Deba recommendation?
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Deba recommendation?
Hey CKTG Forum --
Looking for a recommendation for a value-oriented Deba and size. Ended up in south Florida (thanks covid?) and added long-distance fishing to the hobby list. Have a smallish collection of Japanese knives (210 and 270 gyutos, sujihiki, pettys etc) which call me paranoid, seem too delicate for the initial breaking down of fish. Mostly snapper, grouper, mahi and blackfin tuna in the 10-30 lb range, and occasional larger yellowfin tuna.
Thanks!
Looking for a recommendation for a value-oriented Deba and size. Ended up in south Florida (thanks covid?) and added long-distance fishing to the hobby list. Have a smallish collection of Japanese knives (210 and 270 gyutos, sujihiki, pettys etc) which call me paranoid, seem too delicate for the initial breaking down of fish. Mostly snapper, grouper, mahi and blackfin tuna in the 10-30 lb range, and occasional larger yellowfin tuna.
Thanks!
Re: Deba recommendation?
Tani Shirogami 2 Deba 165mm https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tash2de16.html
Traditional single bevel deba. Best for clean cuts.
Okeya White #2 Deba 150mm 50/50 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/okde15doedse.html
Double bevel. Sturdier than a single bevel deba. Much lighter than a typical deba.
Tojiro DP Western Deba 210mm https://www.chefknivestogo.com/todpwede21.html
Stainless, western handle, thick. Longer than average for larger fish.
Debas are generally sharpened at a higher at the heel which allows them to cut fish head. Also note that single bevel knives are only suitable for right handed users unless stated otherwise.
Traditional single bevel deba. Best for clean cuts.
Okeya White #2 Deba 150mm 50/50 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/okde15doedse.html
Double bevel. Sturdier than a single bevel deba. Much lighter than a typical deba.
Tojiro DP Western Deba 210mm https://www.chefknivestogo.com/todpwede21.html
Stainless, western handle, thick. Longer than average for larger fish.
Debas are generally sharpened at a higher at the heel which allows them to cut fish head. Also note that single bevel knives are only suitable for right handed users unless stated otherwise.
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Might help people get close to your needs if you fill out the questionnaire.
There are some really great Debas on the CKTG site.
https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... ?f=2&t=643
There are some really great Debas on the CKTG site.
https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... ?f=2&t=643
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Re: Deba recommendation?
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toshmide21.html
I have another brand 210mm mioroshi (a little thinner than a normal deba) deba that I used a few times on tuna and mahi. It worked pretty well, but felt a little short on some larger tuna. I did the breaking down on the boat, and had to make sure to wash it off really well with freshwater or it would rust a lot.
I have another brand 210mm mioroshi (a little thinner than a normal deba) deba that I used a few times on tuna and mahi. It worked pretty well, but felt a little short on some larger tuna. I did the breaking down on the boat, and had to make sure to wash it off really well with freshwater or it would rust a lot.
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Budget 1-300. Value orientation --> knife will have a hard life -- bang around in cooler for hours (in a case), breaking down fish 50-200lb of fish at a time at the dock which will have a poly surface if luck, most likely metal.
Righty
Exp home cook
Indifferent on the handle -- I have and use both
No preference in stainless, clad, or all carbon. have and use both
Sharpening -- know how to sharpen and have full-sized stones in various grits
Knife skills -- good
Existing knives - tetsuya fujiwara 240 gyuto (heavy/workhorse), 150 petty, nakari, ryusen blazen gyuto (240?, on semi permanent loan to chef friend who doesn't want to give it back), konosuke 210 gyuto (laser), masakage 270 sujihiki, tojiro 150 honesuki.
Righty
Exp home cook
Indifferent on the handle -- I have and use both
No preference in stainless, clad, or all carbon. have and use both
Sharpening -- know how to sharpen and have full-sized stones in various grits
Knife skills -- good
Existing knives - tetsuya fujiwara 240 gyuto (heavy/workhorse), 150 petty, nakari, ryusen blazen gyuto (240?, on semi permanent loan to chef friend who doesn't want to give it back), konosuke 210 gyuto (laser), masakage 270 sujihiki, tojiro 150 honesuki.
Re: Deba recommendation?
I think this would cover a good bit of your needs, but you might want something bigger:
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tasa18de.html
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tasa18de.html
Re: Deba recommendation?
+1 Saji Ginsan Deba, but if you cut through thick bones often I recommend the Takayuki Grand Chef AEB-L Western Deba 240mm, easier to sharpen.
