Seki Kyuba RYU Gyuto Chef’s Knife 21cm
RYU is our Damascus line: a VG10 core clad in 33 layers of stainless Damascus, hand-forged in Seki. The 21cm Gyuto is the all-purpose chef’s knife — “cow sword” — long enough for real cutting surface, agile enough to control. At 62 HRC it holds a razor edge, and the flowing Damascus and hammered finish help it glide and shed food.
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 do it all: Gyuto
“Gyuto” means “cow sword” — once a beef knife, now the all-purpose Japanese chef’s knife. The 21cm blade gives you ample cutting surface while staying agile, and its gentle curve suits both rocking cuts and push-cutting, so it handles almost any ingredient. Want something shorter and more nimble for everyday tasks? Look at the Santoku instead.
The Blade
It’s built on a VG10 steel core clad in 33 layers of stainless Damascus, hand-forged in Seki, Gifu. At 62 HRC the VG10 core takes and holds a razor edge, while the layered cladding adds strength, stability and corrosion resistance and gives each blade its own flowing, water-like grain.
The full Damascus pattern is finished with a subtle hammered texture, which catches the light and creates tiny air pockets that help release food as you cut. Available in Mediterranean Blue, Olive Green or Natural Brown.
The blade
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
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.
Great knife overall. Very sharp and well made. The steel holds an edge well. Only giving 4 stars because the handle took a few days to feel comfortable in my larger hands, but now that I’m used to it, I love it.
Bought this as an upgrade from my old German chef’s knife and the difference is night and day. So much lighter, so much more precise. Onions, herbs, proteins — everything is effortless now. The blade geometry is perfect for rocking and push cuts.
Incredibly well-balanced and sharp right out of the box. The edge retention is superb — I’ve been using it daily for two weeks and it still glides through everything. The handle feels natural in hand and the fit and finish is beautiful.
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.