My first lefty deba advice

[Southpaw]

So first off, if you are righty, you need to know that if a left handed person wants a single bevel Japanese knife, it almost always a 50% upcharge to the price of the knife. So please consider that with your advice.

Okay here’s my deal-
I am a left handed hibachi chef and knife collector. I do a little bit of sushi work, but I’m not breaking down whole tuna, we order in big pieces of salmon and tuna etc that a portion with a Yanagiba (shiro 3 Kikuchiyo 270mm).

I want a deba for HOME use, and learn how to break down mid sized fish I can buy whole from my local oriental market or the fish market down at the strip district here in the city of Pittsburgh.

So my question is first.

What size for home use would u guys recommend- I’m thinking 150-165 range?

What brand has the highest quality at a decent price point? I have a pretty expansive knife collection, some honyaki, Kato, Shigs, a bunch of Mitsuaki Takada finished knives etc… I’m a collector but I use all of them and am a professional chef. I want something decent but affordable…

Lastly, should I go for Miroshi or standard? I really don’t have a clear answer on why one is more advantageous over the other.

Thanks for your help.
Southpaw

 

[Southpaw]

PS- Carbon Steel and Wa Handle are a must

 

[Greasylake]

What size for home use would u guys recommend- I’m thinking 150-165 range?

That will depend on the size of the fish you are breaking down. Generally, I only use 150mm for fish up to maybe 2 or 3 pounds, after that I usually use a 180. Also remember that it's easier to clean a small fish with a larger knife than a large fish with a knife that's too small. I would suggest maybe trying out a 165 or a 150 and seeing how it suits your needs and then going up or down in size as needed. It's really easy to justify having a deba in every size though, so don't be too shocked if they begin to multiply haha

What brand has the highest quality at a decent price point? I have a pretty expansive knife collection, some honyaki, Kato, Shigs, a bunch of Mitsuaki Takada finished knives etc… I’m a collector but I use all of them and am a professional chef. I want something decent but affordable…

Knife Japan has a handful of left handed debas, some are cheaper than others
https://knifejapan.com/left-handed-knives/deba-for-left-handers/

Lastly, should I go for Miroshi or standard? I really don’t have a clear answer on why one is more advantageous over the other.

Mioroshi are an inbetween shape between deba and yanagiba, so it's supposed to be able to break down fish into fillets and also be able to do some slicing like a yanagiba would. There is another advantage that at longer lengths they are lighter than hon-deba, so they will be easier to handle for extended periods of time. Mioroshi generally start at 180mm, but Ikenami makes one at 150mm. It's really pretty much like a single bevel petty, so you might get some extra utility out of it, although I would definitely be careful going through any bones
https://knifejapan.com/left-handed-knives/sakana-sabaki-for-left-handers/