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Benchmade Fishcrafter
The Benchmade Fishcrafter is a full-tang fillet knife built on CPM MagnaCut steel at 60-62 HRC — the same powder metallurgy alloy showing up in premium folding knives, now applied to fish processing. MagnaCut was selected for this application because it delivers edge retention through extended filleting sessions while resisting corrosion from freshwater, saltwater, and fish acids without requiring constant maintenance. Every Fishcrafter blade is sharpened with Benchmade's proprietary SelectEdge technology and finished with a stonewash that masks wear over time.
Three blade lengths cover the full range of species and processing tasks. The 5-inch (18030) is built for small panfish — crappie, perch, bluegill — and doubles as a detail knife for pin bone removal, collar trimming, and ribcage passes where longer blades lose precision. It runs a softer flex and a thinner taper that bends against the spine of smaller fish for clean separation. The 7-inch (18010) is the all-rounder for small to medium species including trout, walleye, and bass. Medium flex balances control with enough blade length for clean single-pass fillets. The 9-inch (18020) handles medium to large fish — salmon, striped bass, and larger saltwater catches. The blade runs a stiffer flex for stability on long cuts, preventing the sawing motion that tears meat on substantial fillets.
All three models share the same trailing point blade profile. The upswept tip aids in deboning and starting cuts along the spine, while the long straight edge provides consistent contact through the full stroke. Blade thickness is 0.090 inches across the lineup, keeping the profile thin enough to flex against bone structure without sacrificing the rigidity needed to drive through connective tissue and skin.
The Depth Blue Santoprene handle is molded over the full tang and provides grip in wet, cold, and slime-covered conditions where a hard handle material would fail. A finger guard with jimping prevents forward slip during push cuts — the one motion most likely to cause injury during high-volume processing. The handle includes a drainage hole that doubles as a lanyard point.
Each Fishcrafter ships with a Sonar Gray injection-molded sheath with dual mounting slits and a drainage hole at the tip to prevent moisture buildup between uses. Benchmade's LifeSharp service covers free resharpening to factory SelectEdge specs for the life of the knife.
The Benchmade Fishcrafter is part of the Water Collection and is manufactured entirely in the USA.