The extra inch over the 8-inch Traditional fillet changes what the knife is for: 9 inches with flex is a skinning length, able to run the full side of a larger fish in one continuous pull without the blade lifting out of the cut.
Salmon, larger lake fish and anything long-bodied are the reason to choose it. The same wooden handle applies — better in the cold, worse if left wet, and preferred by people who have used this pattern for years.
Dexter-Russell has been manufacturing cutlery in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1818, and its Traditional range preserves its oldest handle patterns.
