Deba means “short fat tooth” in Japanese, and that’s the shape of this knife. It’s the first knife a sushi chef would use when preparing fish. It is used to fillet fish and take shellfish apart. Used properly, this ultra-sharp knife can do the heavy work: cutting heads off fish and even some poultry. Once you get the hang of using a deba for fish, you will probably never go back to your old flexible filleting knife.

These knives, and a considerable amount of skill on the chef’s part, are the reason sushi looks so good and why the fish is cleaned so perfectly. Done properly, the bones will be in one pile with almost no meat on them and the meat will be completely bone free, perfect fillets. Don’t let the shape and weight of a deba fool you; they are nimble and precise. Choose your deba’s length based on the fish size you’ll be butchering most often.

The Suisin Inox range is renowned for its balance of durability, sharpness, and ease of maintenance, making it an excellent choice for both professional chefs and home cooks. These knives are crafted from INOX stainless steel, a high-quality, rust-resistant alloy that offers excellent edge retention while being easier to sharpen than many other stainless steels. The blades are precision-forged to provide a keen, long-lasting edge, ensuring smooth and effortless cutting performance.

Weight: 257g

Handle Material: Western handle with birch wood composite and metal rivets

Handle Length: 120mm (4.7")

Blade Length: 165mm (6.4")

Blade Depth: 51mm

Thickness at spine: 3.3mm

Thickness at tip: 0.9mm

Cutting Edge: Single bevel - right bias

Blade Material: AUS8 stainless steel single layer

Hardness (Rockwell scale): 58 - 59