Boning knivesWhether you’re experimenting with complex culinary projects like the Tur-duck-hen (a deboned chicken cooked inside a de-boned duck cooked inside a deboned turkey) or simply upgrading a cheaper cut of meat by trimming out gristle and bone, boning and fillet knives are essential. A slender blade removes unwanted flaws without making a mess of the rest of the meat.

Boning knives allow the cut to follow the bone, separating the meat with little waste. The narrow knife twists easily to follow tight curves and accurately trims off fat and skin. This is the knife to use for shaping tenderloin or deboning poultry — stiffer versions work best for larger and tougher cuts like mutton.

Also here are the fillet knives any fisherman knows and uses. With more flexible blades, the fillet knife shapes itself to the ribs of the fish, slipping the meat from the bones neatly. In expert hands this can be the most efficient way of cleaning the fish — save the bones for soup stock instead of picking them out at the dinner table. Match the size of the knife to the size of the fish and you can fillet anything from pan fish to king salmon.

Some of Our Favorites

Here’s one place where I definitely prefer laser cut steel over forged — the Global Boning knife has an unusual handle style that works well. Seamless, efficient and razor sharp.

Damascus steel and a VG-10 cutting edge make the Shun Classic Boning Filet knife perfect for tough cuts and delicate work.

See All of our Boning Knife Reviews Below


Boning Knives

Mundial Boning Knife w/ Antibacterial Handle, 6 Inch | NSF Certified Full Tang Stainless Steel Kitchen Cutlery

The 6-inch-long, plain-edged blade of the Mundial Boning Knife is noticeably stronger than a filet blade and made for de-boning larger...
JT Hats
1 min read

Full Tang Boning Knife from Wusthof | Classic Forged Solingen Stainless Steel 4 Inch 4601

Boning knives like the Wusthof Classic 4-Inch Boning knife aren’t always included in block knife sets and aren’t usually the first...
JT Hats
58 sec read

Victorinox Boning Knife, Forged 5 Inch | Full Tang Solingen Stainless Steel w/ POM Handle

This forged boning knife from Victorinox has some definite advantages over lighter, stamped steel versions. The boning knife is a tricky...
JT Hats
1 min read

Wusthof Kitchen Gourmet Boning Knife for Fish & Poultry | Full Tang Cutlery 6 Inch

This flexible boning knife with six-inch-long blade follows contours well and slips into tight places, allowing clean cuts with very little...
JT Hats
1 min read

Wusthof Gourmet Fish Fillet Knife | Lightweight 9 Inch | Stainless Steel Kitchen Cutlery

Much lighter than the typical forged Wusthof knife, this Wusthof Gourmet 9-Inch Fish Fillet Knife features a slender blade of razor...
JT Hats
50 sec read

Messermeister Meridian Elite Boning Knife | Full Tang Flexible Forged 6 Inch

Messermeister’s Meridian Elite 6″ boning knife overcomes one of the drawbacks of what is otherwise a very efficient forged pattern. Many...
JT Hats
1 min read

Global Boning Japanese Knife | Flexible Full Tang 4 Inch

If you’re looking for a flexible Western-style boning knife with the performance of Japanese steel, look no further. Global knives were...
Mike
41 sec read

Shun Pro Deba Slicing Knife | Japanese Cutlery | VG-10 Damascus 6 1/2 Inch

Primarily used for de-boning and slicing raw or cooked meat, fish, and poultry, the Shun Pro Deba knife with a 6...
JT Hats
55 sec read

Kai USA Shun Classic Boning Filet Knife | Japanese VG-10 Damascus 6 Inch

A part of the Shun Classic series, this boning knife is forged in Shun’s famous Damascus stainless steel, but with a...
JT Hats
56 sec read

Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan Boning Knife | Cheap Kitchen Cutlery

I have an old Chicago Cutlery cooks knife which is an amazing example of what American knife makers once regularly produced....
Ken
1 min read