Higonokami Japanese Knife Review

Higonokami knives are traditional friction folders that have been made in Japan since 1896. Today, only one company is still making "official" Higonokami knives, Nagao.
Higonokami knives are simple knives, the handle is nothing more than folded sheet metal, and the blade is a sabre grind, with no lock. Different models are available, both in different sizes, as well as different blade steels. We look here in our video at the cheapest model of Higonokami, which comes with SK5 Japanese carbon steel (roughly the Japanese equivalent of 1080 carbon steel). You can also get the higher end models, which come in blue paper steel, white paper steel, and laminated steel, for more money.
These knives are relatively widely available. Both Blade HQ and Knife Center have large selections of them, so if you're planning an order from either place, here are the links for you to add a Higonokami to your order!
www.bladehq.co...
www.knifecente...

[@BigRedEDC]

This was probably one of the sharpest knives right out of the box I have ever had!

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

Same, I love it! Such a slicy blade!

[@WilliamsKnifeLife]

That was a very thorough review. You don't have as many people watching your videos as you should have. I will try to bump up your subscribers & views. You put a lot of work into your reviews & more people should see them.

[@WilliamsKnifeLife]

I have a Higonokami blue paper steel knife given to me by one of my viewers. Great knife & super sharp.

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

Thanks! I appreciate the kind words! I would LOVE to try out the blue paper steel, I've heard really good things about it, but SK5 certainly isn't anything to sneeze at and is more than good enough for the likes of me!

[@HollywoodTacticool]

the ping definitely came out on the video. thanks for explaining what sk5 is. i know cold steel uses it in the srk knife. i didn't realize it's basically 1080 high carbon steel.

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

Properly heat treated, SK5 can be SUPER tough! I believe I read at one point that Cold Steel (I think, though this is only a few years ago now that I read it) had a batch with a poor heat treat, leading to it being pretty brittle. But generally, pretty good stuff!

[@carbonitegamorrean8368]

Willams Knife Life mentioned you. I have one, mine looks like the blade is San Mai. I haven't used mine a lot it was a gift and used, I think I make mess with it now.

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

Ah yes, some of the higher end ones are San Mai and I am very jealous!

[@HollywoodTacticool]

pro tip to not close it on its edge, since it lacks a blade stop. considering it's high carbon steel, would it be inadvisable to store it in that plastic sleeve it comes in?

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

Depends on your climate. If it's at all humid there, I would say that you're right, storing it in the plastic for long periods of time MIGHT cause some rusting. My recommendation would be to leave it out of the plastic, or if you plan on storing it away for a long time, put a bit of oil or beeswax on the blade before putting it in the plastic to ensure it'll stay pristine!

[@Camothor10]

Off Topic: I love your shirt where did you get it? Reminds me of my Pa.

[@jimguy1234]

So I’m not to sure that knife is an authentic higonokami... the authentic blades normally come in small boxes that are either red, yellow or blue with a blue label on them. Notoriously copies of this knife come in plastic sheathes like the one you’ve got. They’re very hard to distinguish from the Authentic’s and are made just as well and still made in Japan but I do doubt that’s an authentic Higonokami knife. 👍

[@jimguy1234]

To add: Higonokami knives don’t usually come razor sharp out of the box, they are that way so the owner can put the care into getting them as sharp as they need👍

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

You COULD be right, but I'm fairly sure that this is an actual Nagao made Higonokami for two reasons. The first being that I got these from a reputable dealer (BladeHQ) stating that they were Nagao made, and the second being that Nagao themselves has an identical knife listed on their own website under the Zenkou line.

[@DomPatek]

No, this is absolutely the real deal, the only difference being that it's distributed by Fujiwara Sangyo who sell them in black plastic pouches. Btw, the thing about genuine Kanekoma Higonokamis coming only in paper boxes is a myth since there's quite a few pictures on Higonokami Kanekoma instagram page where you can clearly see that pretty much all SK5 and Zenkou knives come in blue, green and yellow see through plastic pouches.

[@practicalknifereviews1600]

@@DomPatek Thank you for the information!

[@erikblaker]

Higga

[@legionomegagaming8026]

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