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchaewede.html
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchaewede.html
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Some great suggestions here. I am a deba fan and I think you will really enjoy a real single sided example. The Saji and Tojiro are both great recommendations plus you might want to add this Takayuki Inox...... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tainde18.html
Now if you can afford the extra C note than this is my absolute favorite... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/doideba.html ... I have one by his father and it is one of my all time favorite knives!
Now if you can afford the extra C note than this is my absolute favorite... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/doideba.html ... I have one by his father and it is one of my all time favorite knives!
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Re: Deba recommendation?
If you are at the dock, it shouldn't be bad to have a carbon one. Its when you are doing them on the boat in the heat of the moment and you put it down for a while to fight a fish or something and dont get to rinse and dry thoroughly.
I would get a 210mm or 240mm honestly. For larger fish, makes a HUGE difference. I went with the mioroshi because it was lighter and more nimble at the longer length; I think mine is a 210mm, but may be a 240? I have it kicking around here somewhere.
Masahiro also makes a nice fish knife, too, with a lot of belly to it at the tip. They are thinner, but work well to break down fish.
Are you bleeding tuna for sushi? I have been playing with making tuna drop blood knives lately that cut the lateral line without going super far into the meat.
I would get a 210mm or 240mm honestly. For larger fish, makes a HUGE difference. I went with the mioroshi because it was lighter and more nimble at the longer length; I think mine is a 210mm, but may be a 240? I have it kicking around here somewhere.
Masahiro also makes a nice fish knife, too, with a lot of belly to it at the tip. They are thinner, but work well to break down fish.
Are you bleeding tuna for sushi? I have been playing with making tuna drop blood knives lately that cut the lateral line without going super far into the meat.
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Sounds like you need a larger deba. There are several here that are good choices, but I have two Kitaoka B2 knives (180 deba and 300 mm yanagiba) and, from what I understand, he specializes in single bevel knives. The knives are extremely nice imho and have well done handles.
This is in stock now and would be a good choice, but there are SO many great things here to choose from you really just have to decide what your needs and budget dictate. You certainly will get a good knife here.
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kibl2mide24.html
This is in stock now and would be a good choice, but there are SO many great things here to choose from you really just have to decide what your needs and budget dictate. You certainly will get a good knife here.
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kibl2mide24.html
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Mauichef, since you've have some experience with these I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask, are the Tojiro single-bevel debas a good choice or does it generally make more sense to go for something like the Saji or the Tani mentioned earlier in terms of bevel grind quality? Nothing seems to come close to the value of the Tojiro Shirogami debas which makes me wonder whether there are any drawbacks to take into account.mauichef wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:21 am Some great suggestions here. I am a deba fan and I think you will really enjoy a real single sided example. The Saji and Tojiro are both great recommendations plus you might want to add this Takayuki Inox...... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tainde18.html
Now if you can afford the extra C note than this is my absolute favorite... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/doideba.html ... I have one by his father and it is one of my all time favorite knives!
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Well I'm no expert but here is my 2 cents.
If you are using it on a boat and dock and as you said rattling around a cooler. The Tojiro is the one. It is very well made and it will do what you need for about half the price of the other recommendations. The handle is very basic and the F&F might not be right up there with the more expensive knives...but it will cut!!!! And you wont get too mad if it gets beat up a bit. That would be my boat knife for sure. The others..as nice as they are...would be the home ones for me. If you go with this one then have Mark do a pre sharpen for you. I have a good time recommending Tojiro knives. Yes they are factory produced but they put a lot of effort into them and it shows with some really good grinds and great heat treats. I would get this one https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro2.html
Otherwise take a look at the Saji. It is all stainless and I love Ginsan as an alternative to Blue steels.
Good luck with the hunt and the fishing!
If you are using it on a boat and dock and as you said rattling around a cooler. The Tojiro is the one. It is very well made and it will do what you need for about half the price of the other recommendations. The handle is very basic and the F&F might not be right up there with the more expensive knives...but it will cut!!!! And you wont get too mad if it gets beat up a bit. That would be my boat knife for sure. The others..as nice as they are...would be the home ones for me. If you go with this one then have Mark do a pre sharpen for you. I have a good time recommending Tojiro knives. Yes they are factory produced but they put a lot of effort into them and it shows with some really good grinds and great heat treats. I would get this one https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro2.html
Otherwise take a look at the Saji. It is all stainless and I love Ginsan as an alternative to Blue steels.
Good luck with the hunt and the fishing!
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Speaking of Debas...... this just arrived in the mail!
More pics posted in New Knives... https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... start=3440
More pics posted in New Knives... https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... start=3440
- mauichef
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Agreed. The handle is a bit basic with a plastic ferrule but it is perfect for a boat as it will be a bit grippy in wet hands.
Re: Deba recommendation?
