I have had one for almost 3 years, and have cleaned a lot of fish with it. It certainly buzzes through the ribs of snapper, sheepshead, triggers, and reds without a problem. After cutting through a few backbones early on, I can control it very easily. It cuts fillets quickly and cleanly, and does a decent job of skinning, but I prefer a fillet knife for skinning, because I can control the depth and leave the red meat with the skin. I NEVER EVER use it without a cut- proof glove on my off (left) hand. I highly recommend it!