Seki Kyuba RYU Santoku Chef’s Knife 18cm

Name: Seki Kyuba RYU Santoku Chef’s Knife 18cm
Rating: 5

RYU is our Damascus line: a VG10 core in 33 layers of stainless Damascus, hand-forged in Seki. The 18cm Santoku is the nimble all-rounder, “three virtues” means slicing, dicing and chopping. A gently curved edge suits a rocking cut; the tall profile gives knuckle clearance and easy scooping. 62 HRC, hammered Damascus to shed food.

2 reviews

$392

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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.

A more nimble chef's knife: Santoku

“Santoku” means “three virtues”: slicing, dicing and chopping, and the 18cm blade does all three with easy control. Its shorter length and flat profile make it light and well-balanced; the gently curved edge accommodates a natural rocking motion, and the tall blade gives knuckle clearance and easy scooping of chopped ingredients.

The Blade

It’s forged with a VG10 steel core wrapped in 33 layers of stainless Damascus, hand-forged in Seki, Gifu. At 62 HRC the VG10 core holds a razor edge and sharpens easily, while 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 keeps food from clinging as you work. Available in Mediterranean Blue, Olive Green or Natural Brown.

The blade

Specifications.

Weight	0.7 kg
Dimensions	45 × 10 × 6 cm
Knife Type	Santoku
Blade Length	180mm
Steel Type	Damascus, Stainless, VG10: High-Carbon Stainless Steel
HRC	62
Knife Bevel	Double
Hand Feature	Ambidextrous
Handle Waterproof	Yes
Made in	Japan
Maker	Oishya, Seki Kyuba
Knife Handle Material	Bog Oak, Stabilised Maple Burl

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.

Meet our craftsmen

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?

No knife worth keeping is dishwasher safe. Heat warps the wooden handle, detergent corrodes the steel, other utensils chip the edge. Hand wash, dry immediately with a soft towel.

How often will I need to sharpen it?

For a home cook using the knife daily on a wood board, a full sharpening on a whetstone every three to four months is usually enough. Don't use a steel or ceramic honing rod: Japanese steel is too hard and the rod chips the edge instead of realigning it. If you'd rather not learn the stone, every Oishya knife carries lifetime sharpening at our partner workshops in the UK, the US and Poland. The work is free for as long as you own the knife, and you cover shipping both ways.

Can I use it to cut meat?

Boneless meat: yes, it cuts cleanly. For anything with bones, switch to a heavier Western chef knife. Japanese steel is hard, which means sharp, and also more brittle. Twisting through bone chips the edge.

How long does shipping take?

UK orders are usually delivered within 2–3 working days. EU and US orders within 5–9. International orders may take longer. We ship mostly from the UK.

What if it isn't right for my kitchen?

You have 100 days to return it. Use it, cook with it, see how it feels in your hand. If it isn't right, send it back for a full refund. No questions, no restocking fee.

From the people who cook with it

Reviews.

Purchased as a gift for my wife who cooks daily. She absolutely loves it. The size is ideal for smaller hands and the blade is incredibly sharp. Packaging and presentation were excellent — felt like opening something truly special.

Michael P.

Verified

This santoku has become my go-to knife for everything. The flat profile is perfect for chopping vegetables and the tip is precise enough for detail work. Beautifully crafted and a joy to use every day.

Emma R.

Verified