Ikenami Hamono Ryōba Deba 180mm black-forged

Ikenami Hamono is an island knifemaker surrounded by deep sea so it's natural that their customer base would include a large number of fisherfolk and businesses in the fish processing industry. The company forges a wide range of specialist fish knives including two ranges of deba, high-end 'kataha' single-bevel knives and their 'ryōba' double-bevel alternatives.

Single-bevel deba knives reward skilled use and require a certain level of infrastructure to maintain and sharpen. Ikenami Hamono's black-forged ryōba deba knives are a great alternative. An affordable, hand-forged, easy to sharpen knife that will cleave, slice and fillet with the best of them.

Quenching and tempering produces a blade with the cutting feel that tanebocho are known for, with the toughness and sharpness required of a deba. They look the business too. And they're equally suitable for left-handers, who won't be faced with the standard lefty-loading on suitable single-bevel knives.

At 18cm this deba can deal with fish of just about any size. 13cm and 15cm variants are also available.