We have a soft spot for knives that fall a little outside the box in terms of shape, and this ko-deba is one of them. Deba knives are traditionally single sided and used for filleting fish, and the ko-deba is a smaller take on that shape. This double edge version is easier to use and maintain than a true single bevel, and it works equally well for right and left handed cooks.
This little knife earns its keep on plenty of jobs around the kitchen beyond filleting small fish, including boning poultry and standing in for a tall petty. The core is Shirogami #2, or White Paper #2, hardened to about 60 HRC and covered with a soft iron layer for added strength, finished with a good looking hairline texture. The grind is well executed, with a clean blade path leading into the double bevel edge, and the knife comes with a simple ho wood handle and plastic ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: This is the knife owners reach for first once it arrives, ahead of dedicated petty and honesuki knives, for everything from onions and garlic to stone fruit, broccoli, and chicken thighs. One reviewer compared it to a thinner version from another maker and preferred this original grind. At a modest price point, more than one owner has said they would buy it again without hesitation if it were ever lost.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after use rather than letting it sit. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for any length of time, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only.
This little knife earns its keep on plenty of jobs around the kitchen beyond filleting small fish, including boning poultry and standing in for a tall petty. The core is Shirogami #2, or White Paper #2, hardened to about 60 HRC and covered with a soft iron layer for added strength, finished with a good looking hairline texture. The grind is well executed, with a clean blade path leading into the double bevel edge, and the knife comes with a simple ho wood handle and plastic ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: This is the knife owners reach for first once it arrives, ahead of dedicated petty and honesuki knives, for everything from onions and garlic to stone fruit, broccoli, and chicken thighs. One reviewer compared it to a thinner version from another maker and preferred this original grind. At a modest price point, more than one owner has said they would buy it again without hesitation if it were ever lost.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after use rather than letting it sit. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for any length of time, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only.
- Brand: Okeya
- Blacksmith: Fujiwara-san
- Location: Miki City, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
- Edge Steel: Shirogami #2 (White Paper Steel)
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- HRC: 60
- Finish: Hairline
- Edge Grind: Double Bevel
- Handle: Ho Wood Oval
- Ferrule: Plastic
- Weight: 2.8 oz (80 g)
- Blade Length: 108 mm
- Total Length: 232 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.5 mm
- Blade Height at Heel: 39 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
Daily driverPosted By: Hunter Hoffman
31 people found this review helpful
I’ve fallen completely in love with this one. I have both a petty/paring knife and a honesuki who were used to getting all the random kitchen utility work and are both feeling very lonely since this one arrived. I reach for it first for everything. Onions and garlic. Stone fruit. Heads of broccoli and cauliflower. Chicken thighs. And on and on and on. At first I thought it was ground too short and wedged/split too much but I got a thinner version from kohetsu and don’t like it as much as this original. Buy this knife!!
31 people found this review helpful
I’ve fallen completely in love with this one. I have both a petty/paring knife and a honesuki who were used to getting all the random kitchen utility work and are both feeling very lonely since this one arrived. I reach for it first for everything. Onions and garlic. Stone fruit. Heads of broccoli and cauliflower. Chicken thighs. And on and on and on. At first I thought it was ground too short and wedged/split too much but I got a thinner version from kohetsu and don’t like it as much as this original. Buy this knife!!
Pretty Darn Good for $48Posted By: Andrew
27 people found this review helpful
I bought this to see if I would like Wa handles and carbon steel. It seemed like an inexpensive way to test out the two. I mostly use it to finely slice garlic/shallots, and bone out chicken thighs. It's so light that it takes almost no effort to blaze through several cloves of garlic, but not so delicate that I'm worried about it when running up against chicken bones.
Bottom Line:
If this knife were lost/stolen, I'd absolutely buy another.
27 people found this review helpful
I bought this to see if I would like Wa handles and carbon steel. It seemed like an inexpensive way to test out the two. I mostly use it to finely slice garlic/shallots, and bone out chicken thighs. It's so light that it takes almost no effort to blaze through several cloves of garlic, but not so delicate that I'm worried about it when running up against chicken bones.
Bottom Line:
If this knife were lost/stolen, I'd absolutely buy another.
