Introduction

It can be challenging to clean a fish. There are many difficult parts of cleaning a fish, they’re full of bones, and they’re slippery! I must say, however, that they are absolutely delicious. There are some tips that can help you save money when working with premium fish without going to the seafood retail shop several times a week. The best way to learn how to process a whole fish is to get your own fish and process it yourself.

Performing either of these tasks will require you to have a basic understanding of fish cleaning, which means you will require a few knives. We can assist you in this regard!

Different types

In this article we will introduce three types of commonly used Japenese deba knives, so that you can find what is suitable for you. Let’s start,

Deba knife

Deba knife: Deba (Japanese: 出刃包丁, “pointed carving knife”) is a traditional Japanese knife that has been used for cutting meat as well as breaking fish. When Portuguese requested a small and heavy blade for cutting large amounts of tobacco during the Edo period in Sakai, the deba was invented. Due to its versatility as a blade for a variety of purposes, its popularity and use grew rapidly. Its relatively short blade length and thick spine make the Deba an easy knife to lift and cut through fish heads, chicken wings, and cut through fish bones, among others.

Ai Deba Knife

Ai-deba: Originally, the name Ai-Deba was derived from the Japanese word “Ai” which means “both” in English. The Ai-Deba is designed to be equally effective at filleting as well as slicing fish. In comparison with the deba, the ai-deba has a very similar blade profile, but the blade is narrower, thinner, and lighter in weight. The thin blade makes it easier for Ai-deba to slice fish. As a result, AI-deba has become more and more popular.

Funayuki Deba

Funayuki Deba: “Funayuki Deba” literally means “going on board” or “on board,” telling us where the knife was intended to be used. As well as processing small to medium sized fish caught on the boat, the Funayuki was also used to prepare meals. Despite the similarity of the shape of the Funayuki blade to a Deba, its lighter, thinner, and more agile profile distinguishes this knife from other tools that are designed to cut bones, frozen foods, or other hard substances.

What they made of?

Carbon steel has traditionally been used for these knives, which require regular maintenance and oiling to avoid rust, but carbon steel can be sharpened into razor sharp edge. However, there are also knives made from stainless steel that are more affordable. The blade is constructed of high-grade chrome molybdenum steel, which has been hardened in a vacuum process to a rockwell hardness of 56 – 57. An optimum level of rust resistance is provided by the matte-polished cutting edge. As a result, every knife is sharpened precisely from the very beginning, and the final sanding or fine honing is carried out by hand.

Handle wise, traditional deba knife usually made of wood. Wood selection range also quite wide. You will find affordable deba with plastic handle very easily.

Conclusion

If you already have a filet knife you love you know how important it is to keep them razor sharp. Check out our sharpeners and stones at SharpWorx.com to see how our products are perfect for sharpening any Japanese knife and even in the same traditional way the knives are sharpened.