The yanagiba
The long one. It slices fish in one pull, from heel to tip. Sawing back and forth tears the fish, and you can taste it. Ren’s yanagiba is 30 centimetres long and he’s had it for eleven years.
The deba
The heavy one. It breaks down whole fish: heads, bones and fillets. It’s thick and a little clumsy, which is the point. It takes the hits so the yanagiba doesn’t have to.
The usuba
The flat one, for vegetables: paper-thin cucumber, daikon and the shiso we chop for the rolls. Its edge is ground on one side only, so it cuts very straight.
Sharpening
All three get sharpened by hand every afternoon on water stones. It takes about twenty minutes. A sharp knife leaves the fish smooth and shiny. A dull one leaves it rough, and it tastes worse.
