The higonokami knife…A Knife I didn’t Understand Till Now.

Hello my name is Mark Coffman, I am a watchmaker located in Texas and I have a passion for pocket knives, wristwatches, and every day carry items.
My goal in my KZbin channel is to show my audience interesting items, and make interesting videos that shed some light on what can be the best EDC items you can add to your every day carry.
I also on occasion will restore pocket knives and multi tools, and in many cases I do make videos on these restorations!
If you ever would like any watch repair work done or would like to discuss anything that I’ve shown on the channel in this video send me an email!
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[@simplytao]

I own the brass model. I am really impressed at how much cutting it can do. I cut quite a bit of cardboard at work and that knife just goes through it very easy.

[@stanletwyn4263]

Get a Duk Duk knife

[@aldizzert1342]

I own a higonokame, the standard "mid" size model with the traditional brass scale(s?). I have been using this one for three years now, and it is definitely my EDC work knife. It is NOT my EDC pocket knife, it is not appropriate for that. I am a fishmonger. I wear an apron with a breast pocket especially suited to carrying the Higo tip-down, pivot-up. When the Higo is properly broken-in, that is, loose and rattly; when the "friction" aspect is completely forgotten; it works properly. When I pull my frictionless Higo from my breast pocket, that simple action opens it. I cut what needs cutting, and the simple action of returning the Higo to my pocket also closes it. It is a beautiful tool. As for its sharpness, out of the box it has "wicked sharpness", that is, very sharp from a rough grind. The primary grind is very nearly flat, but not quite. Use Shapton 120, a very forgiving stone, to make it flat. Use Shapton 320, my favorite working stone, to create your edge. Use Shapton 5000, the most underrated stone, to polish. After you spend five minutes polishing on the 5000, if you find the right vibe, you will have a blade that will shave. The high hardness of Aogami steel prefers flat grind, Scandi grind, my Higo has evolved a very convex grind. Hollow grind is not suitable.

[@beeg_rosetta]

Fellow fishmonger, just ordered one

[@bellakaldera3305]

I got the brass one yesterday, paid 8 bucks, tight, but razor sharp already. I like it. I probably won't use it for daily carry, but I'll keep it handy in the workshop, it's an excellent blade, there was a French "Douk Douk" knife there for the same price, but I chose the Higonokami. It's cool to have knives with temper lines. I make knives and I thought I'd try making my own variation on this historic blade type.

[@erikramaekers63]

Ohta knives are beautiful friction folders made by one guy Mr Ohta.They have the Higonokami design but Ohta uses beautiful wood and D2 steel.Prices range from 50 to 100 euros.

[@knifedelights7473]

Very nice! They are easy to make. Limited machinery, parts, etc. Thanks for sharing Mark.

[@swizzarmygrizz]

Reminds me of the German Mercator/Cat knives. Simple designs are timeless.

[@VianouxLimad]

Also the French Douk-Douk 😉

[@John..18]

I've just got the brass /blue paper version with a 2inch blade,.. I think it's absolutely fantastic, but it frightens me opening and closing it, 😱,, I'm gonna carry it all the time, and hopefully I'll get used to it, or I'll be making a trip to the hospital for a few stitches,, 😂

[@chrislidle]

I have the vg10 model and that knifes edge retention is unbelievable and it’s really easy to sharpen with my whetstone

[@tsifj]

The title is irrelevant to the content of the video.

[@nim6us]

Indeed, I kept waiting for him to talk about what he didn't understand but now does... never happened.

[@spankmygimp]

Ty I'm out saved me 5 mins haha ty

[@juntsmoka]

Great background music. i love synthwave, that's a great song.

[@markcoffman494]

Thank you!

[@mephistopheles7377]

I've got a tiny brass one and it got really loose on me so I switched to the douk douk for my EDC.

[@IllusiveSwampMoose]

I've been carrying my 2.6 inch almost every day for the last 3 years, I originally picked it up as it was super cheap and looked kinda interesting, then found myself grabbing it more and more until it just became my default. Super slim so it fits in leggings without looking weird, it's easy to open one handed but is nonthreatening so you can toss it to a coworker without worrying about them being surprised by an assist spring, you never are afraid to loose it or damage it because it costs less than 10 bucks (which naturally means you'll have it forever), and it holds a shaving sharp edge really well. Bonus feature is after 3 years they get some absolutely wild patina to them and if the rivet starts to loosen up, you can just tap it with a hammer a couple times and its like the day you got it.

[@armadagunshow]

Have one for a week, absolutely love it

[@torockiusz8836]

You can harden brass by heating it

[@everythingmanly2771]

I love the background song that is Home-Resonance

[@markcoffman494]

Yes sir!

