Deba

Deba, also known as Hon-deba (real Deba), is traditionally used to clean and netting whole fish, but is also commonly used to bone poultry and other meats with small bones. The large weight of the Deba is desirable because, with sufficient care, the heel section is robust enough to be used to cut or slice bones found in small and medium-sized fish and poultry.

Deba is commonly used to cut fish heads in half and when used with proper techniques, they can be used safely to remove and split crab legs for example. However, the Deba is not recommended for cutting large bones, and care should be taken, as with all knives, not to subject the edge of the blade to lateral forces that can lead to cracks.

The Deba column thins throughout, which means that it is also possible to have a tip thin and sensitive enough for the user to feel whether or not it touches the bones. This is an ideal feature for a knife used for threading. The Deba’s tapered blade and strong handle create a balance point centered on the heel of the blade, giving the knife a much more agile feel than you’d expect.

Because Japanese cuisine uses many sizes and species of fish and seafood, the Deba is available in many types and sizes. Several varieties of Deba, including Mioroshi Deba (literally, Deba filterer), Ai-deba, and Aji-kiri, or Ko-deba (literally small Deba)