Deba Knife / Japanese Butcher Knife
The best Deba knife for cutting fish and smashing bone-in fish, meat, and fowl.
If you often use it for smashing purposes, a double-edged blade is recommended.
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Best Deba Knives Product List
| Small Deba Knife | Deba Knife | Mioroshi Knife |
 A small-sized deba knife. Ideal for fish filleting and other tasks. |
 Ideal for filleting fish, cutting through fish with bones, and chopping meat and poultry. |
 A specialized knife, thinner and narrower than a deba knife, designed specifically for filleting fish. |
| Funayuki Knife | Western Deba Knife | |
 This knife was originally created for fishermen to easily prepare meals on their boats. It is a thinner version of the deba knife, making it convenient for preparing small fish. |
 A deba knife with a composite plywood handle and double-edged blade. |
| Small Deba Knife | Deba Knife |
|
A small-sized deba knife. Ideal for fish filleting and other tasks. |
Ideal for filleting fish, cutting through fish with bones, and chopping meat and poultry. |
| Mioroshi Knife | Funayuki Knife |
|
A specialized knife, thinner and narrower than a deba knife, designed specifically for filleting fish. |
This knife was originally created for fishermen to easily prepare meals on their boats. It is a thinner version of the deba knife, making it convenient for preparing small fish. |
| Western Deba Knife | |
|
A deba knife with a composite plywood handle and double-edged blade. |
How to use Deba Knives
 Rinse the fish. |
 Lay the fish with the head to your left (if you're right-handed) and the belly facing you. |
 Insert the tip of the knife into the vent (anus). |
 Starting at the back, cut along the dorsal fin. Cut along the belly bones. |
Turn the fish over. |
|
Rinse the fish. |
|
Lay the fish with the head to your left (if you're right-handed) and the belly facing you. |
|
Insert the tip of the knife into the vent (anus). |
|
Starting at the back, cut along the dorsal fin. Cut along the belly bones. |
|
Turn the fish over. |
Tips for using a Deba knife
Let the weight of the knife do the work and avoid excessive force.
Use smooth, short slicing motions when filleting.
A Deba can cut through small fish bones and heads, but it is not intended for large, hard bones.
Keep the blade in contact with the backbone to maximize meat yield.
Always use a stable cutting board to improve safety and precision.
A Deba knife excels at fish preparation because its thick, single-bevel blade provides excellent control, allowing you to separate meat cleanly from the bones while minimizing waste.
How to choose the size
of your Deba knife
In the case of a deba knife, the blade length is the size of the knife.
Deba knives come in blade lengths ranging from 90 to 300 mm, in 15 mm increments.
The size of your deba knife is best determined by the size of the fish. It is best to choose one that is the same length as the fish you want to fillet.
for example
・120mm for small fish such as horse mackerel
・165mm for medium-sized fish such as sea bream
・240mm for large fish such as yellowtail
| Blade length | Grind Fish | |||
| 105~135mm | Horse mackerel, Sardine | |||
| 150~165mm | Mackerel, Sea bream | |||
| 180~210mm | Yellowtail, Amberjack | |||
*It is easier to cook fish if you think about its size in terms of its length rather than its width.
By making the blade the same length as the fish, when filleting the fish, the knife will hit the backbone when inserted at a 45-degree angle, allowing you to cut neatly along the bone.
When filleting a fish, the knife is tilted at a 45 degree angle to the fish. Therefore, if the blade length is too short compared to the length of the fish, the fish will require two or three cuts to be cut, which can easily result in the flesh becoming mushy. However, by choosing a blade length the same as the fish, the knife can be tilted at an angle, but only one cut will be needed to cut through to the backbone, allowing the fish to be neatly filleted.
Recommended blade size for beginners
If you are purchasing a home deba knife for the first time and are not sure what size fish you will be cutting, we recommend the 150mm or 165mm knife, which can be used to cut a variety of fish.
