Seki Kyuba KATA Knife Set (Santoku Nakiri Petty)
Three KATA knives that cover almost everything: the 16.5cm Santoku for all-round prep, the 18cm Nakiri for vegetables, and the 12cm Petty for detail work. Each has a VG10 core over 3 layers (60–62 HRC) and a hammered, stabilised-wood handle. A complete starter set in one box.
Lifetime warranty
All three blades, covered for life.
Free UK delivery
Included on every set.
100-day returns
Cook with the whole set. Send it back if it isn’t right.
Hand-finished box
Hanko-stamped certificate, 5 yen coin tucked alongside.
What's in the set
Three knives, chosen to cover a kitchen.
The Only Knives You'll Ever Need
This is a 3-piece Japanese knife set — a Santoku (16.5cm all-purpose knife), a Nakiri (18cm vegetable knife) and a Petty (12cm paring knife) — handcrafted in Seki, Japan. The Santoku (16.5cm) is the all-round workhorse for slicing, dicing and mincing, the Nakiri (18cm) is built for vegetables, and the Petty (12cm) handles detailed tasks. It’s an easy set to reach for whether you want unique Japanese blade shapes or simply want all the everyday bases covered. If you prefer a less traditional all-purpose chef’s knife, consider the Bunka, Nakiri, Petty set instead.
The Blades
Each blade is handcrafted in Seki, Gifu around a VG10 high-carbon stainless core with a 3-layer construction — a premium steel prized for edge retention and corrosion resistance. At 60–62 HRC the edges hold through regular use with little upkeep, and the hammered finish reduces food sticking as you cut.
The blades
Shared specifications.
| Weight | 1.7 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 45 × 10 × 6 cm |
| Knife Type | |
| Blade Length | |
| Steel Type | |
| HRC | |
| Knife Bevel | Double |
| Hand Feature | Ambidextrous |
| Handle Waterproof | Yes |
| Made in | Japan |
| Maker | Oishya, Seki Kyuba |
| Knife Handle Material |
The hands that make it
Three knives. One workshop. One standard.
Every blade in the KATA set is forged in Seki, Gifu, by the workshop we have worked with for years. Same VG10 steel, same three-layer san-mai construction, same hand-fitted bolster. The set is consistent because the maker is consistent.
Three layers around a VG10 core, hardened to HRC 60-62.
The handles are finished in Małopolska, Poland, by the same craftsmen who finish every Oishya handle: a stabilised maple burl body, a bog oak ferrule (the kakumaki), a hand-fitted copper ring, an octagonal profile. Assembled by hand, one knife at a time.
Care, briefly
Three knives. Same three habits.
01.
Hand wash all three.
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 all three keen.
What you receive
In the box.
- The three knives in your set, each sharpened, oiled and wrapped in cloth.
- One hand-finished set box holding all three.
- A Certificate of Authenticity, hand-stamped with the maker’s hanko, naming the smith and certifying each blade.
- A 5 yen coin tucked alongside the knives. “Go en” — the Japanese for five yen — is the homophone for luck, connection and bond. Returning the coin to the giver turns the gift 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 on all three blades when the order ships.
Frequently asked.
Can I swap a knife in the set?
Are all three knives under the lifetime warranty?
How do I sharpen them?
Is gift wrapping included?
How long does shipping take?
What if the set isn't right?
From the people who cook with it
Reviews.
Exceptional quality knife set! The Mediterranean Blue handles are stunning and the blades are razor sharp. Perfect balance and weight distribution. Really elevated my cooking game.
Beautiful knife set that performs as good as it looks. The Mediterranean Blue handles are stunning.
