Introduction

There is nothing better than New Knife Day. Whether you are a professional chef or an avid home cook, your knife is by far the most important tool in your kitchen. We are delighted when our customers leave eager to use their new Japanese knives. It is easy for a thin chef’s knife to be damaged or chipped by hard foods such as bones. Obviously, working with bones requires a different set of tools.

Various types of boning knives

Let us examine some of the various types of knives designed specifically for deboning.

Honesuke: Among the best-known boning knives in the world is the Honesuki. Its wide profile, dropped tip, thick, angular heel, and just enough blade height make this knife ideal for breaking down chicken and small cuts of meat. This knife is generally made of carbon steel, which tends to be harder than stainless steel, so it maintains its edge longer than stainless steel knives.

Honesuki Maru/Hankotsu: The profile of the Honesuki Maru is odd, resembling that of a honesuki, but with the blade chin flush with the handle. This design serves a specific purpose as it facilitates the breakdown of hanging meat. There is a great deal of appreciation for the versatility of this knife among professional butchers. There is a significant difference between Honesuki and Honesuki Maru in that Honesuki is used mostly for breaking poultry or rabbits, whereas Honesuki Maru is usually used for breaking pork or cows.

Garasuki: Japanese chicken restaurants were the first to utilize garasuki knives to breakdown a whole chicken. In comparison with the Honesuki blade profile, the Garasuki blade is larger, thicker, and heavier. As a result, it is an excellent choice when cutting large cuts of poultry and meat. Garasuki knives differ from Honesuki knives in that they have reverse tanto tips and clip points. As a result, it has been designed to increase tip strength while still enabling precise cuts in tight spaces, such as joints, while still being able to penetrate skin easily.

Final thoughts

Do you have a preference as to which knife is most suitable for you? We have discussed a number of similarities among the boning knives we have examined. Each of these knives is somewhat more robust than a typical gyuto or santoku.

Essentially, all of these knives serve the same purpose. The carbon steel honesuki may be the perfect knife for you if you are looking for a very sharp knife that can hold its edge exceptionally well. You might consider a honesuki maru if you are looking for a simple tool that can take a bit more punishment. We would love to hear about your favorite meat cutting tools in the comments!

How SharpWorx Can Help

To keep your knives in optimally sharp condition please check out our sharpeners that use the same motion that Japanese chefs use. Both our Master and Professional Sharpener follow the same method used by professional chefs across the world.