Seki Kyuba PAN Bread Serrated Knife 23.5cm
Behold, the Seki Kyuba PAN bread knife – a testament to Japanese craftsmanship and culinary precision. This 235mm marvel, forged from Daido 1K6 martensitic stainless steel, is the bread lover’s dream come true. Its expertly calibrated composition, boasting a perfect balance of carbon and chromium, ensures a blade that stays sharp and rust-free, slice after glorious slice. The serrated edge, a work of art in itself, effortlessly glides through the crustiest of artisanal loaves and the most delicate of pastries with equal finesse. Feel the knife become an extension of your hand as you create perfect, uniform slices without a hint of crushing or tearing. The subtle addition of molybdenum and vanadium elevates this knife’s performance, making each cut a small culinary triumph. Whether you’re a home baker nurturing your sourdough or a professional pastry chef crafting exquisite creations, the Seki Kyuba PAN knife is your faithful companion in the art of bread. This isn’t just a knife; it’s a celebration of bread in all its forms, a tool that respects the craft and enhances the joy of every meal.
Lifetime warranty
Every knife we have ever made, covered for life.
Free UK delivery
Included on every order over £90.
100-day returns
Use it for three months. Send it back if it isn't right.
Hand-finished box
Hanko-stamped certificate, 5 yen coin tucked alongside.
Why this knife
The blade, and the thinking behind it.
The Bread Knife
Our PAN line is designed specifically for bread lovers. Its serrated edge effortlessly slices through crusty artisanal loaves and delicate pastries alike. The 1K6 steel ensures the edge stays sharp, giving you perfect slices every time. If you enjoy baking or simply appreciate a good loaf, PAN is the perfect addition to your kitchen.
This Japanese Seki Kyuba Pan Bread knife is comfortable, light, and fast. Its double bevel makes it perfect for both left and right-handed use. A knife as unique and everlasting as the memories you will create using it.
The Blade
Our PAN line, featuring Daido 1K6 martensitic stainless steel, is a specialised tool for bread lovers and baking enthusiasts. This high-carbon stainless steel, with a Rockwell hardness of 59-60 HRC, offers the perfect balance of edge retention and flexibility needed for bread knives. The carefully calibrated composition, including 0.6% carbon and 13.5% chromium, ensures excellent corrosion resistance whilst maintaining a sharp, durable edge. With a generous 235mm blade length, the PAN knife effortlessly glides through crusty artisanal loaves, delicate pastries, and everything in between. The subtle addition of molybdenum and vanadium enhances the steel’s overall performance, providing consistent, clean cuts without crushing or tearing. Whether you’re a home baker or a professional pastry chef, the PAN knife is designed to elevate your bread-cutting experience, making it an indispensable tool in any kitchen where bread is revered.
The Handle
The beautiful handle is made with extremely limited European maple burl dyed in an Natural Brown colour and feature a subtle copper ring under the oak bog wood kakumaki (collar of the handle). The wood has to be dried for two years before it undergoes the process of stabilisation. This ensures the wood is completely waterproof to avoid bacteria growth and is able to last generations.
The blade’s kakumaki (collar) is made with oak bog wood. A wood ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 years in age. Its age and living conditions give it a unique character and rich natural colour variation determined by its age. Giving you a knife with a rich history.
The stabilised premium-cut maple burl is shaped into an octagonal shaped ambidextrous handle to give you a firm grip on the knife. Not only are the handles aesthetically pleasing, they are also perfectly balanced, light and comfortable. This allows for maximum precision and more controlled movements during use.
No two handle colours or patterns are ever the same as the natural properties of each wood block are unique and will absorb the colour dye differently. This will give each knife a beautiful unique look and it can serve as an unforgettable gift.
Because Presentation Matters Just As Much
All our Seki Kyuba PAN kitchen knives arrive in a handcrafted, minimalist European oak wooden box with a delicate waxed finish. The box is wrapped in our signature Oishya illustration strip featuring the Onna Bugeisha – legendary Japanese female warriors.
Inside, you’ll discover a beautifully designed certificate with two sides, each telling an important part of your knife’s story.
On one side, you’ll find a genuine 5 yen Japanese coin attached with an elegant note. There’s an ancient superstition that giving someone a knife is bad luck because it “cuts” the relationship between giver and recipient. The way around this? Attach a coin of symbolic value to the knife, which the recipient returns as payment.
We chose the 5 yen coin specifically because in Japanese, go en (五円) is a homophone with go-en (御縁), meaning “relationship,” “connection,” and “bond.” By exchanging this coin with the receiver, you’re not just avoiding bad luck – you’re actively strengthening your connection.
