bertram31.com

Hi Folks,

winter web surfing has got me down a rabbit hole and been looking at Japanese knives. They have an interesting style knife for breaking down fish called a Deba. It is single beveled and the back side is hollow ground. The blade has significant heft to it and it seems like it could act as a cleaver as well.

I am curious if others have had any experience with them?

I just looked them up. Pretty nice knife. They even make one that is designed for Right-handed people. I find that odd since usually you see left-handed options since this is a right-handed world.

Reading these two articles, I think I would want to handle the knife to see how it feels before I purchased one.

It does look pretty cool. I didn't realize they gutted the fish before they filet them.


https://www.gearpatrol.com/home/a735865 ... fe-styles/

https://www.seriouseats.com/best-deba-knives-8304150

I agree with wanting to hold one to see how it feels. I haven't yet found a place that carries them.

one person's advice to me was to just buy one on the jungle company's website that can be returned easily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6hEw_206tc&t=991s

Looks like this lady uses a standard filet knife.

A little late to the game in responding, but yep, I have a deba.

Kind of a unique knife...pretty heavy (thick) near the heel for smacking with the heel of the hand to break through bones, and tapers toward the tip for meat work. Not a fillet-only/slicer knife (Sujihiki), but one that can do both jobs....sorta. It's like a chicken boning knife (Honesuki) for fish.

Honestly, I only use it because I have it (don't tell my wife) and have a bit of a weakness for Japanese knives...hard to beat a dexter-russell.

Rick,

since you've got your hands on one, Can you hack up a tuna faster with it?


is it worth $200 for a good quality one? or is it a fancy way to do something you could do with other tools.


btw I am enamored with the thought of them but haven't been able to see one in person so haven't bought one.

Can you hack up a tuna faster with it?

No sir!

is it a fancy way to do something you could do with other tools?

Yessir!

Honestly, it's really a weird knife to me...it's almost cleaver-ish towards the handle and a single beveled to boot.

thanks Rick!!!!!

this was a winter thing, now I can focus on something different to burn a different hole in my pocket

I went and bought a couple of used/abused ones from Japan for $25 each plus shipping. The ebay seller had hundreds of listings of old Japaneese knives of various types, I contacted him and asked what he recommended and he said double sided Deba and he gave me links to his listings and I chose 2.

They came reasonably sharp but need sharpening. I started on the process and am learning how to do it well. I have one knife to the point where it will slice through paper and not tear it..

The knives are heavy, will definitely go though a tuna and bust up a spine.. more of a meat cleaver than a fillet knife.

Need spring to come to try it out on some fish

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KdP9nbeczGcZYsGK9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6MpqroQcWcz5PFnp7