Boning & Butcher Knife

Most Japanese knives are known for being made of very hard steel that is incredibly thin. This means a typical Japanese knife is not the right tool for the job of breaking down proteins such as poultry or fish or cutting in and around bones. For that, you need a specific style of knife designed for the job and these are typically much thicker and with a wider edge but retain the quality of steel to stay sharp but without the worry of chipping.

6 of 35 products

Seki Souma AUS8 Deba 150mm

£95.00

Tojiro DP 150mm Honesuki

£105.00

Hatsukokoro Kurokaze White #2 Deba 150mm

£140.00

Tadafusa Hocho Kobo Deba 150mm

£145.00

Hatsukokoro Kurokaze White #2 Kiritsuke Deba 165mm

£170.00

Masakage Koishi Honesuki

£255.00

From our blog

June 28, 2026

Teruyasu Fujiwara knives: a fourth-generation Tokyo blacksmith

Discover Teruyasu Fujiwara knives: hand-forged in Tokyo by a fourth-generation blacksmith with over 150 years of family craft behind every blade.

June 27, 2026

Carbon steel knives: why serious cooks choose reactive steel

Discover why carbon steel knives sharpen keener and last longer than most alternatives. Explore handmade Japanese options at Cutting Edge Knives.

June 26, 2026

Honesuki: the Japanese poultry knife worth knowing about

Discover what a honesuki is, how it works, and why this traditional Japanese boning knife belongs in a serious cook's kitchen.

June 26, 2026

Tojiro knives: Japanese craftsmanship since 1955

Discover Tojiro knives at Cutting Edge Knives. Founded in 1955 in Niigata, Japan, Tojiro blends tradition with modern steel for exceptional kitchen performance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Boning & Butcher Knife

How are Japanese butcher knives made?

Like many Japanese knives, the cleavers, honesuki, sabaki and other butchering knives are made from a variety of high carbon steel, high carbon stainless steel or a mix of both to provide good edge retention and durability in use.

Which butcher or boning knife do I need?

There is a huge variety in the shape and type of knife used to cut meat, break down fish and poultry or cleave through bone. For smaller more intricate butchering jobs like breaking down a chicken, a honesuki would be ideal. If you're breaking down a larger fish then the thick and deba is a traditional knife for the job and for those times where you need pure power to go through bone or large pieces of raw meat then a thicker cleaver is ideal.

What's the difference between a Chinese cleaver and a butchering cleaver?

Despite appearances, the Chinese cleaver or 'Chuka bocho' is a thin knife designed to be an all rounder and while you can cut meat with it, it's for careful slicing and not for cutting around or through bone like a thicker traditional cleaver. A heavier duty cleaver is often a full tang knife with significant weight and a comfortable grip for making more powerful cuts through and around harder bone without damaging the blade.

Browse by Blacksmith | Brand

Looking for something specific? You can search for knives and accessories made by a specific brand or blacksmith.

Please note that this shows all items from the selected brand - including out of stock products that may have long lead times or manufacturers we work with periodically but who may not currently have any active products available on the site.