Higo No Kami and the Zen of reasonable expectations

A brief introduction to the Higo No Kami and what to expect from it. And yes, I meant to say "friction folder" knife, not "slipjoint" which has a spring retention device.

[@ogivecrush]

I'm an older guy so I was brought up with pocket knives which mostly didn't lock. If you're using a knife with a little mindfulness a lock isn't a huge consideration. I have a Higo no Kami exactly like yours- probably made in the same factory. Once I needed to cut some holes in a piece of very very heavy plastic on my car's undercarriage. My Higo was what I used, and it worked like a champ. It definitely has a proud place in my collection of many many knives. Thanks!

[@slobben]

The way the blade is shaped makes it really good for carving your initials into things. One was given to me by a Japanese friend and their kitchen table has the names and/or initials, nicknames and drawings of pretty much everyone that ever came to visit and sat down on that table. They were, and are, all using his old Higo No Kami.

[@erichusayn]

Good video. I own a couple myself. Even though they're fairly cheap, they're well made. They take a very keen edge as well. You can tell the maker took pride in his work....

[@The8thCharacter]

Higos are made from very high quality steel, from SK5 in the more "economy versions" to Aogami/Blue Paper Steel to Shirogami/White Paper Steel in their most premium ones. The extremely top-of-the-line custom ones will even have nicely-finished handles and blades. They're nothing to sneeze at 👍

[@tjsogmc]

I totally agree! I believe the lack of refined laser accurate finish turns people off and makes them think of the knife as some kind of cheap knockoff. In my way of thinking, it's the steel that matters, not so much the finish work. Although, a finely crafted knife is indeed a thing of beauty, I would rather have a knife that lacked refinement, but was a true workhorse.

[@BushCampingTools]

No, they are great for sure. I'e got lots of Japanese knives from when I lived there. Good vid!