Seeknit Interchangeable Knitting needles review

A close-up look at the Seeknit bamboo needles. Are they worth it?

If you are in the market for high-quality bamboo knitting needles, then you probably already stumbled across the name “Seeknit”. The Japanese brand offers a very wide range of interchangeable needles that seem to cater to almost every preference and use case. In this review, I want to explain why the high price tag is justified, and why it is not!

As usual, I want to stress that this is an unsponsored review – just like all my other reviews of interchangeable knitting needles (click here for ChiaoGoo, KnitPro, Addi, HiyaHiya). So, where did I buy my needles? Seeknit has its own Etsy store, and they gladly ship internationally. I bought:

• This Koshitsu Luxe set
• and a smaller Shirotake S Set

Sometimes, it’s also available on Amazon.

• This is where I bought the Curve Premium Set

Going through Amazon can be faster because it will typically come from a local vendor and not directly from Seeknit, Japan. Decide for yourself what’s more important to you.

Note: I earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this article.

The brand

You might be wondering about the slightly weird name “Seeknit”. The company behind these iconic needles is actually called “Kinki Amibari” (roughly translates to ‘Knitting needles from Japan’s Kansai area’) and has been in business since 1916. It was only in 2015, and for the 100th anniversary, that the new brand was introduced. The name is a combination of “seek” and “knit”.

The factory is located in Ikoma city, very close to world-famous Nara, where, each year, millions of tourists flock to see the UNESCO World Heritage shrines and temples. Incidentally, this is also the area where, traditionally, the finest bamboo in Japan is grown.

The Seeknits interchangeable sets

If you take a look at the official website of the company, the sheer number of different sets that are available might overwhelm you. It can be very confusing, but here is the gist.

There are three different products: Koshitsu, Shirotake, and Curve.

• Koshitsu (硬質; ‘hard’) is bamboo treated with natural wax and high pressure to make it more durable. It has a golden hue.
• Shirotake (白竹; ‘white bamboo’) is untreated bamboo
• Curve uses the same Koshitsu stalks but combines them with stainless steel fittings instead of brass

For each of these products, you will find multiple different sets that vary in size (i.e., the number of tips and cables that are included) and needle length. While the smaller sets only come in a simple cardboard box, the larger sets will come in a very well-designed, high-quality cotton pouch.

None of the sets comes with a lot of extras. It’s Japanese minimalism through and through. You’ll get the interchangeable tips, plenty of cables, and cable stoppers, but that’s it. Some sets also have cable connectors, but there are no extra stitch markers, scissors, or other notions you may find when you buy sets from other brands. On the plus side, my luxe set came with a generous 9 cables (3 for each size).

Personally speaking, I actually prefer it that way. As an accomplished knitter, I am very specific when it comes to knitting notions. I prefer a certain kind of stitch marker, a certain kind of tapestry needle, etc. So, if a set includes some funny scissors or a needle gauge, I almost always end up giving it away. Still, for a first-time buyer, this might be a consideration.

Other than that, I really have to say that I like the pouches. They are compact and make sense. It’s a timeless design, and you can even choose between a couple of options when you order from their store. I especially like the clear slots. It makes it very easy to see the needle size imprinted on the stalks beneath. The fabric feels high-quality, and the stitching is impeccable.

Hands-down the highest quality pouches on the market by a wide margin. No zippers (where yarn can get tangled) either. I will say that the Velcro for the compartment on the backside could be wider. Small accessories can fall out. The newer curve sets have the compartments for the accessories on the inside, but the falling-out problem persists.

The general system

The Seeknit bamboo needles have a very easy and simple system. One might be tempted to say it is too simple. You simply screw the cables into the sockets, and that’s it. You don’t require a cable key, and there’s no click mechanism. It’s just a plain, well-fitted screw.

Since the large sets cover a wide range of needle sizes (starting from as low as 2.00 mm (US Size 0) and all the way up to 10 mm (US size 15), you require three different cable sizes called M1.8, M2, and M4 (think of it as S, M, and L).

Now, here is where it gets slightly confusing because the (newer) Curve sets only require two cable sizes, specifically M1.8 and M2. So, they are still interchangeable, but they did away with the large connector pieces.

