting joints.
The nine-inch size of the blade made for nice clear cuts once I was portioning out the meat, simply slicing by way of a backstrap in a single go. I do need to say the one time I did sharpen the fillet knife final yr was after butchering the second whitetail deer. The sting hadn’t chipped, however I did discover a small roll within the edge that was simply cleaned up on the 1000-grit whetstone.
Closing Ideas – Benchmade Fishcrafter 9″ – Water Assortment
After a yr with the Fishcrafter 9″ I really feel like this is likely one of the final fillet knives I’ll ever want, it cuts extremely nicely and nonetheless seems nice. However there are a few issues I would like to speak about earlier than saying that everybody ought to exit and get one. The very first thing is the elephant within the room: the worth, with an MSRP of $260, which is an efficient little bit of change for a fillet knife. I’m not saying this knife isn’t price that, particularly when you think about the supplies, lifetime guarantee, and lifelong sharpening from Benchmade. I see this once more as a “purchase as soon as cry as soon as” state of affairs, these are high-quality knives that might probably final you a decade with correct care, so so long as you don’t drop it overboard try to be golden.
Second I need to discuss concerning the knife itself, the blade design is nice for filleting and deboning fish, whereas I had the big 9″ knife, the profile of the blade tip makes for extra delicate work on smaller fish nonetheless attainable. Even the bigger width of the blade made it so I may simply experience alongside the bones of smaller panfish. However, I’ve a separate skinning knife to make use of alongside the Fishcrafter as a result of I’m not the most important fan of skinning fillets with this knife. That very same blade width I really like for filleting and deboning fish form of will get in the way in which when taking the pores and skin off the fillets. The marginally stiffer nature of the Fishcrafter 9″ blade, I’ve been instructed the Fishcrafter 7″ is extra versatile, plus, the blade width simply doesn’t get as near the pores and skin as I would love. So my resolution is one thing I used to be taught throughout my sushi restaurant days, have a separate skinning knife. But when that’s a deal breaker for you, the Fishcrafter 9″ won’t be the fillet knife for you.
Apart from these two issues to think about, I see this as one of many nicest fish-cutting knives I at present personal. With how nicely the metal and deal with materials are holding as much as the weather, I can see myself utilizing this fillet knife for years, if not a long time, to return.
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