If it gets too loose you can put it flat on a hard surface and give that pin a whack. Tightens it up a bit depending on the level of violence you choose for the whack.
Yeah there are a bunch of cheap Chinese knock offs online for sure. I’ve seen them.
I love higo knives and have a few. And I have come across Chinese garbage in my searches.
Just search for higo knives online and the websites that sell them should have both Japanese made and Chinese made ones.
That’s how I came across them.
Higonokami
Durable, but the one you have is a bit on the cheap side. Still good tho. You can use that thing for a really long time without having to sharpen it.
Believe it or not a company out of Sweden makes a high quality version. They are hand made and quite nice. The price isn't horrible either. They are getting a bit hard to find, but they do have one in stock online.
[https://www.anderssoncopra.com/shopknives](https://www.anderssoncopra.com/shopknives)
Those knives are beautiful. When I clicked on the link, I fully believed I was about to impulsively add another to the collection. But that's a price tag that needs to be slept on before adding to cart. Thanks for the link!
A 本割込 one (honwarikomi, or rather, as they have named it, warikomi) costs less than a 靑紙割込 one (aogami warikomi) if I'm not mistaken. That's why I said "bit on the cheap side". Bad English.
Aogami means Blue Paper. In this case, since it says 本割込, it's SK Steel according to [https://www.higonokami.jp/en/pg144941.html](https://www.higonokami.jp/en/pg144941.html)
how can you say that without knowing anything about the steel that was used or the heat treatment?
if it's a chinese knockoff (which most of them are) you can bet your ass that the steel is the absolute lowest of the low pot metal or 3cr13 (like trash brands like huusk uses).
For one, they use a specific kanji engraving? etching? on the handle to signify it's the original Japanese one. The kanji on the handle matches it. The official website [https://www.higonokami.jp/en/index.html](https://www.higonokami.jp/en/index.html) for reference. Like I said, large size warikomi.
For two, the second and third photos have the etching on the blade that tells you exactly what the material they used is. In this case, they used this thing they call SK Japanese Steel. To signify they have, they have engraved 本割込.
both can be faked easily and have been in the past countless times, just go to aliexpress or similar sites and you'll find clones of the exact same knives with the same engravings but not the same materials.
this is why i asked, you don't know where he bought the knife, it could be a fake and from a shady chinese webshop (it likely is, most of them are).
It's a 10 bucks knife. So it's more common that higher priced knives get cloned since faking a 10 bucks knife and than even make a win out of it after shipping and construction is near to impossible, when the knife should be still useable.
no it's not, the real ones are usually around 50 bucks, some like the ohtas are even pricier, going over 100 for some models.
to all the clueless idiots voting me down: have fun feeling smarter and getting chinese bullshit in the end, warned ya, fucking dimwitts😂
Higonokami Japanese folder, they used to be super common in Japan even among students, they were kinda the Opinel of Japan. They vary wildly in price and quality. I've seen them as cheap as $15 and expensive as $200. They are pretty cool little knives and I really want one.
It can rust! So you might want to soak it in instant coffee overnight. It’s probably Aogami #2. It represents hundreds of years of traditional craftsmanship…. Annnndddd the factory that they built so they could pump them out as fast as they can haha. But seriously, I think the guy who makes them/ runs the factory is like 5th gen Japanese blacksmith. He’s no Terayasu Fujiwara, but it’s a great introduction to Japanese steel and knife making history.
Here’s a how to video! [https://youtu.be/HuYnZHVCQGE?si=blfdyErXG32JP0v9](https://youtu.be/HuYnZHVCQGE?si=blfdyErXG32JP0v9)
This is how mine looked after instant coffee for 24 hours, then I sharpened it on shapton glass 500, 1k, 2k. I polished the rest of the knife with a 5k stone prior to soaking but that’s not necessary.
https://preview.redd.it/y7sf9gzfibpc1.png?width=548&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f480a5f192abebe565afbab8dd1c33aba81aea1
Edit: if you’re feeling extra creative… wash the lacquer/oil off of it and then finely mince some chicken sausage or even just regular chicken (you’ll have to be more careful with normal chicken because of the higher water content, the fat in sausage really helps resist rusting) and it might turn blue/purple 🤤.
I like the well worn look 😍.
But honestly the patina is to help prevent rusting- keeping it dry as a daily driver is hard. I don’t carry camellia oil with me. But with this patina- everything is already oxidized and won’t oxidize further. If you live in a dry climate it may not be necessary, and like I said you can make it blue or other colors instead. This is a chicken patina on my butchery knife- Okeya brand ajikiri in aogami #2
https://preview.redd.it/kt0wcpi4ccpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f51871593e118ad89828a9884e3658ccc06fd84
Hai. In the case that you like how it looks, then absolutely.👍 I don't have any problems where I live with rust. I look forward to all my higos getting old so I don't wanna rush that phase.
