Vintage Japanese Seki Tsubazo Santoku Knife 170mm Carbon Steel Made in Japan 1657

Experience Everyday Japanese Preparation with a Vintage Seki Tsubazo Santoku

This pre-owned Seki Tsubazo Santoku pairs a 170mm carbon steel blade with a wood handle. Recorded as fully forged and made in Japan, it offers a manageable all-purpose format for home kitchen preparation.

The Specs

• Recorded brand: Seki Tsubazo
• Knife type: Santoku
• Blade length: 170mm
• Overall length: 300mm
• Recorded blade thickness: 1.4mm
• Steel: High carbon steel; exact alloy not recorded
• Recorded construction: Fully forged
• Recorded hardness: 58 HRC
• Handle: Wood
• Origin: Made in Japan
• Condition: Used / pre-owned

A Practical Vintage Santoku

The Seki Tsubazo name is retained from the product title. The available notes do not establish a production date or detailed maker history, so this knife is presented on its recorded Japanese manufacture, specifications and pre-owned condition.

The Santoku, commonly translated as three virtues, is an all-purpose format for meat, fish and vegetables. Its flat-to-gently-curved edge suits push cuts and light rocking, while the wide blade offers knuckle clearance. The 170mm blade provides a manageable everyday all-rounder. Carbon steel can take a keen edge and develops natural patina with use, rewarding careful drying and maintenance.

Care & Maintenance

• Hand wash only, never in the dishwasher
• Dry immediately after washing to help prevent rust
• Do not soak the wood handle
• Natural patina develops with use; remove active rust rather than treating it as patina
• Sharpen on a whetstone, preserving the existing edge geometry
• Store on a magnetic strip or in a knife block to protect the edge