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Seki Kyuba · Knife line
KATA
A VG10 core in a three-layer construction, a hammered face and our stabilised maple burl handle. Forged in Seki and made for everyday cooking. The line most people start with: three-layer VG10, the easiest steel in the range to sharpen at home, and the Bunka where most of our customers begin.
Four knives, two sets
Choose your KATA.
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 Seki, Japan
Hard where it cuts.
KATA is built around a VG10 stainless core in a three-layer construction. The harder steel sits in the middle, where the edge is; softer stainless on either side gives the blade durability and makes it easier to care for.
The hammered (tsuchime) face leaves small hollows along the blade, which help slices fall away as you cut. 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
Seki. Nearly eight hundred years of blade-making.
Seki, in Gifu, has forged blades since the thirteenth century, first swords, then kitchen knives. The workshop we work with there forges five of our six lines.
Meet our craftsmenSpecifications
What’s inside every KATA knife.
Blade
| Cutting core | VG10 stainless |
|---|---|
| Construction | 3-layer (san-mai) |
| Finish | Hammered (tsuchime) |
| Hardness | HRC 62 |
| Bevel | Double, for either hand |
| Forged in | Seki, 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 KATA 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 KYU | AUS10 | 46 | HRC 62 | Hammered Damascus | View KYU | |
 Seki Kyuba KATAThis line | VG10 | 3 | HRC 62 | Hammered | ||
 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 KATA.
Why do most people start with KATA?
VG10 is the reference Japanese kitchen steel: hard enough at HRC 62 to hold a keen edge, and the easiest steel in our range to sharpen at home. The three-layer build puts the hard steel at the edge and softer stainless on either side, which makes the blade forgiving.
What does three-layer (san-mai) mean?
A hard VG10 core sits between two layers of softer stainless. The core does the cutting, and the outer layers protect it and make the blade easier to care for. KATA has no Damascus pattern. Its face is hammered instead, which helps slices fall away.
Bunka or Santoku?
Both are all-rounders. The Bunka 18cm has a pointed tip for fine work such as herbs and scoring, and it is where most of our customers begin. The Santoku 16.5cm has a rounder tip and is a little shorter, so it is easy to control on a small board.
Which KATA set should I choose?
Both sets pair a main knife with the Nakiri 18cm and the Petty 12cm. Choose the Bunka set or the Santoku set, depending on which main knife suits how you cook.
How is KATA different from RYU?
Both have a VG10 core. KATA is a little harder, at HRC 62 against 60–61 for RYU, and keeps the three-layer build with a hammered face. RYU wraps the core in 33 layers of Damascus and adds a Gyuto to the range.
Still deciding?
Answer a few questions and we’ll suggest a knife and a line.