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Details
Specifications
- Series: Minonokuni Take
- Shape: Deba (single-bevel fish and poultry butchery knife)
- Blade length: 165mm (6.5 inches)
- Steel: Shirogami #2 (White #2) carbon steel, kasumi construction; not stainless
- Hardness: 60-62 HRC
- Grind: Single bevel with an urasuki (hollow-ground) back, ground for left-handed use
- Spine thickness: 6.5 mm (0.26 inch)
- Blade height: 52 mm (2.05 inches)
- Weight: 10.3 ounces (292 g)
- Handle: Oval (D-shaped) oiled ho (Japanese magnolia) wood with a buffalo horn ferrule
- Item number: Take-1552L
- Made in: Japan
A matching 165mm left-handed deba saya is sold separately.
Take Deba Sizes
| Knife | Blade | Hand | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take 5.3-inch (135mm) Ko-Deba | 135mm (5.3 in.) | Right | Sardines, horse mackerel, smelt, small trout |
| Take 5.9-inch (150mm) Deba | 150mm (5.9 in.) | Right | Trout, mackerel, small bream |
| Take 5.9-inch (150mm) Left-Handed Deba | 150mm (5.9 in.) | Left | Trout, mackerel, small bream |
| Take 6.5-inch (165mm) Deba | 165mm (6.5 in.) | Right | Medium fish, whole chickens, yakitori prep |
| Take 6.5-inch (165mm) Left-Handed Deba | 165mm (6.5 in.) | Left | Medium fish, whole chickens, yakitori prep |
| Take 7.1-inch (180mm) Deba | 180mm (7.1 in.) | Right | Salmon, large bass and snapper |
| Take 7.1-inch (180mm) Left-Handed Deba | 180mm (7.1 in.) | Left | Salmon, large bass and snapper |
| Take 7.7-inch (195mm) Deba | 195mm (7.7 in.) | Right | Large saltwater and freshwater fish |
Matsu, Take and Ume Compared
| Line | Steel | Hardness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matsu | Aogami #2 (blue) | 63-65 HRC | Experienced single-bevel users; longest edge retention, most delicate |
| Take | Shirogami #2 (white) | 60-62 HRC | The sweet spot; professional use, less brittle than blue |
| Ume | SK-4 (yellow) | 58-60 HRC | Novices; most forgiving and the best for learning to sharpen |
About a Hand-Forged Knife
Take knives are forged by hand, so no two are identical. Small hammer marks, uneven shading in the kasumi finish and minor variation in the bevel line are normal results of handwork rather than defects, and they have no effect on the edge.
Before First Use
Wash the blade in warm water with a little dish soap and dry it at once. The edge is sharp on arrival; a few strokes on a fine waterstone will refine it to the cook’s preference.
Tips for Best Results
- Use the heel for heads and collars and the forward edge and tip for filleting along the frame.
- Do not twist the blade in a joint or use it on frozen fish or heavy beef and pork bones.
- Sharpen on the beveled face first, then remove the burr with light strokes on the flat back to keep the urasuki hollow intact.
- Use a wooden or soft synthetic board; glass, stone and steel surfaces damage the edge.
Care
- Wash by hand and dry right away. Keep the knife out of the dishwasher and out of standing water.
- This is a reactive carbon steel. It will darken with use and form a patina, and it will rust if left wet.
- Before storing it for a while, wipe on a light coat of camellia oil.
- See our guide to the care and maintenance of carbon steel for more detail.
Additional Info
| Blade Length (Inches) | 6.5 in. |
|---|---|
| Blade Length (mm) | 165 mm |
| Blade Width (inches) | 2.05 |
| Grind | Urasuki Chisel |
| Steel Type | White #2 Carbon Steel |
| Rockwell Hardness | 60-62 |
| Stainless | No |
| Handle Material | Oiled Japanese Magnolia (Ho) Wood with a Buffalo Horn Ferrule |
| Spine Thickness (mm) | 6.5 |
| Brand | Minonokuni |
| Country of Manufacture | Japan |
| SKU | Take-1552L |
| Manufacturer's Part Number | 1552L |
| Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price | No |
