Honesuki Kaku/Maru | Poultry knives | Karasu Knives – Karasu Japanese knives

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The Honesuki is a Japanese style butchery knife used for breaking down and deboning poultry and lager cuts of meat. The honesuki Kaku in functionality leans more towards (but not only!) poultry filleting while the Maru version works better with other meats and lacks a bit of efficiency for poultry, mainly due to the lack of heel which on the Kaku is used to cut trough cartilage. Please pay close attention to the hand orientation of each individual knife as the Honesuki ofter has an asymmetric geometry.

Honesuki Kaku & Maru: the two types of Honesuki knives

Honesuki Kaku
- The term "Kaku" refers to the shape of the knife's spine, which is square or rectangular in cross-section. This design provides better stability and control during intricate boning tasks, making it easier to follow the contours of bones and joints.
- The blade of Honesuki Kaku knives is relatively thick and robust, which helps to handle tougher cuts of poultry and separate meat from bones effectively.
- This knife is an excellent choice for tasks like breaking down whole chickens, filleting, and precise trimming of meat.
Honesuki Maru
- "Maru" means round, and as the name suggests, the spine of this knife is round in cross-section.
- The blade of Honesuki Maru knives is thinner and more delicate compared to the Kaku version, making it more suitable for fine boning and intricate work.
- It excels in tasks that require precision, such as deboning smaller poultry like quail or removing the meat from fish.
Both types of Honesuki knives are typically single-beveled, following the traditional Japanese knife-making style, where only one side is sharpened, and the other remains flat. This feature allows for extremely sharp edges, which are crucial for precise and clean cuts when dealing with poultry.
In summary, Honesuki Kaku/Maru knives are specialized Japanese boning knives used for deboning and trimming poultry, with Kaku knives being more robust and Maru knives offering greater precision. Their design and sharpness make them valuable tools for any chef or cook working with poultry in the kitchen.