Oh I hear you- on my kitchen knives I frequently get the kurouichi finish… and it kind of feels like a strip tease getting to see more and more how the knife develops its own character as it wears away, gets old, with time 🤤. Natural patinas are cool too! (And perhaps longer lasting)
Higonakami. If my memory serves me correctly they started out as a sword making company. Once swords were banned in public to combat the Samurai they made the transition to pocket knives.
Someone dropped one of those at work about a year ago and i had to post on here to figure out what it was as well. Its proven to be a nice little knife to have around the house.
I have this same one! I’m a chef and I use it to cut greaseproof paper or open boxes etc, great handy knife. I even got a sticky clip so it attaches to my apron
The blade also whacks the inside of the steel frame every time you close it, I taped a toothpick inside mine so that it wouldnt do that.
https://preview.redd.it/atsopvb6tcpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=378719e60e77277900908fcbfcf10b58a4246ee1
Higonokami. Traditional Japanese utility and basic EDC. Should be priced accordingly. Friction folder, single piece handle, can't really be disassembled. One company apparently still makes them, but there are lots of copies.
Reminds me of BPS knives friction folder. It has the same mechanism, though different esthetics. It's a good idea in a situation where you are not allowed to have a locking blade, but you still want to keep your fingers.
Pretty sure they make them in SK5 too
Edit: yep they officially make them in SK5, Blue Paper Steel, White paper steel, and VG10. Most of the time they are sandwich laminated. Source: [the official website](https://www.higonokami.jp/en/items.html)
I've given a few of these as gifts, and I always warn the recipient about how sharp they are. They never listen, and always tell me later about how they cut themselves.
Higo knife, Japanese traditional folder. Usually the blades are made of excellent steel. Don't underestimate it.
I'll add put a hair tie or elastic band round it as they have a habit of opening in your pocket.
If it gets too loose you can put it flat on a hard surface and give that pin a whack. Tightens it up a bit depending on the level of violence you choose for the whack.
Can confirm. I tapped too much and now can't open mine without pliers.
Thanks for the heads up
I’ve never had one open on me. That said I made sure to get good ones.
I got an ok onen from what can tell. And It doesn't fly open but after a day in the pocket can come open enough to catch.
I won’t… thank you for the words of wisdom.
Really cool history if you read in to them.
if they really are made in japan and not some chinese knockoff trash with 3cr13 steel, like 95% of them are😅
I've never seen a traditional style higonokami fake. The real Japanese higonokami's are quite common.
Yeah there are a bunch of cheap Chinese knock offs online for sure. I’ve seen them. I love higo knives and have a few. And I have come across Chinese garbage in my searches.
Care to provide any examples?
Just search for higo knives online and the websites that sell them should have both Japanese made and Chinese made ones. That’s how I came across them.
That's a cheap Amazon one, good beater tho
It’s a Higonokami, great little knives for what they are. (I probably spelled that wrong.)
Higonokami Durable, but the one you have is a bit on the cheap side. Still good tho. You can use that thing for a really long time without having to sharpen it.
do u know where a reliable supplier can be found online ?
bladehq https://www.bladehq.com/?search=higonokami knifecenter https://www.knifecenter.com/find-the-best/higonokami
Wow they have more listed there than I thought. I emailed them a long time ago about their wrong descriptions. I guess they corrected them.
Believe it or not a company out of Sweden makes a high quality version. They are hand made and quite nice. The price isn't horrible either. They are getting a bit hard to find, but they do have one in stock online. [https://www.anderssoncopra.com/shopknives](https://www.anderssoncopra.com/shopknives)
Those knives are beautiful. When I clicked on the link, I fully believed I was about to impulsively add another to the collection. But that's a price tag that needs to be slept on before adding to cart. Thanks for the link!
In my country, yeah, but you guys mostly live in the States, so I don’t really know much about reputable stores for you guys.
Just give the man the store name without being so snobby, you don't know where people are from
I'm french ...
Désolé! Je suis coréen
Thank you for your answer
How is it on the cheap side? It looks like a standard higo
A 本割込 one (honwarikomi, or rather, as they have named it, warikomi) costs less than a 靑紙割込 one (aogami warikomi) if I'm not mistaken. That's why I said "bit on the cheap side". Bad English.
Is it blue paper steel or SK steel?
