# DEBA: Who uses it to butcher yard bird's and other terrestrial animals?



## Mucho Bocho (Jun 14, 2013)

I know that this is an inflamatory title but its all in good fun. Many of us know that this traditional Japanese knife profile was designed to butcher fish, but can/should it be used for other cutting tasks. Some use it for opening crabs parts and some (like me) also use it for seperating and deboning poultry. 

Lets move beyond the assumption that Deba is not a clever and isn't designed to wack bones like John Henry chops trees. 


Please chime in if you use the mighty deba for other cutting tasks?


----------



## Miles (Jun 14, 2013)

Occasionally, I'll use it on poultry, but for the most part, I stick to using the deba for it's intended purpose and leave the other stuff to honesuke and hankotsu.


----------



## Miles (Jun 14, 2013)

To clarify, the mass of the deba makes quick work of poultry, but technique is key. It's not a cleaver and as long as you use it correctly, a deba can be used for poultry. It's just not the best tool for it. The narrower blade on the honesuke is made for it. The deba is made for fish. It's going to be better at the task for which it's made.


----------



## Mucho Bocho (Jun 14, 2013)

Miles, Not to my hand, the deba makes it so much easier to follow the bones. Its got a nice tip for removing the wish bone too. Maybe it comes down to the fact that i don't like uni-taskers in the kitchen. I know I'm going to ger hammered for that comment, cause i know that most japanese knives are uni-taskers.

Bring it :knife:


----------



## daveb (Jun 14, 2013)

Due to the risk of being monitored by NSA and even worse by Jon, I'll only admit my deba might have been used on proteins that can't swim. And that was of course pre-honesuki.


----------



## Dardeau (Jun 14, 2013)

John Henry was a steel drivin man.


----------



## JBroida (Jun 14, 2013)

i swear i'm not the deba police... its only a problem if you end up causing damage to the blade. Also, its not anywhere near the best knife for use with poultry and other meats.


----------



## Miles (Jun 15, 2013)

What Jon said. LOL... 
If it works for you and you're not messing up the blade, carry on!


----------



## Squilliam (Jun 15, 2013)

Each meat group presents it's own set of challanges, and the deba is a knife designed specifically to deal with fish. This means that it must be a sub-optimal knife for dissimilar proteins, even if it's the best knife you have used.
Typically, the more specific the design of a tool, the more effectively it can be used in it's intended roles. If you are looking to do the absolute best job you can, then you must pick the tool which is most closely matched to the task.


----------



## JBroida (Jun 15, 2013)

yup... no one's gonna put you in jail for using a deba on chicken, but its not a particularly bright idea considering there are far better options out there


----------



## mano (Jun 15, 2013)

JBroida said:


> yup... no one's gonna put you in jail for using a deba on chicken, but its not a particularly bright idea considering there are far better options out there



Jon, you're not the deba police; you're the deba dad.


----------



## Von blewitt (Jun 15, 2013)

mano said:


> Jon, you're not the deba police; you're the deba dad.



Haha " I'm not angry..... I'm just disappointed"


----------



## Mucho Bocho (Jun 15, 2013)

I really appreciate all your feedback but I'm using my deba for chicken and I'm sticking too it. You are the Deba Gestapo Jon ;-)


----------



## Jim (Jun 15, 2013)

I find that the Deba is a great tool to get my pork/ Ribs squared away.









If there is a better tool for the job I would love to know about it.


----------



## Duckfat (Jun 15, 2013)

Ribs are the perfect job for a cleaver IMO but like most things it's subjective. I just wanna know what time you're serving dinner! 

Dave


----------



## ThEoRy (Jun 15, 2013)

It's not impossible, but really there's far better tools. I like light nimble knives for poultry. Petty or honesuki for example. I can open a beer can with a hammer but.....


----------



## Brad Gibson (Jun 15, 2013)

Jim said:


> I find that the Deba is a great tool to get my pork/ Ribs squared away.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Jim is that two debas for the ribs? Why two?


----------



## Duckfat (Jun 15, 2013)

"Why two?"

One for each hand! :nunchucks:
Looks like one Western Deba and a traditional single Bevel. I'd be a lot less worried about hitting bone with a western Deba.

Dave


----------



## Mucho Bocho (Jun 17, 2013)

Jim, good for you. Finally another that has the hootspa to use deba for land animals. You heretic, join the club. Others will follow :ggodjob:


----------



## Justin0505 (Jun 17, 2013)

I used a deba for poultry for a while. I have also used or tried plenty of other knives for the work (paring, utility, honesuki, gyuto, cleaver). The deba wasn't the best or the worst. I liked the extra weight as the spine can be used for cracking bones, and the the extra length for longer slicing cuts (like taking breast off of bone or portioning afterwards) I also liked how easy it was to find and follow a bone with a thick single bevel. 
In the end I eventually formed kind of a Franken-knife image in my head of my own ideal bird-monster and ended up with a custom order.


----------



## zitangy (Jun 17, 2013)

Justin0505 said:


> In the end I eventually formed kind of a Franken-knife image in my head of my own ideal bird-monster and ended up with a custom order.



