The deba is one of the trinity of traditional Japanese kitchen knives, alongside the yanagiba and usuba, and has occupied a central place in Japanese cooking for centuries. Its middle-length blade, sharp edge, and thick spine make it a genuinely versatile tool, particularly favored historically for processing fish.
Tani makes this knife out of White #2 steel, a Hitachi product favored by many makers for single-beveled blades thanks to its ability to take an extremely acute edge - exactly the geometry this format calls for. The core is clad ni-mai style with soft iron, carrying a migaki, or polished, finish on the upper blade road that transitions to a soft satin finish lower down, near the exposed core. The traditional octagonal handle is finely finished magnolia wood with a buffalo horn ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: One reviewer calls this a beautiful and functional knife, sharpened for the first time with very little effort needed to bring it to a razor edge, and is looking forward to putting it to use cleaning fish.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel and will develop a natural patina with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use to prevent rust. Hand wash only. Apply a light coat of camellia oil for long-term storage.
Tani makes this knife out of White #2 steel, a Hitachi product favored by many makers for single-beveled blades thanks to its ability to take an extremely acute edge - exactly the geometry this format calls for. The core is clad ni-mai style with soft iron, carrying a migaki, or polished, finish on the upper blade road that transitions to a soft satin finish lower down, near the exposed core. The traditional octagonal handle is finely finished magnolia wood with a buffalo horn ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: One reviewer calls this a beautiful and functional knife, sharpened for the first time with very little effort needed to bring it to a razor edge, and is looking forward to putting it to use cleaning fish.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel and will develop a natural patina with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use to prevent rust. Hand wash only. Apply a light coat of camellia oil for long-term storage.
- Blacksmith: Mr. Tani
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, Ni Mai
- Edge Steel: White #2
- Cladding: Soft Iron
- Finish: Migaki (Polished)
- Edge Grind: Even
- Weight: 10.7 oz (306 g)
- Blade Length: 173 mm
- Total Length: 325 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 7 mm
- Blade Height: 53 mm
- Handle: Octagonal Magnolia Wood
- Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Beautiful, and functional.Posted By: Daniel Biddle
42 people found this review helpful
This is a beautiful and functional knife, sharpened for the first time. The blade was true and required little effort to get it like a razor. Looking forward to getting some fish now to clean with this knife.
42 people found this review helpful
This is a beautiful and functional knife, sharpened for the first time. The blade was true and required little effort to get it like a razor. Looking forward to getting some fish now to clean with this knife.