I haven’t tried Tojiro Deba before but I’ve tried a single bevel yanagiba and found there’s few low spots after first sharpening, it doesn’t affect the performance, just won’t look pretty if you’re perfectionist. You just need hours to thin it down to completely flattened the bevel. It may vary from knives to knifes because you won’t notice it until you sharpen. But if you don’t care about F&F, perfect grind, reactive then Tojiro is the way to go for the pure performance.yummycrackers wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 7:49 pmMauichef, since you've have some experience with these I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask, are the Tojiro single-bevel debas a good choice or does it generally make more sense to go for something like the Saji or the Tani mentioned earlier in terms of bevel grind quality? Nothing seems to come close to the value of the Tojiro Shirogami debas which makes me wonder whether there are any drawbacks to take into account.mauichef wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:21 am Some great suggestions here. I am a deba fan and I think you will really enjoy a real single sided example. The Saji and Tojiro are both great recommendations plus you might want to add this Takayuki Inox...... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tainde18.html
Now if you can afford the extra C note than this is my absolute favorite... https://www.chefknivestogo.com/doideba.html ... I have one by his father and it is one of my all time favorite knives!
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Re: Deba recommendation?
For breaking down fish like he is doing, having a perfectly flat bevel won't really matter. For cutting up sushi and precise cuts with a yanagiba, it would matter. Its pretty fun to break down larger fish with the big deba and have people be amazed that you did it that clean with a stuff big knife instead of a little fillet knife! I used to be the tuna butcher whenever we went offshore and got something.
I have the 240mm Tojiro Shirogami Kasumi Gyuto and its been my daily driver for almost a month now, if not longer. Great blade, good steel. Get the Tojiro. If you want a better handle, consider having one made with G10 SureTouch, a G10/Rubber mix that gives stupid good grip for dealing with blood and fish guts! I've used it on a few fillet knives so far with western shaped handles.
I have the 240mm Tojiro Shirogami Kasumi Gyuto and its been my daily driver for almost a month now, if not longer. Great blade, good steel. Get the Tojiro. If you want a better handle, consider having one made with G10 SureTouch, a G10/Rubber mix that gives stupid good grip for dealing with blood and fish guts! I've used it on a few fillet knives so far with western shaped handles.
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Re: Deba recommendation?
Gosh. Thanks all for the thoughtful replies. (and still getting used to forum; drafted a response or two but seemed to be eaten by the internet).
The tl;dr; I went with the 180mm Torijo -- have a fondness for brand -- first Japanese knife was a short petty of theirs. Now second-guessing length, but I think it's ok for most fishing I do -- a good snapper is 10-12lbs. I want to try a single bevel (despite the arguments for double). I think all carbon will be ok (breaking down fish is last thing I do before heading home). I fish on headboats (e.g.yankeecapts.com -- you fish hard for two-three days, fish is passed out at the end). If I like Deba's, I can see getting something longer/thinner/nicer -- it a, I don't know -- generally, you aren't cutting bones, but there incidental contact, and shit, some times end up hacking (I've busted out a bread knife to saw through backbones). Tuna fishing is amazing, but booked trips this year are 5 to 1 bottom fishing to tuna (working on a permission slip from my wife for 5-day bluefin trip o.O -- I think that deserves a new knife )
On the tuna knife question. We always bleed -- cut behind the body fin, under gills, ideally a saltwater hose... I can sorta see the benefit? if it's your boat (something else to lose?). I have had some sad gashes in fish from people being overzealous.
Anyways, the next trip is in a week. Wish me luck and will report back.
The tl;dr; I went with the 180mm Torijo -- have a fondness for brand -- first Japanese knife was a short petty of theirs. Now second-guessing length, but I think it's ok for most fishing I do -- a good snapper is 10-12lbs. I want to try a single bevel (despite the arguments for double). I think all carbon will be ok (breaking down fish is last thing I do before heading home). I fish on headboats (e.g.yankeecapts.com -- you fish hard for two-three days, fish is passed out at the end). If I like Deba's, I can see getting something longer/thinner/nicer -- it a, I don't know -- generally, you aren't cutting bones, but there incidental contact, and shit, some times end up hacking (I've busted out a bread knife to saw through backbones). Tuna fishing is amazing, but booked trips this year are 5 to 1 bottom fishing to tuna (working on a permission slip from my wife for 5-day bluefin trip o.O -- I think that deserves a new knife )
On the tuna knife question. We always bleed -- cut behind the body fin, under gills, ideally a saltwater hose... I can sorta see the benefit? if it's your boat (something else to lose?). I have had some sad gashes in fish from people being overzealous.
Anyways, the next trip is in a week. Wish me luck and will report back.