deba knives: be honest

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I have one deba only and was just cooking, and I noticed again that I used my deba for cutting a pumpkin. Not so much fish.

So I am wondering - yes, purist thinkers can be upset now, but be honest - how do you use your deba knives?

I think for me it is the majority for hard vegetables, and sometimes for a chicken, etc. Fish, yes, sometimes but it is hard to find nice fish I want to cut. For me maybe fish is only 10%20%. I am wondering if most people are really the same?
 
Of course! Always careful, even if I am cutting the 'incorrect' thing. Oh, and you didn't answer the question.
 
I cut fish with mine. Why did you buy a deba if you aren't cutting fish?
 
the heavy weight of a deba helps with getting through bones.. the whole "letting the knife do most of the work" really comes through on this front
 
Not in light preps but for bulk. Always in seasonal time when I have to smoke (for friends and family also) lots of salmons. For the hunting times... pretty good to for trimming deers. Also when we are doing lambs or Berkshire pork (kurubota) ''à la broche.. (rotating upper a wood fire). Useful for me. I never think in % of time but in utility tools.
 
Uh-oh. Looks like I will get a lecture. ;)

Of course I bought it for fish. That's their purpose. However, I seem to have more good pumpkins than fish.

Maybe people are shy to admit using a knife for the wrong thing. But it's okay, you won't be arrested!

Montrachet - nice, your food sounds good
 
I use mine for fish only. I have used to for vegetable prep once but it was only to text out an edge on it (since it was my first time sharpening a single bevel knife.) Since then, only on fish. Honestly, if I were to use it on vegetables, a pumpkin would probably not be my first choice. I would prefer to use one of my gyutos or even a suji...

-Chuck
 
Honestly, if I were to use it on vegetables, a pumpkin would probably not be my first choice. I would prefer to use one of my gyutos or even a suji...

Deba - just to open the hard pumpkin and gyuto after that.
 
Uh-oh. Looks like I will get a lecture. ;)

Of course I bought it for fish. That's their purpose. However, I seem to have more good pumpkins than fish.

Maybe people are shy to admit using a knife for the wrong thing. But it's okay, you won't be arrested!

Montrachet - nice, your food sounds good


What deba are you using?
 
I have just a small one 150mm mioroshi. It is good, but I prefer damaging it (but I haven't) rather than a gyuto.
 
I cook a lot more chicken than fish, and my Deba works great for braking down.
 
I use it for breaking down chicken and fish mainly. Works really well on chicken!
 
I bought mine for Crab.:biggrin:
It works really well for that. I highly doubt I will ever sell mine.
 
This is pretty much what keeps me from buying a deba or yanagi....I just don't deal with that kind of prep in my kitchen.

My thoughts have been turning towards a usuba though....those are for general veggie prep, right? Kiritsuke?
 
Fish, chicken and duck.
I work with Asian food so no pumpkin here.

When I used to do pumpkin in the past I have a wusthof culinar 240mm that I only ever used with pumpkin.
Too heavy really to use for much else, one swipe and it was cut in two.
 
I'm a deba purist. I only use mine on fish. I'll use other tools for chicken or hard squash.
 
My thoughts have been turning towards a usuba though....those are for general veggie prep, right? Kiritsuke?

If you're doing a lot of veg an usuba wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to try a single-bevel. From what I've read a kirutsuke is very hard to master though, even though they look badass. I'm kinda in the same boat as you, an usuba is the only single-bevel knife I think I'd ever use, I have a suji with an 80/20 grind so I don't think I'd need a yanagi
 
Mmmm....deba for pumpkin/chicken/duck/Crab??:dontknow: Why??? a Chinese cleaver can do all those things with much cheaper price & more easy to maintain!!
 
Fish, chicken and duck.
I work with Asian food so no pumpkin here.

When I used to do pumpkin in the past I have a wusthof culinar 240mm that I only ever used with pumpkin.
Too heavy really to use for much else, one swipe and it was cut in two.

Yes, if I had a big German knife than I am fine I think. Anyway, so I use the deba - very thick, but at least it is not going to break in two pieces on hard shell.

Disagree about the pumpkin - lots of pumpkins in Asian cuisine. Curries, puddings, Japanese and Korean foods....
 
TYes, the chinese cleaver is a very good idea. You mean I must buy another knife? Again?

For the members that have a single-bevel usuba, how do you find they are cutting on hard vegs? I think they must wedge terribly and are made for dicing.
 
This thread is the very reason I bought a Tojiro 240mm Yo-Deba. So I can beat the **** out of it and not care.
 
TYes, the chinese cleaver is a very good idea. You mean I must buy another knife? Again?

For the members that have a single-bevel usuba, how do you find they are cutting on hard vegs? I think they must wedge terribly and are made for dicing.

I think a carrot or daikon is the hardest veg I would cut with usuba probably. So far so good.
 
I use my 150mm for chicken, fish some heavy bones, sometime garlic :D
But it is very cheap one i have, i will never use my bigger Shig on chicken or other bones
 

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