The (Almost) Maintenance-Free Fillet Knife: Benchmade Fishcrafter Review

One of the best fillet knives I’ve ever used is located in a mom-and-pop restaurant with a dirt parking lot. It’s been there for the last 30 years. It was there that I first used a fillet knife while processing fillets for “the world’s best fish and chips.”

That knife isn’t branded, has a crappy handle, and has been sharpened down to a blade resembling a shiv after decades of early-morning fish-cutting sessions. But man, it’s sharp.

I’ve been using fillet knives ever since. During my time as an ice fishing guide, I used countless knives, some good, some awful, and some that resemble a cordless drill. But none held up quite like the one I used as a kid.

That is, until I held the 7-inch Benchmade Fishcrafter. After using it for a spring, I must admit that it may be just as good, although it doesn’t have the same small-town nostalgia.

In short: The Benchmade Fishcrafter performs as a near-zero maintenance fillet knife. The CPM MagnaCut steel provides excellent corrosion resistance. That same hard steel also means it maintains a sharp edge, meaning you waste less time sharpening your cutting tool. When it does eventually dull, send it back to Benchmade for a free tune-up. For those who need the ultimate fillet knife for consistent use, the Fishcrafter is always ready to go.

In-Hand Feel

Many fillet knives feel lightweight and flimsy in your hand. Others feel like they have a brick of a handle with a delicate blade. The Fishcrafter plays a perfect balance. It feels sturdy, yet maintains a delicate feel. It’s designed for precise work, and it does so while still feeling hefty and durable.

Handle on the Benchmade Fishcrafter

To me, one of the most important features of any knife is the handle. It’s the connection point to you and a sharp blade, so it should be comfortable and feel stable in your hand. That becomes even more important when it comes to fillet knives. Your hands are guaranteed to be wet and covered in slime while processing fish, and blades on fillet knives are razor-sharp.

I love the overall size of the handle on the Fishcrafter. It’s not as large as some other handles I’ve used, and that makes it comfortable for people with different-sized hands. My wife and I have both used it, and each of us can get a comfortable, steady grip.

You’ll find contours on the front part of the handle where it meets the blade. These grooves provided a steady grip, regardless of how I held the knife. Most noticeable, and the most handy, are the grooves on the side of the handle.

When making precise cuts with the knife’s tip, I often find myself adjusting my grip. I rotate it in my hand and place my fingertip on the side of the knife. The accentuated grooves on that portion of the knife give my pointer finger a rock-solid grip.

The entire handle is a rubber material. Through dozens of fillets, my hand never felt unsteady or slippery, despite having all manner of fish slime on it.

Blade on the Benchmade Fishcrafter

Steel

Benchmade’s entire line of water knives is made of CPM-MagnaCut steel, and the Fishcrafter is no exception. The steel has two main benefits: edge retention and corrosion resistance.

After a spring of cutting up all sorts of fish, I haven’t noticed a reduction in sharpness. It’s maintained an edge well, even after cutting through large-scale fish like largemouth bass. And yes. I fillet sacred bass. Come at me.

It’s not so sharp that it cuts through everything like butter, though. When filleting bass, it wouldn’t cut through every scale and would get gummed up. I’d have to wipe it clean of scales before resuming. That happens with every fillet knife, I’m just letting you know so that you don’t expect some otherworldly level of performance.

The blade has also withstood any corrosion, although I haven’t given it the ultimate test: use in saltwater. But from my freshwater use, I can say freshwater anglers won’t end up with rust spots, due to both the steel and the drainage port located at the bottom of the sheath.

Blade Shape and Use

As for the shape of the blade, the Benchmade Fishcrafter is standard in its overall design. It’s long and thin with an upturned point that sits higher than the handle.

The point worked perfectly for delicate fillet work on small rock bass and bluegill. I could control it and put it into tiny areas around small ribcages to ensure I preserved as much meat as possible.

That same point performed well at punching through thick skin after working around rib cages. I still had to push harder when making the initial break through the skin, but the Fishcrafter did it with less hassle than other knives.

The Fishcrafter has a small amount of flex, which I found very useful when cutting fillets off the skin. However, there isn’t so much flex that the blade bends when cutting around thick bones on a blue cat.

I’ve had flexible fillet knives take a permanent set from applying too much pressure. The Fishcrafter flexes when I need it to, and it bounces right back into position once I relieve pressure on the blade.

Size of the Benchmade Fishcrafter

I fish mostly freshwater, with the occasional trip to the salt. Because of that, I’ve been using the 7″ Fishcrafter. Benchmade labels the 7″ version for use on small to medium-sized fish. So, I used it to fillet small to large fish.

It worked great when filleting bass, crappie, bluegill, and walleye. But it also provided passable service when filleting large catfish. On really big fish, some additional cuts were needed, but I never felt like a job was too big for it.

So, if you’re a freshwater angler, I’d stick with the 7″. The fine point is great for small fish, and you can still get the job done on larger game fish. If you’re a salty dude who only chases giants, I’d bump up to the 9″ version.

How Could It Be Improved?

The worst part of the Benchmade Fishcrafter is how difficult it is to sharpen. That is the catch-22 with hard steels that maintain an edge for a long time. I haven’t even tried to sharpen the Fishcrafter. The first reason is that, well, it hasn’t needed to be sharpened. But also because I’ve tried to sharpen MagnaCut before, and it didn’t go well.

Unless you’re an experienced knife sharpener, you’ll be better served utilizing Benchmade’s lifesharp service, where you ship your knife in and Benchmade sharpens it for you. That’s what I do with all my Benchmade knives. Of course, that means you’re down a knife while its in for service.

While for the most part I like the sheath, it wasn’t designed perfectly. Most noticeable are the belt loop ports. They’re small, and aren’t tall enough for the utility belt I wear. I can fit a standard leather belt into the slots, but not anything wider than that.

Assuming you can find a belt that fits them, the belt loop connections aren’t offset. That means your belt wraps around the sheath and pulls the knife very close to your hip.

These days, I don’t often carry a fillet knife on my belt, however, when I was an ice fishing guide, I did every day. The sheath would make that difficult to do.

Who Is It Best For?

At a whopping $240, I can tell you the Fishcrafter is not for the casual angler. If you don’t fish much, or mostly catch and release, and only keep fish a few times a year, this knife is overkill. You can find a more budget-friendly option like the Gerber Controller.

However, during my days working as an ice fishing guide, I would have loved to own this knife. I used a fillet knife at least three times a day, and the Fishcrafter is built to withstand that type of use. People who keep fish weekly, or even a few times a month, will likely find it worth the investment.

I prefer gear that requires minimal maintenance, mostly because I know myself well enough to realize that I won’t be diligent about it. For fillet knives, that means I’ll probably put them away wet, let them get rusty, and one day find myself hacking a fillet job and realizing it’s time to sharpen the blade. The Benchmade Fishcrafter is perfect for anglers like me because it can handle misuse better than most and will go a long time between sharpenings.