The
Deba Bocho is a very tough and relatively thick prep knife used for processing all types of meat, frozen produce, fresh or frozen chicken and the like. The Deba Bocho is used as a small
cleaver by many sushi chefs who employ the knife to chop off fish heads and tails.
The blade is made thicker for maximum toughness, yet the finely ground edge of the core
Aogami Super steel is razor sharp right out of the box! The steel and heat treatment are excellent. A rustic and protective cladding of softer iron adds to the beauty and strength of the hand forged san-mai constructed blade.
Grind lines are perfectly even and well defined. The steel has a Rockwell hardness of 61-62 HRC which is about average for AS Aogami Super but slightly lower than other Japanese blades. The addition of Vanadium and Tungsten to the steel dictate this lower rating as they infuse the metal with a more brittle nature and thus the need for a slightly softer HRC rating.
This is a specialty blade and as such will not be a super all rounder like a
Gyuto. But when you need to undertake those specific kitchen cutting and prep tasks it will be ready to tackle the job with a dexterity and sure handedness that few other knives can equal.
Please note that all measurements are approximations! Takeda-san and his helpers make each of these knives by hand, without a template. As a result, every knife is unique and the stats will vary.