HIGO NO KAMI10 Pocket Knife by Nagao Seisakusho, Brass Finish

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.

Hard to tell for certain if it is authentic, but I think the history of the knife would say it doesn't matter if it is or isn't. Not sure how true everything you hear about it is, but the idea that this simple knife was not supposed to be a work of art, but rather an "EDC" before "EDC" was a thing makes for a fun conversation piece. Mine came shaving sharp and is a cheap piece for the collection that looks great. Forged and assembled in Japan by the original maker, or a quality lookalike made somewhere else entirely? Either way, it's a simple, sharp, friction folder with some history behind it. The only way to guarantee one of them's authenticity would be to get one in person from the maker in Japan, but let's be honest. It's way more cost-effective to buy from Amazon and have a knife that will do what all knives of any price point do for 95% of us. Opening mail and packages.

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.

In a time when every folding knife is marketed to have a lock that can hold the weight of a man or keep a rock solid lock up when whacked spine first into a pine board, there is something refreshing about a simple knife that just cutsThe Higo No Kami is just that. A well crafted carbon steel blade pinned to a folder brass handle and secured open by nothing more than a very tight fit and the pressure one would put on the back of the blade holding the tab tightly. There is no back spring, no half stop, and certainly no lock.However, it serves it's purpose. The blade is sharp and surprisingly stout. The action is VERY tight, but that keeps the knife from flopping open and will wear in as the steel polishes the brass it is mates up to. It is about as simple of a folding knife as one could make.The quality seems very well done. Lots of care was put into the steel which sports a fairly obtuse edge that will scrape hair out of the box but can be made crazy sharp easily. The engraving is clean and well done on both the blade and the handle. My only ding against them is that the tab is a bit mangled and the spot where the tanto was cut is not straight at the back of the spine.However, it is important to remember that these a very function over form knives. Much like an Okapi or Svord Peasant, it just has to cut and not worry about looking pretty.So for the price, you can do way worse if you are looking for a very simple old school knife that is useful yet nonthreatening and will turn heads in a good way. I highly recommend it as long as you know what to expect.