Any fisherman should instantly recognize the name Rapala, since most of us have lost enough Rapala lures in the brush to fill our tackle boxes several times over. Rapala also makes fishing knives, which tend to stay around much longer. Although most are not collector quality, economical Rapala knives survive rough treatment and bad weather. Several even back up a fisherman’s frozen hands with electric motors.
In the 1930’s a Finnish fisherman named Lauri Rapala spent some time watching fish instead of trying to catch them in the same old way. Lauri observed predator fish charging into schools of minnows and targeting the ones that wobbled a bit — wounded minnows are easier to catch. Lauri thought that if he made a fishing lure with the action of a wounded minnow he might catch more fish, and Lauri was right. Of course he didn’t get it to work properly until 1936, when his whittled cork lure plated with tinfoil from a chocolate bar actually did catch something — 600 pounds of fish in one day. Starting with that one lure the Rapala company developed into a world-wide corporation with famous lures like the Shad-Rap that still catch world-record fish. As the company expanded, Rapala’s Fish ‘n Fillet knives put appropriate cutlery into the hands of fishermen, providing anglers with fillet and utility knives designed for use in the outdoors during the wettest, coldest, and most slippery conditions.
The average Rapala fillet knife doesn’t look like much, with an oversized rubberized plastic grip, a slender flexible stainless steel blade, and a belt sheath of hard plastic or molded leather. Even the average Rapala works well, allowing precise cuts that follow the bones of the fish and put more of the catch on the dinner table. Anyone interested in something better can find that at Rapala, since the company also produces presentation fillet knives with grips of polished burlwood, rosewood and brass, and laminated birch. All the Rapala’s are built to last, but those with natural grips require more care. Rapala also offers electric fillet knives with single or double reciprocating blades. These serrated blades cut smoothly and if maintained properly easily switch out for new ones, so owners don’t need to worry about sharpening.