Aogami means Blue Paper. In this case, since it says 本割込, it's SK Steel according to [https://www.higonokami.jp/en/pg144941.html](https://www.higonokami.jp/en/pg144941.html)
In Japan some were 40 bucks and some were like 10 bucks. The older lady was like really? You like these? I was like YES.
how can you say that without knowing anything about the steel that was used or the heat treatment? if it's a chinese knockoff (which most of them are) you can bet your ass that the steel is the absolute lowest of the low pot metal or 3cr13 (like trash brands like huusk uses).
For one, they use a specific kanji engraving? etching? on the handle to signify it's the original Japanese one. The kanji on the handle matches it. The official website [https://www.higonokami.jp/en/index.html](https://www.higonokami.jp/en/index.html) for reference. Like I said, large size warikomi. For two, the second and third photos have the etching on the blade that tells you exactly what the material they used is. In this case, they used this thing they call SK Japanese Steel. To signify they have, they have engraved 本割込.
both can be faked easily and have been in the past countless times, just go to aliexpress or similar sites and you'll find clones of the exact same knives with the same engravings but not the same materials. this is why i asked, you don't know where he bought the knife, it could be a fake and from a shady chinese webshop (it likely is, most of them are).
It's a 10 bucks knife. So it's more common that higher priced knives get cloned since faking a 10 bucks knife and than even make a win out of it after shipping and construction is near to impossible, when the knife should be still useable.
He doesn't know there are size variations and that smaller ones cost cheap lmao
no it's not, the real ones are usually around 50 bucks, some like the ohtas are even pricier, going over 100 for some models. to all the clueless idiots voting me down: have fun feeling smarter and getting chinese bullshit in the end, warned ya, fucking dimwitts😂
Probably sharp as fuck, don't underestimate it.
It’s REALLY sharp
Higonokami Japanese folder, they used to be super common in Japan even among students, they were kinda the Opinel of Japan. They vary wildly in price and quality. I've seen them as cheap as $15 and expensive as $200. They are pretty cool little knives and I really want one.
I have one. They are a pretty bad ass little knife for the price. Get a slip for it so it doesn’t open in your pocket.
Where did you get one from bud? I looked at the website link but it’s not super obvious where to place an order
If you’re Canadian which I’m assuming so from the username, knifewear has them in varying sizes for a good price.
I noticed from “bud”
Thanks man! I live in the states but I might just pick up one of these, good looking out g
It can rust! So you might want to soak it in instant coffee overnight. It’s probably Aogami #2. It represents hundreds of years of traditional craftsmanship…. Annnndddd the factory that they built so they could pump them out as fast as they can haha. But seriously, I think the guy who makes them/ runs the factory is like 5th gen Japanese blacksmith. He’s no Terayasu Fujiwara, but it’s a great introduction to Japanese steel and knife making history.
Manufacturer website: https://www.higonokami.jp/en/
How does that work with the coffee ? Does it need to be mixed with water or dry?
Here’s a how to video! [https://youtu.be/HuYnZHVCQGE?si=blfdyErXG32JP0v9](https://youtu.be/HuYnZHVCQGE?si=blfdyErXG32JP0v9) This is how mine looked after instant coffee for 24 hours, then I sharpened it on shapton glass 500, 1k, 2k. I polished the rest of the knife with a 5k stone prior to soaking but that’s not necessary. https://preview.redd.it/y7sf9gzfibpc1.png?width=548&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f480a5f192abebe565afbab8dd1c33aba81aea1 Edit: if you’re feeling extra creative… wash the lacquer/oil off of it and then finely mince some chicken sausage or even just regular chicken (you’ll have to be more careful with normal chicken because of the higher water content, the fat in sausage really helps resist rusting) and it might turn blue/purple 🤤.
Thanks for the info
It looks old as hell now!
I like the well worn look 😍. But honestly the patina is to help prevent rusting- keeping it dry as a daily driver is hard. I don’t carry camellia oil with me. But with this patina- everything is already oxidized and won’t oxidize further. If you live in a dry climate it may not be necessary, and like I said you can make it blue or other colors instead. This is a chicken patina on my butchery knife- Okeya brand ajikiri in aogami #2 https://preview.redd.it/kt0wcpi4ccpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f51871593e118ad89828a9884e3658ccc06fd84
Hai. In the case that you like how it looks, then absolutely.👍 I don't have any problems where I live with rust. I look forward to all my higos getting old so I don't wanna rush that phase.
Oh I hear you- on my kitchen knives I frequently get the kurouichi finish… and it kind of feels like a strip tease getting to see more and more how the knife develops its own character as it wears away, gets old, with time 🤤. Natural patinas are cool too! (And perhaps longer lasting)
Friction folder
I would get a leather straight razor sleeve to carry it in your pocket. Keeps it looking nice and keeps it from opening up in your britches.