Pray do tell.. with pictures....

rgds
d


----------



## Jim (Jun 17, 2013)

Duckfat said:


> Ribs are the perfect job for a cleaver IMO but like most things it's subjective. I just wanna know what time you're serving dinner!
> 
> Dave



Opps.... you missed the call!



Brad Gibson said:


> Jim is that two debas for the ribs? Why two?



Nope the other knife is a 240 Gyuto. The top photo is belly getting ready to be cured into savory bacon..notice the bowl of cure in the photo?


Mucho Bocho said:


> Jim, good for you. Finally another that has the hootspa to use deba for land animals. You heretic, join the club. Others will follow :ggodjob:



Either that or I am just too damn stupid to know the difference.


----------



## Justin0505 (Jun 17, 2013)

zitangy said:


> Pray do tell.. with pictures....
> 
> rgds
> d



I've posted about it before and it's on the list of "knifes I need to take more pictures of / do a propper review":
Fowler Custom bird destroyer aka mioroshi poultry deba:
-Mizuhonyaki (W2 w/ hamon)
-210mm from handle, 190mm on the edge
-spin 5mm @ handle; >3mm before drop to tip
-44mm heel hight
-ura (back) is hollow ground


----------



## jaybett (Jun 18, 2013)

Justin0505 said:


> In the end I eventually formed kind of a Franken-knife image in my head of my own ideal bird-monster and ended up with a custom order.





Justin0505 said:


> I've posted about it before and it's on the list of "knifes I need to take more pictures of / do a propper review":
> Fowler Custom bird destroyer aka mioroshi poultry deba:
> -Mizuhonyaki (W2 w/ hamon)
> -210mm from handle, 190mm on the edge
> ...



That is quite the vision, you had there. 

Jay


----------



## zitangy (Jun 18, 2013)

Thanks..

Interesting piece. Not many US knife makers make single bevel knives with hollow grind and convex grind. Is it because you need an appropriate large wheel for the hollow grind? Whats the largest contact wheel available for 2 x72 belt sanders?

I took the opportunity to own Deba made by Mike Davis. It serves we well.

Based on my enquiries with Sakai Takayuki, I am of the impression that a shorter Miorishi Deba is not common.. being a cross between a Yanagi and Deba.

I like yr style... customising a tool completely to your liking.

rgds
d


----------



## Mike9 (Jun 18, 2013)

That's a beautiful knife Justin.


----------



## Chuckles (Jun 18, 2013)

> If there is a better tool for the job I would love to know about it.



Mario. For squaring ribs and taking down chickens (and almost every other cutting task) Mario is my first pick. And to share: Justin's Frankenbirder taking a breather before squaring off pancetta.

Can't wait to see a single bevel from Mario.


----------



## Justin0505 (Jun 19, 2013)

zitangy said:


> Thanks..
> 
> Interesting piece. Not many US knife makers make single bevel knives with hollow grind and convex grind. Is it because you need an appropriate large wheel for the hollow grind? Whats the largest contact wheel available for 2 x72 belt sanders?
> 
> ...




I can't remember how exactly he did it, but IIRC it was some contraption that he rigged up where he attached a hemispherical head to a handheld grinder. I can't believe that he got it as even as he did: better than some j-knives I've seen. Really, it was probably unnecessary for this application as many japanese honesuki are actually just flat-ground on the back. Still, dreams, and custom craziness are seldom firmly connected to necessity. It seems people tend to forget about Fowler or write him off, but from just a few years ago when I tried out a very early pass-around of his, he's come a looong way. IMO, he may be one of the best bargains for full-custom work around right now.

Glad you guys like it, it's not a deba, but it's just about as far from tradition (what the j-knive police would approve of ) as one.


----------



## ejd53 (Jun 20, 2013)

I have to admit that I have an interest in this thread as I have recently come into possession of one of these knives (see below) and I was worried that the Deba police might behead me if I used it on non-aquatic protein. I will admit to having had dreams of gutting a steer with one swing of this mighty weapon (also of building a log home and using it to clear the land). :knife: Seriously, this thing could qualify as a small tuna sword. :biggrin:


----------



## Chuckles (Jun 21, 2013)

Umm.. That knife is really really ridiculously good looking.


----------



## Salty dog (Jun 21, 2013)

I do.


----------



## rdm_magic (Jun 21, 2013)

ejd53 said:


> I have to admit that I have an interest in this thread as I have recently come into possession of one of these knives (see below) and I was worried that the Deba police might behead me if I used it on non-aquatic protein. I will admit to having had dreams of gutting a steer with one swing of this mighty weapon (also of building a log home and using it to clear the land). :knife: Seriously, this thing could qualify as a small tuna sword. :biggrin:
> 
> View attachment 16210
> 
> ...



What is that knife?


----------



## ejd53 (Jun 21, 2013)

That knife is a Mike Davis 240 mm mioroshi deba with a cocobolo saya. For further info, see the "Single Bevel WIP" thread in Mike's sub-forum.


----------

