Seki Kyuba
KATA
VG10 cutting core in a three-layer construction, finished with a hand-set hammered surface. The line that grows with you as your cooking does.
A noticeable step up in performance, for not much more.
KATA is built around a VG10 stainless cutting core wrapped in a three-layer construction. The harder steel sits in the middle, where the edge is. Softer steel surrounds it for durability and ease of care.
This is the line that elevates your cooking skills. Sharper, longer between sharpenings, and more forgiving than a single-steel blade. The visible core line on the blade adds a quiet trace of artistry. Not decorative. Structural.
Nothing about KATA is entry-level except the price. It comes from the same Seki workshops as our flagship lines. It carries the same lifetime warranty.
Walk into the workshop
Seki. The other capital of Japanese blades.
Seki has been forging blades for over 700 years. Our Seki workshop produces several of our lines, each with slightly different geometry and finish.
The materials
VG10 stainless. Stabilised maple burl. Built to be used every day.
VG10 core, 3-layer construction
VG10 stainless steel sits in the middle as the cutting edge. Softer stainless layers on either side give the blade durability and make it easier to care for. The visible core line is the engineering, not the decoration.
The Oishya handle: maple burl, copper, bog oak
The same handle construction across every Oishya line. A stabilised maple burl body. A 5,000-year-old bog oak ferrule, known as the kakumaki. A hand-fitted copper ring between them. Octagonal profile.
Shop the KATA line
Four knives. Two sets. One workhorse line.
Specifications
What's inside every KATA knife.
Blade
Handle & finish
A note on care
Hand wash and dry immediately. Wooden cutting boards only. Sharpen on a 1000/6000 whetstone three or four times a year. The full method lives in Knife School.
Other lines
Ready for the next step up?
The flagship. Damascus and bog oak. from $363
Full Damascus pattern. Available in sets. from $377
The hammered blade. Brass and copper. from $447