Fish Scaler

There are plenty of fish scalers around, but this is the one you’ll find in the hands of professional fishmongers.

Made in France by Matfer Bourgeat, it’s a wonderfully simple bit of kit: lightweight, strong and designed to remove scales quickly and efficiently without unnecessarily damaging the skin of the fish. At 22cm long, it sits comfortably in the hand and works equally well on smaller fish or something considerably more substantial.

The scaler is made from a single piece of cast aluminium, so there are no joins or awkward little crevices for scales to work their way into. It’s corrosion resistant, easy to clean and tough enough to cope with the daily hammering of a busy fish counter.

We use professional equipment because it works, and if you regularly prepare whole fish at home, this is one of those tools that makes the job so much easier and considerably less messy.

Did you know… fishmongers generally scale fish before filleting. Keeping the fish whole gives you something firm to hold onto while the scaler does its work, and helps protect the flesh underneath.