I’ll talk a little bit more about the cables further down, but here, in this context, I will say that this decision was smart. Nothing is more annoying than buying a set that is marketed as “interchangeable” only to notice that the cables and tips are not actually interchangeable.

The Seeknit needles & Material

What I reeeeeeaaally like about the Seeknits needle range is that you just have so many options. One might be inclined to call it limitless. There is “only” bamboo, but you can choose between needles starting from 2.00 mm all the way up to 10mm. For each of these sizes, you can furthermore choose between 2.4-inch (4cm), 4-inch (10cm), 5-inch (12.5 cm), and 6-inch (15 cm) long stalks (the super small stalks only go up to 6mm).

Personally, I feel this is the true hallmark of an interchangeable system. With that many options, you can find the right combination for each and every project, depending on your preferences and the requirements of your body.

E.g., if you have a small-diameter project you want to knit in one continuous round (instead of using the magic loop technique), 2.4-inch tips (or just one 2.4-inch tip on the left side) can be perfect. For someone with larger hands, on the other hand, 6-inch tips might be a gift from heaven.

What I also find quite remarkable is the high quality of the bamboo. Each needle looks exactly like the other, with even and totally straight lines and no nodes or other blemishes. It’s hard not to be impressed by such a consistent quality that clearly speaks to impeccable quality control and packaging.

By comparison, HiyaHiya bamboo needles are a lot more inconsistent (nodes are frequent), and even ChiaoGoo bamboo needles are a lot less consistent. It needs to be added that this goes beyond mere optics. Such blemishes, especially nodes, are prone to cracking and thus reduce the longevity of bamboo needles.

According to a spokesperson, the “carefully selected moso bamboo” is sourced in Kyūshū (Japan’s southwesternmost main island). And I guess this is why they can offer 2.00 mm tips. Even ChiaoGoo, known for its super-fine needles, only goes down to 2.75mm when it comes to bamboo.

Now, mind you, the 2.00 mm tips are not a stable afair. They definitely bend quite a bit under pressure and should definitely be handled with care – as all such fine needles. Just like grass bends with the wind, these supersmall sizes will always bend back. And I found them remarkably durable, even though it will take some time to get used to that unique feeling.

I especially want to highlight just how smooth and slick those needles feel. They are buffed to such a sheen that it almost feels like hardwood. Where a lot of other bamboo needles feel quite sticky and drag the stitches a lot, the seeknit needles are, by comparison, noticeably smoother.

Now, mind you, you still do notice it’s bamboo, and you still notice that it is considerably slower than your average stainless steel needles. Still, when you put them side by side with all the other bigger brands in the market for interchangeable bamboo needles, there is a noticeable and vast difference.

The tips

While Seeknit offers a wide range of sizes and lengths, they all share the same somewhat blunt tip. Mind you, it’s a nice all-purpose tip with an average taper. And one could argue that most knitters who favor bamboo needles are probably not looking for super sharp stiletto tips (quite to the contrary).

Still, I feel it’s my obligation to point out the differences. HiyaHiya and ChiaoGoo offer bamboo needles with slightly sharper tips, while addi needles are roundabout in the same, and KnitPro the bluntest of the lot. Sharp tips are perfect for more complicated stitches, but might splinter a little bit more easily. Likewise, a long taper offers a more comfortable experience for knitting decreases or cables without a cable needle, but also means you have to push each stitch further down the needle.

The differences are, all in all, somewhat minor, but I would say still noticeable to an experienced knitter. The taper of the Seeknit needles is also somewhat girthier, while you do notice that the very tip is actually somewhat sharp (I’m talking about the last millimeter) .

The cables & fittings

All needle sets come with a wide range of cables, but they all share the same general makeup. It’s a very thin, very malleable, see-through cable connected to a brass (or stainless steel) socket.

All cables are swivel cables. This means the cable can rotate freely in its socket, and this will discourage twisting. The immediate connection to the needle tip is also incredibly smooth. Even under magnification, you will be hard-pressed to find a noticeable gap.

The transition towards the actual wood is a bit more noticeable, and if you brush your fingernail against it, it will definitely catch slightly, BUT only towards the tip. So, it is only an issue (if you want to even call such a microscopic step an issue) if you push new stitches to the needle. However, this actually is just one aspect of a larger issue, and possibly the only major fault I can find with these needles.

