# Fisherman looking for Japanese fillet knife



## electricblue (Jul 12, 2013)

I am looking for a new fillet knife and figured this is the right place to make sure I make the right decision.  I was looking at the 180mm deba.  I am left handed and did see these knives.  I have no clue what the advantage of this is.  BTW I am not a cook, just one who like cut fish.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

This isn't exactly a hot bed of left handed deba users, and probably not the best place to get into the subject very deeply.

I moved away from western filleting knives for fish, and use a 7" French carbon chef's knife for "fabricating" smallish fish, before moving on to a slicer.  It's sort of the poor man's / lefty's vesion -- not to mention pale imitation -- of the deba / yanagiba tandem.  

We can talk about it if you like, but I think you might want to take your question to somewhere there are more lefties who are more in love with traditional Japanese knives.  You should check out the Kitchen Knife Forum -- but as with all equipment boards, watch out for people who want you to validate their existences by making the same buying decisions they did.      

BDL


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *boar_d_laze*
> 
> You should check out the Kitchen Knife Forum -- but as with all equipment boards, watch out for people who want you to validate their existences by making the same buying decisions they did.
> 
> BDL


Isn't that the right way to live? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Deba is nice to use, but takes a minute to get the hang of - they are heavy with very thick spine for cutting through fish's spine, collar, etc. They give great feedback along the bones however and after dressing out four large stripers this spring I ordered a 210 as my 150 was a tad small for the task. I could get the fillet off the fish, but 6" was too short for skinning such a wide fish. With these it really is a case of "let the knife do the work" unlike having to push cut like with a traditional Rapala, etc.

I saw some lefty Debas on Rakuten while I was looking for mine.

http://global.rakuten.com/en/search?pf=&pt=&f=0&fs=0&vm=2&sm=0&st=&tl=210216&k=deba


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## wabi (Mar 11, 2013)

I'm a lefty.

Most debas are a right hand grind, and thus pretty useless for a left handed user.

I didnt go the route of looking for a left hand grind deba, though they are out there if you look for them. I bought a Takeda deba, which is ground on both sides. I'm very happy with it.


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## sparkys44 (Jul 16, 2013)

Electricblue… you might want to check this out: http://www.leftyslefthanded.com/Left_Handed_8_Double_bladed_Filleting_Knife_p/579445.htm

Left-handed, 8" length, and made by one of the finest knife makers in G.B.

to be honest I can't see paying $500 or upwards for a filleting knife…

just sayin'


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