The Japanese Hon-deba (in Japanese Hon means original or true), is traditionally used for filleting fish, but it is also commonly used for dressing poultry or even a vegetable cleaver. It is the thickest and heaviest of Japanese knives. The weight of the Hon Deba is desirable because, with adequate care, the sturdy heel section of the knife can be used to cut or chop through the bones found in small and medium-sized fish and poultry.