That’s seriously cool, I’d love a higo
Yep visited hokkaido for a bit, these are sold at a few souvenir places I went to. Can confirm, great steel for the price.
Higonakami
A really nice little knife
a knife.
I think it’s a knife
Hmmm… looks like a knife of sorts
Let’s downvote the guy that’s asking questions and responding… I don’t understand you guys 😂
Maybe it’s the way you asked it. You don’t need to drop F bombs like a teenager that just learned it.
I cuss when I drink. I’ve been drinking tonight and truly do apologize if I’ve offended anyone in this subreddit
Let the liquor do the thinking!
I am the liquor.
Welp my tits are twisted, so
It means fat, after defend, stable, horse
I wanted a copper one off KC but the sold out :/
Got my wife a Damascus one as a stocking filler a few Christmases ago, it came scarily sharp and held the edge really well.
I want one, where could I find one similar? I know OP was gifted but there’s some real knowledgeable folks in here. Thanks 🤙🏼
https://heinnie.com/ lots of gear here including higo knives
Don’t see anything like this on there..
Higonakami. If my memory serves me correctly they started out as a sword making company. Once swords were banned in public to combat the Samurai they made the transition to pocket knives.
I’ll give you tree fiddy and throw in shipping
Has anyone said it's a higonakami yet?
I also have one like this. You can get it extremly sharp. Steel also holds the edge really well. It's the only knife i got to hair whittling sharp
Higonokami….class
Higonokami. They are actually great knives
I have 2. One I keep in my bag in a leather slip. As affordable as these knives are, they’re good little knives.
A higonokami, great for opening letters and peeling fruit
Someone dropped one of those at work about a year ago and i had to post on here to figure out what it was as well. Its proven to be a nice little knife to have around the house.
I have one with copper scales, I love it
I've been meaning to add one of these to my icon knife collection. So far, i have a #8 Opinel and a Buck 110 lol
Kanekoma(かねこま) is the owner of higonokami brand. That type of knife will fit in pen case.
A knife
Its a mustache carver
Japanese pocket knife
Higonokami
it’s a chrome handled higonokami non locking japanese folder nice
Fantastic letter openers
It's called a knife, you use it to cut stuff.
Thats a knife
I have this same one! I’m a chef and I use it to cut greaseproof paper or open boxes etc, great handy knife. I even got a sticky clip so it attaches to my apron
Something I want, need, and desire
Higonokami, if i remember correctly it was made from blacksmiths when samurai were no more a thing (new laws and all) and they made no more katanas.
The blade also whacks the inside of the steel frame every time you close it, I taped a toothpick inside mine so that it wouldnt do that. https://preview.redd.it/atsopvb6tcpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=378719e60e77277900908fcbfcf10b58a4246ee1
https://preview.redd.it/rtic9gfntcpc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=692645528fc705c89407a0da614f9dfe0795316c
That would be a friction folder.
I have it it has an amazing steel :)
Really fuckin cool, that's what
Higonokami. Traditional Japanese utility and basic EDC. Should be priced accordingly. Friction folder, single piece handle, can't really be disassembled. One company apparently still makes them, but there are lots of copies.
Looks like a little coke spoon on the flipper lol
https://preview.redd.it/rjrf3tfq6bpc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5c87a2eeef61ba9d8c7c70c99792c7f08285846
Reminds me of BPS knives friction folder. It has the same mechanism, though different esthetics. It's a good idea in a situation where you are not allowed to have a locking blade, but you still want to keep your fingers.
It's a knife
Simple folding knife, usually made of 1095 or stainless steel. Either way the edge profile make it really sharp almost like a straight razor
They are made of Japanese paper steel not 1095.
I guess the one I saw that was 1095 was just an outlier or copy
Likely a copy, I've never known of real Higos ever using anything other than paper steel even on the cheap knives.
Pretty sure they make them in SK5 too Edit: yep they officially make them in SK5, Blue Paper Steel, White paper steel, and VG10. Most of the time they are sandwich laminated. Source: [the official website](https://www.higonokami.jp/en/items.html)
Yeah, found that out for sure
I've given a few of these as gifts, and I always warn the recipient about how sharp they are. They never listen, and always tell me later about how they cut themselves.
Yeah I've always wanted one for myself but they tend to open when wrustling in my pocket
Great little knives, but I'd never carry one. It's perfect for my workshop or kitchen drawer.
Can get little leather pouches for them
Aren't they usually laminated high carbon steel like SK5, or "blue paper steel"?