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Sakai Kyuba · Knife line
KYU
An AUS10 core in 46 hammered Damascus layers, with our stabilised maple burl handle. Forged in Sakai by a master blacksmith whose family has been at this work since 1927. The line most of our customers own: the one we would hand a friend who cooks every night and means to keep it for life.
Four knives, two sets
Choose your KYU.
Same steel and the same handle across the line. The difference is the shape, and what it does best.
…
Side by side
The two sets
Each set pairs a main knife with the Nakiri and the Petty. Choose the one whose main knife suits how you cook.
The blade · Forged in Sakai, Japan
Forty-six layers, one edge.
An AUS10 cutting core wrapped in 46 folded layers of softer steel, finished with a hammered (tsuchime) surface. The Damascus pattern is the visible trace of the folding; the hammering helps food release from the blade.
Each blade carries a slightly different wave in the steel. Each blade carries the line name, engraved by hand.
The handle
Made in Poland, for a Japanese blade.
Every Oishya knife shares the same handle. The body is stabilised maple burl, waterproof and premium-cut, so every handle carries its own grain. The ferrule (kakumaki) is bog oak around 2,500 years old, joined to the burl by a hand-fitted copper ring.
The profile is octagonal and symmetrical, so it sits firmly in either a left or a right hand.
The hands that make it
Sakai. Six hundred years of blade-making.
Sakai, in Osaka, is the birthplace of the traditional Japanese kitchen knife, a craft passed down for six hundred years from the methods used to forge samurai swords. KYU is forged there by a master blacksmith whose family has been at this work since 1927. We make his blades under the name Sakai Kyuba.
Each blade passes through around two hundred and twenty steps over roughly three months; the hammering, finishing and sharpening are done by hand.
Meet our craftsmenSpecifications
What’s inside every KYU knife.
Blade
| Cutting core | AUS10 stainless |
|---|---|
| Outer layers | 46-layer Damascus |
| Finish | Hammered (tsuchime) + Damascus |
| Hardness | HRC 62 |
| Bevel | Double, for either hand |
| Forged in | Sakai, Japan |
Handle
| Body | Stabilised maple burl, waterproof |
|---|---|
| Ferrule (kakumaki) | Bog oak, around 2,500 years old |
| Ring | Hand-fitted copper |
| Profile | Octagonal, for left or right hand |
| Made and mounted in | Poland |
| Colours | Mediterranean Blue, Natural Brown, Olive Green |
Care. Hand wash and dry straight away. Use a wooden cutting board. Sharpen on a 1000/6000 whetstone three or four times a year. The full method is in Knife School.
The six lines
How KYU compares.
Every line shares the same handle. What changes is the steel, the layers and the finish.
| Line | Steel | Layers | Hardness | Finish | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sakai Kyuba KYUThis line | AUS10 | 46 | HRC 62 | Hammered Damascus | ||
 Seki Kyuba KATA | VG10 | 3 | HRC 62 | Hammered | View KATA | |
 Seki Kyuba RYU | VG10 | 33 | HRC 60–61 | Damascus | View RYU | |
 Seki Kyuba NIJI | 12Cr18MoV | 37, with brass and copper | HRC 60–61 | Shot-blasted rainbow Damascus | View NIJI | |
 Seki Kyuba SHIN | SG2 (R2) | 31 | HRC 62–63 | Damascus | View SHIN | |
 Seki Kyuba PAN | 1K6 | Single steel | HRC 56–57 | Serrated bread knife | View PAN |
Questions
About KYU.
How is KYU different from the Seki lines?
KYU is our only line forged in Sakai, by a master blacksmith whose family has done this work since 1927. It has an AUS10 core in 46 hammered Damascus layers at HRC 62. The other five lines are forged in Seki.
Does the hammered finish do anything?
Yes. The small hollows of the hammered (tsuchime) face help slices fall away from the blade instead of clinging to it. The Damascus pattern is the trace of the folded layers. It looks good, but the AUS10 core does the cutting.
Which KYU set should I choose?
Both sets pair a main knife with the Nakiri 16cm and the Petty 15cm. Choose the Gyuto 21cm set if you like long slicing strokes and a bigger board, or the Santoku 18cm set if you mostly chop and want a knife that is easy to control.
Is KYU hard to sharpen?
No. At HRC 62 it holds its edge a little longer than KATA or RYU, and it still comes back well on a 1000/6000 whetstone. Three or four sessions a year is enough for most home cooks. Lifetime sharpening is included if you would rather send it to us: you cover the shipping both ways.
Is KYU suitable for left-handed cooks?
Yes. Every KYU knife is sharpened on both sides and the octagonal handle is symmetrical, so it works the same in either hand.
Still deciding?
Answer a few questions and we’ll suggest a knife and a line.