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If you are working with fish that has already been filleted, a flexible fillet knife is a good option for skinning and delicate boning. You do not need a deba for this stage. The choice depends on whether you are processing whole fish or handling prepared fillets.

A deba is a thick blade designed for whole-fish processing, including head removal and cutting through fish bones. Follow the maker’s instructions for the specific model. TOJIRO warns against twisting a blade that stops in a cut and recommends a dedicated freezer knife for frozen food, while Kikuichi’s Kasumi deba guidance gives model-specific cautions about hard pieces and bones.