Seki Kyuba RYU Nakiri Veggie Knife 17.5cm
RYU is our Damascus line: a VG10 core in 33 layers of stainless Damascus, hand-forged in Seki. The 17.5cm Nakiri is the vegetable specialist — “leaf cutter” — with a straight edge and squared tip built for clean push-cuts, and a tall blade for knuckle clearance and easy scooping. 62 HRC edge; the hammered face keeps veg from sticking.
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 veggie conqueror: Nakiri
“Nakiri” roughly means “leaf cutter,” and the 17.5cm blade is shaped for the job: a straight edge and squared-off tip for efficient push-cutting, a tall profile for knuckle clearance and repetitive chopping without fatigue, and enough height to scoop chopped veg off the board.
The Blade
It’s built on a VG10 steel core in 33 layers of stainless Damascus, hand-forged in Seki, Gifu. At 62 HRC the VG10 core holds a razor edge, and the layered cladding adds durability, stain resistance and a flowing, water-like grain.
The full Damascus pattern is finished with a subtle hammered texture that creates tiny air pockets, keeping vegetables from clinging as you cut. Available in Mediterranean Blue, Olive Green or Natural Brown.
The blade
Specifications.
| Weight | 0.7 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.
I never knew what I was missing until I got a proper nakiri. This knife has completely changed how I prep vegetables. Carrots, cabbage, herbs — everything comes out perfectly uniform. The craftsmanship is outstanding.
As someone who cooks a lot of Asian food, this nakiri is a dream. The thin blade makes paper-thin slices effortless and the flat edge is perfect for scooping vegetables off the board. Absolutely love it.
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.