Enter the taper at the end of the needles. For the brass fittings, it’s simply too steep and too abrupt. Paired with the naturally higher resistance of the bamboo, pushing new stitches onto the needles can quickly become quite annoying. The stainless steel fittings of the Curve needles are a lot better in that respect.

However, that is not the only issue in this regard. The cables of the Seeknit interchangeable knitting needles are thin. Very thin! The medium-sized cables are only 1 mm thick. Compare that to the old KnitPro cables (1.65 mm) and ChiaoGoo (1.5 mm). There’s a difference of 50%. That’s a lot.

This thinness makes knitting with them quite the joy. If you need to pull the cable through stitches (like for the traveling magic loop technique), there’s not a single moment where you feel “man, this could go a bit smoother”. The same applies to cables twisting around while knitting. The swivel join paired with these thin needles really does the job.

That, however, is only one side of the story. Due to the small diameter, nothing prevents stitches at the very end of your cable from closing down. As a result, the already difficult transition towards the needle becomes even more problematic because the last couple of stitches easily end up being too tight.

I suppose this will depend a lot on your project, your yarn, your knitting style, and your overall technique. All I can say is that, for me personally, using the magic loop technique in combination with a slightly more rustic sheep wool yarn turns knitting with these needles from a joy into a nerve-wracking ordeal to a point where I am close to saying that this is a failed product.

The issue is not nearly as pronounced with the Curve needles. There’s still the too-thin cable. And that can quickly become a major issue in the larger sizes, especially if you combine it with colorwork or so. However, the transition is a lot smoother. So, it seems like Seeknit was aware of the problem and is definitely working on improvements in that regard.

Another major flaw, in my opinion, is the lack of a lifeline hole. According to Seeknit/Kinki Amibari, the very precise fitting doesn’t require a special tightening key. They reason that it’s easier to use overall. And I will say that the connection is surprisingly secure. Plus, the screws are also very well manufactured to the point where you cannot help but be impressed.

However, a lot of knitters use these holes to pull through their lifelines. Sure, you can also do it with a tapestry needle, one stitch at a time, but there’s no denying that using these little holes at the end of the needles is a lot more convenient. Plus, the addi system doesn’t require any keys either. They simply added a slit to their cables, which you can use to pull the lifeline through.

I personally never use lifelines. In a way, this is a non-issue for me. At the same time, I do know that many knitters love them and it’s an essential part of their knitting routine, and I’m sure these people will sorely miss such an essential feature.

Summary of my seeknit review

Overall, it’s hard not to be impressed with the overall quality of this product. From the packaging to the pouches, all the way to the finish of the needles, there’s great attention to detail. If you love bamboo needles, I am hard-pressed to name a single manufacturer that does better in any department.

The bamboo has the highest quality of all brands I am aware of; the finish is smooth, the joins are borderline-perfect, and the size range is downright impressive. I just love the pouches, and I also love how transparent the brand is. The website tells you everything you need to know and beyond.

I especially like that they have such a wide range of sets available. Some might want to have the full deluxe set, while others just want a little try-out set with 3 needles and cables.

That being said, I do feel there are a couple of major flaws that cannot simply be brushed away. First of all, I do think (at least when it comes to their English internet presence) that they could improve the way they help consumers make their choice. It’s very hard to understand which of the 300-something options and sets is best for you – especially as a first-time customer.

Secondly, the fact that three different cables are needed for the standard sets also limits the actual range of options dramatically. While there are converters available, those are not part of most sets.

I love that you can use a long tip as your working needle and a small needle to hold in your left hand. This is perfect for knitting small-diameter projects in the round. A lot of knitters want to take it one step further and use a smaller needle size in the left hand. And for certain sizes, that won’t be possible (the converter would extend the overall needle length yet again).

Thirdly, I will say that the transition at the end of the needle, paired with the too-thin and too-flexible cable, turns certain use-cases into a more than cumbersome adventure. I can see that some of the issues were fixed with the introduction of the Curve needles, but I do believe there is a lot of room for improvement yet.

That being said, most other bamboo needles do come with a lot (and often more) downsides as well. So, I can well see how a lot of people can be super satisfied with either of the Seeknit products.

Anyway, that was my Seeknit bamboo needles review. Comment below if you have any more questions.