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KOA knives...

hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
1,912
77
Flatlandia
Needing to replace some fillet knives. Liking the looks of the offerings from Knives of Alaska.

Specifically this model.


Are their blades any good?
 

mkoeh475

Well-known member
Dec 24, 2007
845
3
Wisconcsin
I have both the Coho and Steelhead model. Both see regular use in the kitchen and hardly on time on fish. I like both well enough minus the serated section on the one's tip. For walleye, northern, perch and bluegill I just can't move away from the various wood handled Rapala offerings.

The KOA blades just don't have the amount of flex that I like for fish species here. But they are nice knives that I find myself using for other chores.
 

hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
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Flatlandia
Funny that you mention the wood handled Rapalas as that’s what I’m replacing. I’ve worn mine down to where the edge is too thick to take a good edge. Bought an assortment of the rubber handled Rapalas and they are absolute crap. Some of the softest steel I’ve ever had. Not going to put anymore money into the Rapala brand.

I prefer a fillet knife for breaking down deer and kitchen use, rarely bring fish home anymore.
 

Calvin

Well-known member
Nov 17, 2007
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I don’t even want to know how many #s of fish I cut with a $40 dexter fillet knife a season. A pair of worksharp Ken onions is worth a whole lot more than a high dollar blade.
 

Dan In Alaska

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2007
3,366
64
Anchorage
For a hunting knife, I'm pretty partial to my Knives of Alaska Alpha Wolf, with S30V steel. I have taken apart a few moose and several caribou with it.

I've used the KOA Coho model on some fish, but I never warmed up to it.

For filleting fish, I'm squarely in the Victorinox camp. For Midwestern freshwater fish, I'd go with their 6" flexible boning knife. I use this knife on halibut, and I left a few of them with my in-laws in Minnesota.

If you want to go high-end, Wusthof makes a quality filet knife, 7" Classic. I don't care for their their super-pointy blade design, personally, but it would be more similar to the Rapala blade than the Victorinox knife I use. And, it looks like there are less expensive versions available: Wusthof Gourmet and Wusthof Silverpoint. At $50, that Silverpoint looks like a good deal!
 

mkoeh475

Well-known member
Dec 24, 2007
845
3
Wisconcsin
Dan, I bought the Alpha Wolf about 15 years ago and lost it in the woods about 2 weeks later. That was a big disappointment, as it seemed like a really nice knife.

Now I want to try a few other filet knives out that you guys have recommended.
 

hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
1,912
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Flatlandia
A lot of good suggestion here, thanks!

Clearly the best route would be to pick up one of each. Can’t have to many knives....😁
 
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hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
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Flatlandia
I never considered Cold Steel even though they’re my current flavor for EDC.



Been real happy with edge retention on these. They’ve been great blades.
 
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hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
1,912
77
Flatlandia
Went ahead and ordered a handful of some of the recommended....



Top to bottom

Dexter Sani Safe 8” fillet.....Nice blade, good spine but not too stiff. Grind lines nice and even. Hard plastic handle with some texture. Should be a fine trout and panfish blade.

Cold Steel Commercial 6” fillet....Nice blade, again good spine but not too stiff. Grind lines are even and the handle is very grippy even when wet. Will see a lot of use trimming out venison.

Victronix Curved semi stiff boner....Will be an excellent breaking knife. Grind lines are even and the handle is textured.

KOA fillet set....Disappointed in these a bit....Haven’t cut anything with them yet, the grind lines are terrible. Looks like a high school shop project. I’ll clean them up and fix the bevels. The handles do fit my hands well and I would suppose if they hold an edge they’ll be fine for fish and breaking down deer quarters.

As far as out of the box sharpness...... The Cold Steel was fucking sharp, the others weren’t even close to the CS.
 

Horse1

Well-known member
Dec 31, 2007
2,962
12
In the vicinity of dandihood
For all things fish, I muchly prefer an electric w/either 9" rapala blades or 7" Berkley thin blades. My fish are almost all Walleye, a few yellow perch and northern pike, and the odd panfish here and there. I don't do any Salmon/Trout.

I like the 110V Rapala HD body/motor for faster cycle speed. I also have the lithium battery powered one for where/when I don't have 110V access but it's slower.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Will have to get #2 & #3 above. Thanks for the rundown. Used an old version of that vicky years ago, but I love those fibrox handles.
 

hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
1,912
77
Flatlandia
Still gonna give the Bubba blades a look, just gonna wait till after the holidays. There is a Sportsmans Whorehouse relatively close that stocks them.
 

Rastus

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2014
138
34
State Of Confusion
90EEAB23-A98F-4DA0-BDEF-304A93697BDC.jpeg

My working knives
Easy lap diamond sharpener
F Dick steel
Dexter steak knife
Cold Steel what they call a boner but i use it as a fllleter on fish, more pointy than I like as a boner
F Dick boner, my favorite boner
Mundial skinner, my favorite skinner
Swibo boner
NZ Victory sheep skinner, my favorite all round knife for quartering, this one is always in my pack
Old school aluminum oxide stone
C00B8D9A-B333-4B24-9EE7-6211FCAE5BBE.jpeg
 
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hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
1,912
77
Flatlandia
I’ll dust off this thread for a bit of an update and a little crow eatin….

Set out this morning to process my buck and came across the KOA fillet knives. Had forgotten about having them so they got their chance to shine or fail. The edges were just touched up on the diamond stone and I started cutting. Both performed rather well, used the shorter one to break down the carcass and the larger one to clean up the meat on the cutting board. Got through the entire deer without having to re sharpen.

As unimpressive as these are visually they performed really well.
 
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Ndbowhunter

Well-known member
May 18, 2021
249
105
I’m about 40 animals deep (tahr, chamois, stags, feral goats, antelope, elk, mulies, whiteys, mountain lion) with carbon steel mora 511 the last 6-7 years..

About the time I start ripping the jaw out would I say it’s not razor sharp..

All my bark river, rapid river cutlery, winkler, benchmade, custom puukko’s, zero tolerance knives are gone. Don’t miss em…

long story short I left a BR knife out at the kill site near the top of a mountain in New Zealand and felt compelled to hike back and get it considering it was a wedding present from a buddy. needless to say that was the last time…
 
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