[@harrybuck698]

Hi Mark, thanks for the video! I loooove the look you have on your patina’d one - do you have any information on the exact knife it is? Which handle? And how long did you leave it in the cup of (presumably) white vinegar? I’m really keen on these knives and am chomping at the bit to order a pair for me and a friend but actually getting details about the range of blade steel, handle material and how they comparatively take patina, be it natural or forced.

[@markcoffman494]

I believe I bought the HIGO08BL , that’s the model number. It’s blade is I believe 3.5in long. I placed it in apple cider vinegar. For about 1 hour. Keep in mind if you do this the handle and the blade are prone to rusting. The handle on mine rusts all the time and I am thinking of getting bluing solution for steel ton prevent the rust from coming back in the handle. Good luck! Hope you enjoy it!

[@tonyyarbray]

I was gifted a brass one which i like an interesting little knife but I still carry my little Opinel in my pocket every day but my higonokami is waiting in the back pack

[@ryansumawan1865]

I got a couple of these knives and they're amazing.

[@LastDragonLeroy]

Get the ken-Gata style I just got one and it’s sharper than the other blue steel ones I have

[@darkninjacorporation]

How long did you leave the knife in the vinegar? I love the vintage look too and I’d like to replicate it!

[@markcoffman494]

@@darkninjacorporation about an hour. No longer than that.

[@darkninjacorporation]

@@markcoffman494 working on it now. It came off quick! I also just gave myself the knife’s inaugural cut on my fingertip while closing it. Whoops!

[@lordofthestings]

I just received the brass model from Amazon. The blade is nice and appears to be heavy steel. The brass seems pretty strong but it could bend. The knife is very tight and hard to open. It was $25. There is no model number for this knife it's just the 120mm brass frame with the blue paper steel blade. The blade is 100mm (4") and it's 3mm thick. This knife is really impractical compared to todays knife designs and I only bought it for my collection. It's an old, simple design that was probably cheap to make and sell. I Will probably never use it.

[@markcoffman494]

So sorry to hear that. I’ll take it if you don’t want it.

[@hawleyfromhell]

It's very practical actually 😅 Unless you are looking for some tactical thing.

[@Tardisius]

U missed the Cutout of Mt Fuji in the handle of the #7....=)

[@FreedomFrog333]

Interesting knives.

[@y3ejk101]

I have higonokami too. But it said higono-ousama? It means the king but I guess it because I bought the small one

[@houghwhite411]

I saw somewhere that Higonokami is a trademark. Someone else making similar style blade could call it "higo" or something else than higonokami

[@shinnkage]

Higonokami was my EDC knife when I was kid. Crazy right?

[@harrybuck698]

Hi Mark, great video! Planning to patina my brass handled higonokami using yours as inspiration. Could you give a little more detail on what you did in the handle area? I love the spotting around the line, as well as the line itself. There also seems to be a nice uneven pattern to it which I really appreciate over the usual vinegar uniformity. I know you mentioned you put some on the handle too in the first stage, did you paper towel it or splash it on or something? Any idea what caused that nice spotty edge on the line? I imagine the second dunk was to the line level. Thanks again for your video, I love these knives and this vid was a big part of getting into them! Sorry for all the questions x

[@markcoffman494]

Thank you so much for watching and subscribing, I primarily only used apple cider vinegar, and I placed the knife directly in the vinegar. As for the brass handle that is primarily all from use. If you want to patina the brass further, though, I have heard that you can use boiled eggs and the yolks as an aging agent. I wish you luck! If you want to send me an email with the photos of the process and how it comes out, I’d love to see.

[@harrybuck698]

@@markcoffman494 Thanks for your reply! So you didn’t splash the handle or use any salt or anything? Did you use a lid when it was in the vinegar? I’m really curious about the spotty edge to the line. Will send some pics when it’s all done!

[@harrybuck698]

@@markcoffman494 Oh, and was it clean/sanded before?

[@RobertSmith-us7gs]

Good knives that perform better than most

[@鷹の爪団員Tだぜ]

JAPAN播磨国、MIKI CITY特産、HITACHI金属安来鋼、青紙割り込み、定駒製作所謹製肥後の守knife。 子供も使用した安価な万能工作作業knife。

[@muhammetozbek529]

ı have one but it got rusty. how should i clean it or keep maintaining

[@markcoffman494]

You can use rust remover or WD-40, or some other compound that removes rust. As for oiling it, and keeping it from rusting, I always use mineral oil. Just put the mineral oil all over the blading in the pivot. And it should keep it clean and prevent it from rusting. You can also put in apple cider vinegar met should put a small coding of patina on top of it.

