Good on you for taking the leap! You might want to look at a recent thread about maximizing edge retention through choice of steel, too.
Will do. Thanks.Good on you for taking the leap! You might want to look at a recent thread about maximizing edge retention through choice of steel, too.
If you're looking for disagreement, you've come to the right place – everything's debatable at the deba table!Disagree entirely.
I disagree - I think we can find a lot of common groundIf you're looking for disagreement, you've come to the right place – everything's debatable at the deba table!
Tuna cleaver is pretty traditional knife used in Taiwan and Southern China, unlike deba they are traditionally double bevelled and much more curvy.Good to know. How the heck does the purchaser determine what alloy vs what hardness a knife maker/manufacturer is offering. Oops! I think I was just told how in the next post!
That's and awfully Debaesque looking tuna cleaver.
Sorry for the delayed response. I was on the road yesterday.
Thanks to all of you for your generosity with your time and expertise, and especially to those of you who even offered me a training knife to get started. I joined this forum to learn, and it has not disappointed. I'm having a pleasantly difficult time keeping up.
The attached photo shows my current fish handling collection. Absent are the Fallkniven F4 & MAC SF-85 that I leave on the boat. I really have no problems with the functionality of these knives. Each is effective in it's particular use. However, what these and the ones listed lack, IMHO, is any sort of "decent" edge retention.
The MAC seemed sharp as a straight razor fresh out of the box, but two tunas and two golden tilefish (the most likely edge destroying culprits) later, and I was hunting for that little sharpening wheel. The Moras and the Fallkniven seem to have the best balance of sharpness and durability. They will last quite a while, until they encounter a cooler full of triggerfish! The others, well they just need constant attention, but have served me well for years. Heck, any half decent knife will glide through pelagics (except sharks) all day long with little loss of edge. But none of these knives seem to stand up to the scales and/or ribs/lateral bones of deep water bottom fish or inshore species for long at all.
I started this journey looking for edge retention. I harbored the fantasy that some sort of super duper Japanese steel with some sort of special edge geometry would give me durable razor sharpness. During this search, I came to admire the art of wielding the Deba. So I figured I'd roll both things into one: buy a great knife and learn how to handle a completely different style of knife that the masters use to make fish breaking (of all types of fish) look so effortless.
Based on what I've learned in my very short membership on this forum, there appears to be no magic knife, at any price. If I want to guarantee myself access to a sharp knife, deba or otherwise, I must learn to sharpen it myself.
So for those of you who are still with me after this long winded explanation, I plan to purchase a relatively inexpensive Deba (please give me your suggestions) and perhaps a semi-good one, and a couple stones (and/or de-oil the ones I have), and start learning to sharpen. I'll probably start on the dexter russells or moras and work my way up.
I wish I could "unlike" this. Worst suggestion I've seen in a while. It's like everything this guy doesn't want. Worse than the filet knives he already owns, worse than a cheap carbon beater deba - literally the worst of all possible worlds. @petrel, I might disagree with others on this thread at times, but I can respect where they're coming from. Except this guy. Listen to anybody but this guy.Why not just get a $50 Dexter Deba to go along with your collection other Dexters? Dexters are wonderful for the price.
I also wanted to make the point that scales are usually removed in Japanese style butchery before using the deba - either with uroko otoshi or sukibiki.
No, we often eat the skin too.So, I assume you are talking big fish. I never scale a fish if I am going to filet it. I don't want to waste the time.
I wish I could "unlike" this. Worst suggestion I've seen in a while. It's like everything this guy doesn't want. Worse than the filet knives he already owns, worse than a cheap carbon beater deba - literally the worst of all possible worlds. @petrel, I might disagree with others on this thread at times, but I can respect where they're coming from. Except this guy. Listen to anybody but this guy.
Clearly this guy has never spent a minute on a fishing boat or any place that sells or processes fish.
Lotta time on knife forums though....
Whoa Bro, that's quite the resume. All that and you still have time to berate people on a knife forum, huh.
My job is sourcing and processing fish for a Japanese supermarket chain. I personally train all the fish butchers and was a sushi chef for decades. I grew up butchering fish in my Japanese father’s restaurant and trained with chefs from Tsukiji. Nice neg, bro.
I've already got one of those (G-5) on orderI also wonder about the application of those Taiwanese style fish knives? Just in the "try something different" category. I mean, the big ones make quick work out of tuna in a bunch of YT videos.
https://www.amazon.com/Master-Kuo-small-fish-knife/dp/B08TBQB4XC
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I get what you guys are saying, and appreciate the passion.
The dexters have served me well for a very long time. However, this change I wish to make is just as much for the novelty and learning experience as the improvement in efficiency and finished product.
I’m overhauling the way I handle fish, because I’m also overhauling the way we consume fish.
Old way: toss ‘em on the ice, dice ‘em up with a dexter at the dock, cram them in zip locks, toss ‘em back on the ice, then bring them home and grill, bake, or fry.
New way: brain, bleed, (working on the whole Ike jime thing) sometimes gut, pack in ice or slurry, bring home whole or as a “plug”, Take more time breaking down the fish, prepare for sashimi/nigiri/sushi/poke etc. (ok ok I may still fry a trigger or black seabass occasionally). Heck, I’ve even started making stock from the carcasses!
Even with brutal fuel prices, I’m content to quit fishing with fewer fish in the box and get more enjoyment out of them!
IMHO the Japanese have perfected maximizing fish quality and enjoyment and minimizing waste. So I figured since I’m attempting to handle and enjoy fish like they do, why not start learning about Japanese knives and fish butchery?
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