Higo no Kami 10 Pocket Knife by Nagao Seisakusho, Brass Finish

Know what you're getting into before you buy. This is not designed for ergonomics. The handle is an afterthought, the blade is what you're buying here, and it's a lovely, sharp laminated steel. I did hone the edge out of the box to get it to razor-levels of sharpness, and I smoothed out some rough edges on the handle with a file. The blade doesn't lock at all, not even a slip joint. Definitely not a stabbing knife, and you should be cautious while using, especially with the edge this can hold. It's simplicity is what makes it special though. Definitely designed for function and affordability over form and ergonomics. Great for edc, thin and lightweight, disappears in your pocket. I added a lanyard to make it easier to find. Very happy to have a higonokami in my collection.

If you are looking for a fast action, corrosion resistant single hand opening lock back blade for survival or self defense, then the Higo no Kami will be sure to disappoint you in every way. It's none of those things. It never was intended to be. What it is, is an old Japanese workman's knife. Hand made. By an old dude with a hammer and anvil. Literally. Some old guy in Japan used a forge, heated some steel, and then banged out this knife on his anvil. It is carbon steel, not stainless, so it will rust if not properly taken care of. Ok, it's an old Japanese technology blade- when these were made it was not even in question that men knew how to properly take care of a knife. If you abuse it, it will rust. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. It's a friction folder, meaning there is no locking mechanism other than the friction of the blade in the handle. There is a thumb tab for extra security. But truth be told, I've used this knife fairly regularly over the last 2 months and the fact that there is no lock doesn't seem to be a problem at all- but then again I'm not trying to batten wood or build a log cabin with it. Like any tool, it should be used within the limits of it's design. The blade is three layers, the center is hard steel, the outsides are soft- and yes, you can see a hamon line. The non-cutting parts of the knife are rough, in the Japanese tradition of knife making. If the owner wished for a better finish, then they would do that themselves or take it to a knife polishing specialist. That part is up to you. The important part, the edge, is finished out of the box. Now, with all of that said, it is a very fine blade. Razor sharp and very tough. It's designed to be used for slicing, not stabbing. I ended up carrying this for EDC in my wallet. It seems to fit very nicely right where the wallet folds. It rides very nicely and unnoticeable- I forget I have it, but since it's in my wallet, I always have a blade with me even if I forget my normal EDC. Bottom line, don't buy a $20 old tech Japanese blade when what you really wanted was a $200 Fallkniven- and certainly don't expect it to perform like one. But do buy the Higo no Kami if you want a really groovy old school vibe knife. For the price, it's worth every penny.

The write up said "Japanese blue paper steel" I doubted that, but it sure seems so. Real Japanese craftsmanship, "cheaply" made? Not by my standards. It's made with no emphasis at all on flash, all your money is in the steel and pure function. It's a heavy, well shaped blade of 3 layer steel in a simple but sharp looking brass cover, a simple (but incredibly easy to use) tang on the back of the blade allows easy opening. The blade itself was impeccably shaped, but had fine grinding marks on the surface and some small burrs on the "as forged" tip. I took an hour or so and polished out the blade flats with a Cerax 1000 grit waterstone, and finished with a Chosera 3000 to polish. After that onto Roo leather with green emery. The result is a mirror polish where you can clearly see yourself, and see the different color steels in the blade. The blade easily push cuts thru magazine paper. It holds it's edge very well, even after cutting a couple dozen cardboard boxes into strips. (finally cleaned up my recycle pile and actually enjoyed it) After a little stropping and it edge came right back to magazine slicing sharp, although it was still more than sharp enough for any real work just as it was. Blade tension as it arrived is perfect, I do not know if I was lucky, or if they fuss over that, but it's as tight as you would want it for easy opening. In use, there is no feeling it's going to close on you or do anything unexpected. With time it may loosen up, but a couple of taps on the rivet will fix that. I don't see the lack of a lock as any disadvantage. This is a great piece, I recommend it highly, despite the price. (there are cheaper ones on Amazon, but read the fine print and reviews, they ARE NOT the same, and are often Chinese copies) You most certainly DO get your money's worth IF you are the sort of person that appreciates what this knife is, and enjoy caring for your blades. If you want a effort free cutter with a locking blade, get a good folding carpenters knife and a pack of the carbide coated blades (they're incredible), but if you want something a little different to make work a little more enjoyable, this is it. You'll be happy when you need to pull it out. Once finished out, a little oil and a little stropping once and a while is all that's needed to keep this knife in tip-top shape. Unless you hit a nail or something, it won't need regular stoning. It works well for carving too if you enjoy that sort of thing. It's every bit as good as a Mora 106 with so much more style.... OK, the handle isn't as comfortable for long term carving, but it's good enough for a quick project by the fire. If you DO want to use it for a carving project, a little tape would make the handle more ergo. These are a unique piece, that I'm glad I ran across. I plan on getting a couple for my sons while they are still available.

