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

Overall, it’s not a bad knife - it came duller than expected and it didn’t hold an edge (at first) - I think this is because it folds into a cheap brass sheath (probably brass). I bent the sheath so it laid straight (inline) with the knife blade and added a rubber spline (window screen spline) into the handle (sheath). I think this protects the blade a bit so it keeps an edge better. After sharpening, it seems to hold the edge. The metal is raw (not chrome plated or anything), so it’ll rust. But it’s a simple knife with a low profile, so I’m happy with it. It will cut. I don’t know that I agree with the “authenticity” of this knife (being some old world Japanese design) because it does feel cheap, but 15 minutes of googling made me think it might be a legit Japanese folding knife. I liked the simplicity and low profile (I’m not a fan of thick EDC knives because I work in an office where I don’t need all that). This knife has a small profile and I do like the simplicity of it. It does loosen up with use and it may open in your pocket (it opens in mine) - a Google image search of the knife implies that it’s legitimately made by a Japanese knife company - TBH, I was looking for a cheap knife that I’d probably lose, so genuine Japanese folding knife or cheap Chinese knockoff wasn’t an issue for me. Regardless, I like the knife - I’ve used it daily for a month and have been happy with my purchase.

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.

In my opinion this is a must have for any knife collector, or anyone who appreciates the history of the knife itself, handmade Japanese craftmanship and blade steel. Is it EDC'able? Maybe. Modern folders will take hard use better but this just has a "cool" factor and will bring you joy having it. For me it's my gardening knife, but it does slice like a demon when sharpened right and I can see this easily being used for fishing, light wood work, light edc around the house, etc. The break down: Pros: +Piece of Japanese tradition and culture, knife history, and art +Can get SCARY sharp relatively easily +One handed opening and closing using the special extended tang "tab" +Friction folder but can "lock" it by placing thumb on the extended tang tab while using it +Super thin and lightweight at only 49 grams, disappears in your pocket. Cons: -As is well known and should be expected, it doesn't come finished, have to finish/sharpen/polish it yourself. Sharpening took me 10 minutes on a stone. -"Thumb lock" makes it that the knife has no lock at all with a full fist grip (you CAN move your fist up towards the blade and have the tab just under your fist but that places your hand way too close to the edge for serious work, in my opinion) -Handle is thin metal and so not comfortable for extended hard use So no, this won't be your everyday beater at the construction site, but that's not what its meant for. Get yourself a $30 Ontario Rat 1, Kershaw, etc. in that price range if that's what you're looking for. This is a keepsake.