Deba Recommendations - Steel and Knife

[Brandon Nelson]

What suggestions do folks out here have for Deba's? I'm just a home cook but want a Deba as I do a lot of ARS (American Red Snapper). What steel do you recommend? Which knife? What grind? Single or dual bevel?

 

[KenHash]

If you have no experience with traditional Japanese single bevel knives you might find it easier to work with a Western Deba; double bevel and western handle and stainless. Look at Tojiro, Sakai Takayuki and the Hattori FH series.
But if you want to get into the single bevel Japanese handled ones consider White or Blue Steel ones by names like Masamoto, Aritsugu, etc. plus there are literally countless individual makers as well.

 

[Brandon Nelson]

Thank you for the thoughts. I do have some experience with a single bevel and I’m open to learning. That’s half the fun! I’m particularly looking for a hon deba and I’m thinking towards the 180mm to 195mm size. I’ll checkout the brands listed. I am still curious on steel specifically more than anything as it’s used to cut through bone at times. The harder the steel the more likely it will be to chip which is why I scratch my head. A 10lb snapper has a thick spine and we normally catch between 6lb and 25lb snapper.

Searching around last night I’m strongly considering a Minonokuni Ume in 180 or 195 with SK5 steel. It’s a Deba and white or blue might be overkill for the task was my worry and they are more pricey. I’ve noticed that Hiroyuki Terada is using the SK5 on his deba (actually the Minonokuni’s as well). I’m sure there is some advertising/kickback piece there but I imagine he likely could have used any of their line for the deba but he chose the Ume with SK5 over white/blue where his Yanagiba is the more expensive lines.

 

[KenHash]

I have only once used an SK5 Deba years ago and I think it was an old Seki Magoroku. When sharpening it I felt that it was not as hard as White and Blue knives I've sharpened. But I have no idea what Yamahide's SK5 hardness may be.
The Ume series looks like it keeps costs down with using SK5 and plastic ferrule. You could get a Tojiro White steel deba with similar materials for the same or less price as well.

 

[jdm61]

Snapper is not an exceptionally hard fish to clean. Do you want a deba because you want a deba or because you feel that you need one?

 

[Brandon Nelson]

Snapper is not an exceptionally hard fish to clean. Do you want a deba because you want a deba or because you feel that you need one?

Because I want a Deba. I like to learn new things and a single bevel traditional Japanese blade is interesting to me.