This is a genuine Higo no Kami, definitely made in Japan. It is 3-layered steel as you can see a wavy line within a few mm of the edge where one lamination changes to the next. I have owned this for two weeks and carried it in my pocket most days. It has been used daily for things you would use any other pocket knife for. The knife is extremely dangerous with no locking device. Mine came fairly loose and got looser with use so I did tighten the rivet. A rubber mallet didn't work, but a regular hammer just took a few hits to tighten it sufficiently. Other maintenance includes polishing and oiling the steel blade. I used it to slice cheese once and didn't wash it right away. When I did there were some very slight discolorations like water spots that would not wash off with soap and water. So I found some polishing creme (mine was left over from a headlight restorer kit, but Brasso or the like would be ideal). Just some slight polishing with a Q-tip or folded paper towel corner has been working fine. Another time I used it to cut steak and the inch or so of the blade that came in contact with the steak was blued slightly. No matter it polished out easily. Of course the brass handle tarnishes if it gets damp and not dried right away. It also polishes out easily. The blade is sharp and fine for average use. I have sharpened mine a few times and as long as you aren't too aggressive it is easy to put a fresh edge on this knife that is even better than the original. In the attached pictures you can see I added a lightweight lanyard. This makes it easier to pull out of my pocket and if I am going to use the knife extensively I put the loop around my wrist so I don't drop it. In summary this is a unique, high-maintenance, dangerous knife. But you will love owning it and looking at the hand craftsmanship and Japanese markings. Get yourself one and a few more as gifts for those knife collecting friends of yours.

Nice addition to my EDC collection. Very sharp and useful. However, it will corrode easily. Took it to the beach to cut bait.and trim string tags. Performed well but you could almost watch it corrode...keep it clean and lubed.

I purchased this as part of my growing knife collection. It looked unique, and it truly is. It has a true 'hand crafted' feel to it. And it appears very authentically Japanese. Not polished like what you would expect with other mass-produced folders. Did the paper test and it's razor sharp right out of the box. I could see using it as an occasional EDC. Very light and thin. I don't think the brass handle would be comfortable for any extensive or heavy work; would probably 'bite' into the hand. But for occasional light work it would be fine, and I think that is what it is intended for. The blade does not have a locking mechanism as in usual pocket knives, but there is enough friction in the pin joint to hold it in the handle, so no concern. When you 'sheath' the knife in the handle, make sure you allow a bit of it to show at the cutout area in the brass handle. Instructions inside the box are all in Japanese; would have liked an English version. I'm sure if I carry it the knife will easily be a conversation piece. Glad I purchased it.

As the product description states, it is hand forged without question. Anyone can look at mine and still see the marks on the thumb piece where it was held by tongs during the forging process, which adds character to the knife. Out of the box, it was not as sharp as it could be. The brass handle was open very wide at the bottom, which allowed the last inch of the blade to come in contact with it, causing micro-nicks in the blade. Something that I thought was going to be easily fixed, and it was after much trial and error. I've sharpened many different styles of blades made out of different types of steel, both stainless and non, and every time I tried to sharpen it, I would find more micro-nicks in the edge, though it was razor sharp. It wasn't a defect in the forging or the steel, but in my sharpening techniques. Anyone purchasing this knife needs to know that you must be very gentle with it. Unlike other carbon steel knives that I own and use on a regular basis, you cannot put pressure on the blade while sharpening. This caused the micro-nicks in mine each time I attempted to remove them. Basically, allow the edge of the blade to rest on the stone or sharpening pad with only the weight of the knife as you sharpen. To get a real scary sharp edge, I finished it off with a DMT Extra Fine sharpening pad, and I haven't been able to dull it yet. The only con I can find with this knife is I don't want to carry it in my pocket because of fear of damaging it somehow. The blade is so beautiful as is, that I cannot stand the thought of it developing a pantina from use because I do use my pocket knife for everything imaginable. So, in order to remedy this problem I've already decided to order a second, this time a medium. Higo no Kami Dai(sizeM), Nagaokoma, Import from JAPAN

Simple, sharp, convenient. I liked it.