Tojiro 170 mm western Deba

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Arty

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Has anyone used this smaller western Deba knife and where can you get one? I want to use the knife for heavy work, like splitting lobster tails.
The only place that I have found online for this size is Chubo, and they ship from Japan. I have no experience with them and welcome any feedback or suggestions.
I would like a smaller western Deba for shellfish like lobster, and smaller freshwater fish. I would prefer to spend no more than perhaps $130-140, and want a good stainless for this. I would be willing to consider alternatives, especially if the steel is clad in stainless.
 
For $130 you can just get a 240mm tojiro yodeba. For a bit less you can just get the 210mm.
 
i have a 240 as well. its great, if you have a use for it.
 
That size seems on the jumbo size for, say, splitting a whole lobster or a lobster tail. What do you use a 240 deba for? I have been scouring this website, and most recommendations are for smaller ones, unless you are working with big saltwater fish. How has yours done for you?
 
[video=youtube;VleV5O0pVgc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VleV5O0pVgc[/video]

[video=youtube;urIeUid1TMo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urIeUid1TMo[/video]
 
Amazing video. I have never been able to deal with lobster or chicken that fast. What would the food gods say about using a Deba to break down a chicken...was that a deba or a heavy chef's knife?
 
Thanks. It's the tojiro DP 240mm yodeba(western) double bevel, basically a really thick and heavy chef knife. About 5.5mm at the spine.
 
I ordered the Tojiro 210 western deba. I figured that even if a little longer than I need, the weight is like that of a single bevel deba. I hope it holds up to heavy cutting.
 
Arty said:
I ordered the Tojiro 210 western deba. I figured that even if a little longer than I need, the weight is like that of a single bevel deba. I hope it holds up to heavy cutting.
Click to expand...

The only reason I bought it was to beat the **** out of stuff with it.

[video=youtube;CI7CGphzXYI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI7CGphzXYI[/video]
 
I got the Tojiro 210 Western Deba knife, and can verify that it is great for beating the xxxx out of stuff. I just used the Tojiro 210 Western Deba to split and break the shells of 8 lobster tails. It made the job much easier than using my old Case XX carbon steel butcher knife.
This is one heavy duty tough knife, and the edge held up, with no visible damage. I expect that all the stories about chippy VG10 come from steel that is not properly heat treated, or edges that are ground too thin for heavy work.
This is one fine beast of a knife!
 
Got it from Chefs knives 2 go. They were out of the bigger one, but the 210 is actually a good size. I always struggled with splitting lobster tails, and the Western Deba made it easy. I originally wanted the shorter one, but 210 was fine. I couldn't find the Tojiro 170 Western Deba anywhere in the U.S.
 
Excuse my jumping in here . . .

I'm also looking for a "bruiser" of a knife for some of the cutting jobs I wouldn't want to use my more refined gyutos for. Kind of regret giving away my old Wustie but it went to a good home. So, I've been thinking of either the Tojiro yo-deba or the Hiromoto AS gyuto. Opinions as to how the two compare in terms of chippiness and standing up to punishment?
 
The Tojiro is a much heavier knife. It makes my 8" 4 Elephants carbon Sabatier look like a lightweight slicer. I can't tell you about the AS knife, but I would not normally select that sort of blade to prepare my lobster dinner tonight. Perhaps someone who has more experience with the Hiromoto AS can reply.
 
Well they're both different beasts really. The yo deba is about 5mm thick at the spine where the hiro gyuto is like 2.something. I think out of the box the hiro is more on the tougher/workhorse side, certainly not a laser by any means. You can use it for heavier tasks but also for regular tasks and detailed work. The Yodeba is just a lobster crushing, garlic smashing, fish bone snapping, chicken destroyer.
 
For lobster tails and that sort of thing, why not just get an inexpensive chinese cleaver?
 
Thanks for the replies. I think it'll be the Tojiro for me then.
 
So question here, how would this stand up to lamb ribs? Or some butchery work?
 
I can't answer questions about use on lamb or other meats like pork or beef. We eat fish, shellfish and poultry around here. I can say that the western deba is like a chef knife on steroids. The blade is thick and heavy. So far I have used it to split lobster tails for 2 dinners, 14 tails in all, with no chipping or rolling of the edge and it is still sharp. I just used a strop on it, but didn't really need to.
 
rami_m said:
So question here, how would this stand up to lamb ribs? Or some butchery work?
Click to expand...

What are you doing to them, cutting through them? Bone saw perhaps. Frenching? Hankotsu.
 
Well my dad uses a meat cleaver and a heavy chef to dress the lamb ( softer stainless) Was just wondering if this can stand up to the same treatment.
 
I still don't know what action you are describing. Field dressing perhaps? Sorry I can't help more.
 
ThEoRy said:
I still don't know what action you are describing. Field dressing perhaps? Sorry I can't help more.
Click to expand...

Sorry I am a bit vague. I am thinking to get this for my dad. We normally get a whole lamb once or twice a year then break it down for a family BBQ ( middle eastern style :) ). Dad would take a meat cleaver and break down ribs to go on the barbe. He would use the chef knife to go through the joints on the leg and shanks. Etc. he is pretty rough on his knives and I am wondering if this would be tough enough for him.
 
Yeah, if you're just disjointing things it will be fine. I do like the hankotsu for that kind of dismemberment. Stealthily popping joints and slicing through tendons etc. But of course if Pops is just whacking away with reckless abandon, the yodeba is a great tool.
 
Thanks theory, what's the difference between a Honesuki and Hankotsu? Can I use one in place if the other?
 
Profile is different. The hankotsu was designed with hanging butchery in mind I believe. It's thick width and short height make it ideal for getting in between joints and popping things without fear. Honesuki was designed for chicken fabrication. It's triangular shape and slender width make it great for boning out poultry and trimming tenders.
 
Hmm, looks like I will stick to the western deba.

So which is better
KAGAYAKI Basic 176 aud delivered
kanefusa fkm 127 aud delivered
Tojiro dp3 190 aud delivered
 
I have a 270 mm x 4mm "3 Calveles Professional" Chef/Deba style knife I brought back from Madrid about 3 years ago. The meat cutters in the markets there use these knives to break down poultry, rabbits, goat, lambs etc. in about the same way the guy in the video was cutting chickens up. Interesting how the same type of knife evolved in two different places.
 
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