Filleting is one continuous stroke or it is a mess. Nine inches gives the reach to run from gill to tail on salmon, cod or a large snapper without lifting the blade, and the narrow grind keeps enough flex to ride the rib cage rather than cut through it.
Fish work is wet, cold and slippery, which is exactly where a hard handle becomes a hazard. The rubberised SofGrip over-mould keeps traction with oily hands, and being sealed to the tang there is no gap for scales or slime to work into.
Dexter-Russell has made cutlery in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1818 and is the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the United States. SofGrip is its soft-handle line — a rubberised over-mould on a polypropylene core, sealed to the tang and rated for commercial dishwashers.