The reverse features your knife’s Certificate of Authenticity, documenting genuine Oishya craftsmanship from Japan’s legendary blade-making regions. Each certificate is hand-stamped with our traditional Japanese hanko seal – a mark of authenticity used in Japan for centuries.
The Blacksmith
The spirit of Samurai “Bushido” has never faded away from the history of Japan. The art of greatest sword smiths has been inherited through 780 years till now and it’s present in Japan’s Samurai Knife City, Seki in Gifu Prefecture, where Seki Kyuba knives are made.
High quality katana and kitchen blades are made with Japan’s traditional swordsmith technique and the latest technology, and are famed throughout the world today, especially high end kitchen knives.
Our partnership with one of the most talented and prominent blacksmiths of Japan resulted in Seki Kyuba kitchen knives, that are perfect for those that demand the highest quality. Being part of the Japanese knife community and owning a knife like this is a great honour and pleasure. We welcome you to Kyuba knives world.
The hands that make it
Seki. Seven hundred years of blade-making.
Seki, in Gifu, has been forging blades since the fourteenth century — first samurai swords, then kitchen knives. The workshop we work with forges five of our six lines.
The handle is finished in Małopolska, Poland, by craftsmen who shape every handle by hand: a stabilised maple burl body and a bog oak ferrule — the kakumaki. The blade and handle meet at a single hand-fitted copper ring, set with a soft tap of a wooden mallet, in an octagonal profile.
Care, briefly
Three habits, and it outlasts you.
01.
Hand wash, dry immediately.
Never the dishwasher. Sixty seconds at the sink, then a soft towel. Water on hard Japanese steel is the only thing that rusts it.
02.
Wood boards only.
Glass, stone and marble are harder than the steel and dull the edge in a week. End-grain hardwood is the right choice — hinoki cypress if you can find it.
03.
Sharpen on a stone.
Never a honing rod — the steel is too hard, it chips the edge. A 1000/6000 whetstone every three or four months keeps it keen.
What you receive
In the box.
- The knife, sharpened, oiled, wrapped in cloth.
- A hand-finished box for the knife.
- A Certificate of Authenticity, hand-stamped with the maker's hanko, naming the smith and certifying the blade.
- A 5 yen coin tucked alongside. "Go en" — the Japanese for five yen — is the homophone for luck, connection and bond. Returning the coin to the giver turns the gift-knife into a symbolic purchase, neutralising the old superstition that a knife as a gift cuts the bond between giver and receiver.
- A care card with the sixty-second wash routine and a link to Knife School.
- Your lifetime warranty, registered to you automatically when the order ships.
Frequently asked.
Is it dishwasher safe?
How often will I need to sharpen it?
Can I use it to cut meat?
How long does shipping take?
What if it isn't right for my kitchen?
From the people who cook with it
Reviews.
Impressive knife. The single-bevel grind takes some getting used to if you’re coming from Western knives, but once you adapt, the precision is unmatched. Great steel, beautiful finish.
A lovely set with excellent knives. The quality is apparent as soon as you pick them up. Each knife has great edge retention and the handles are comfortable. Delivery took a little longer than expected but the wait was worth it.
A lovely set with excellent knives. The quality is apparent as soon as you pick them up. Each knife has great edge retention and the handles are comfortable. Delivery took a little longer than expected but the wait was worth it.
Beautiful knife with an aggressive edge. The bunka shape was new to me but I’m a convert now. Works brilliantly for my style of cooking. The handle could be slightly longer for my preference, but overall a superb knife.
Beautiful knife with an aggressive edge. The bunka shape was new to me but I’m a convert now. Works brilliantly for my style of cooking. The handle could be slightly longer for my preference, but overall a superb knife.
Good quality sharpening stone that does what it promises. I use it to maintain my Japanese knives every few weeks. The grit is consistent and it doesn’t dish out too quickly. Solid purchase for the price.
This petty knife fills the gap perfectly between my gyuto and a paring knife. Great for fruits, small vegetables, and garnish work. The steel quality is noticeably better than anything in this price range.
This petty knife fills the gap perfectly between my gyuto and a paring knife. Great for fruits, small vegetables, and garnish work. The steel quality is noticeably better than anything in this price range.
This petty knife fills the gap perfectly between my gyuto and a paring knife. Great for fruits, small vegetables, and garnish work. The steel quality is noticeably better than anything in this price range.
This petty knife fills the gap perfectly between my gyuto and a paring knife. Great for fruits, small vegetables, and garnish work. The steel quality is noticeably better than anything in this price range.
Not sure this is the one?
Take two minutes.
Six questions about the way you actually cook. We'll point you to the knife that fits.
Take the Knife Quiz