Honesuki

A honesuki is designed primarily for boning and preparing poultry. The profile is triangular with a pointed tip, and the blade's thickness gives it the strength to manoeuvre around bones, puncture tough tissue and cut joints.

The technique is precision, not flex. Compared with a flexible boning knife, the honesuki's stiff and broad blade excels in precision work rather than relying on a flexible blade. The pointed tip and the thickness behind it do the work, not the bend of the blade. Chefs use it to debone with minimal waste.

In stock on 7 September 2026: Tojiro DP VG10 F-803 Honesuki 150mm, A$130; Hatsukokoro Kurogane Blue 2 Honesuki 150mm, A$150; Nigara SG2 KU Honesuki 150mm, A$370.

When not to buy this: if you want a blade that bends along a contour, a flexible Western boning knife suits better.