Tom Veff says, “I fish a lot, and wanted a fishing knife that was truly useful. Not a multi-tool that did an ‘okay’ job at a lot of things, but not a ‘good’ job at any one thing in the boat, on the bank, or on the cleaning table. I also wanted a one-piece fixed blade that did not require a college degree to open and operate it. And it should be a knife that you can grab with one hand and use to cut a rope in an emergency. Its handle should be brightly colored so you can find it quickly in your boat or tackle box. And it should be affordable so if it accidentally goes overboard, it won’t ruin your whole day of fishing. ”

So he went to work. Because Tom knows knives from his life as a meat cutter, professional knife sharpener, and designer of knives and our exclusive patented* Veff™ Serrations. He designed one of the most carefully thought-out fixed blades we have ever produced, even though it also has the lowest price of any knife in our catalog. He calls it the Marine Utility Knife (M.U.K.™).

First you notice that the M.U.K. has an offset handle angle. Tom explains that it gives you knuckle clearance when cutting bait or slicing fish on a cutting table. And it has a soft, grooved polypropylene handle with four finger choils to give you all the grip possible when your hands are cold, wet, and slippery. You choose from four handle colors for best visibility.

Second, you see the rounded-back drop point blade with a straight cutting edge in combination with a concave serrated section. Tom says the straight edge cuts cleanly against a cutting board. The oversized serrations are what Tom calls “non-stick”—there is no sharp point to snag. That makes them great for those times when you need to cut a nylon line or other tough materials. The blade’s rounded back reduces the risk of cutting entrails when cleaning fish.

Then there is the row of non-slip grooves along the top of the blade. These are friction grooves for your thumb, but they also work great as a fish scaler.

Even in a budget knife, Tom wouldn’t have anything but a full-tang blade of high-carbon stainless steel for strength. At the butt, there’s a lanyard hole and a blood groove spoon. And finally, there are a few more friction grooves at the butt top and index finger choil to enhance feel.

That’s quite a story for an inexpensive little knife. Probably only a serious fisherman could design it, sitting there between strikes, thinking about the perfect fishing knife.

• Click here to view a video about the M.U.K.

• About the Knife Designer • About the Blade Steel