[@keircampbell9374]

@@markcoffman494 just an additional note in case somebody uses these for food or something. Make sure that you do not use food grade mineral oil on the blade. If you’re going to use that blade to cut food that you’re going to eat food grade mineral oil is a laxative and if you eat the apple that you sliced with food grade mineral oil slathered on the blade you might end up, shitting your pants in your Honda Civic driving down the freeway desperately rushing to get home from your meeting because you didn’t understand what you were doing to yourself. That’s a very specific example for a reason learn from others mistakes, my friends

[@SycFuk2000]

I'm struggling to sharpen it with my whetstones):

[@wallacebonfire]

Is there a link for the little one ? I live in Spain and was wondering how to get it.

[@justobservenow3480]

Where's a good place to order these?

[@markcoffman494]

I have found good luck on eBay and atlanticonife

[@JoseMora-wc5zz]

Amazon.

[@davidspin5353]

2 weeks strait, you dont say? Did Guiness Book of world records verify that?

[@markcoffman494]

@@davidspin5353 my pocket did.

[@fishypaste]

Where did you get the second one?

[@markcoffman494]

Ebay

[@UltraMagaFan]

I found the knife at 3:42 and a leather sheath online for $35. These things are very cheap. I'm totally buying one.

[@Nizzi29]

So what do you understand about it now?

[@markcoffman494]

Don’t worry that’s a video that’s upcoming

[@JOHNFMKN]

Do they make a clip for them?

[@markcoffman494]

Nope…just throw it in your pocket

[@younghex9577]

I'm looking into getting one off of amazon. Where would you recommend getting one?

[@markcoffman494]

I got mine on eBay, they are cheaper there.

[@Bail.e_y]

I just got one and it won’t open am I doing something wrong?

[@markcoffman494]

I don’t know what you’re trying to do first off. How are you trying to open it? You use the tab at the very top to relieve pressure and open it then you open it with the other hand completely.

[@Bail.e_y]

@@markcoffman494 I opened it was just too tight it’s fine now

[@mapletree736]

Do you know a good place to find that one you put in vinegar? I don't want a stainless steel handle, but I can only really find brass or stainless

[@markcoffman494]

eBay is the best place

[@100BearPaw]

What do you mean about understanding? You never touched on that. Click bait?

[@markcoffman494]

If you listen carefully to the video I do cover how I didn’t understand it. Not click bait. You might just need to watch it again.

[@100BearPaw]

@@markcoffman494 well bud, I watched it again and came up with the same conclusion. You do not discuss what you didn’t understand initially, and what you figured out either. You just spoke about how little you have actually used them, and what the differences are. So why don’t you just clarify this for us.

[@markcoffman494]

@@100BearPaw thank you for the reply “Bud”… i’ll clarify for you only. Since you are the one inquiring. I’m sure my subscribers can speak for themselves if they have any questions regarding my videos, and not need to have you speaking for them. I believe for me the issues I had with the knife in the past were that at that time, I was highly involved with modern folders that had significantly more complicated locking systems than this one did. At that time I also did not appreciate the history behind the knife because I did not do the research on it. But now I appreciate and relish in the history that this knife has behind it since I did a little bit of digging on its historical importance. At this time I appreciate very simple knives and how they are greatly appreciated within certain parts of the EDC community. While at the same time I also appreciate how easy this knife is to use, I am able to hand it to almost anybody and they can figure out how they can open it and use it. This knife also holds its own against other knives in usability. I have found myself using it in many other situations than it was originally intended for while at the same time holding up to the abuse I put it through. So in the end I found this knife to be very useful while at the same time being very practical, and having a fortitude to be able to take care of tasks way outside of its size and scale. Hope that was elaborate enough and I hope you can understand that “Bud”…

[@100BearPaw]

@@markcoffman494 Bud “”””” I get that. Did you find the handle to be uncomfortable? Cause I did. I purchased a brass one with the 4” blade a year or more ago. I am a woodcarver so the blade was perfect for it. So I ordered it and put it in my hand. I then put it right back in the container and tossed it into the safe. Have not set eyes on it since. That was a major let down given the rest of it is so great. “”””””

[@markcoffman494]

@@100BearPaw Sad you didn’t like it. Handle is just fine, no issues for me.

[@jaydenrobinson4172]

I have the little one

[@InnerSilence123]

where can I buy an original one??

[@markcoffman494]

The one that I showed is original. From what I know they are still being made in Japan by the original knife maker that was commissioned by the Japan government.

[@kemsn]

Higonokami has been a trademark since 1907 and is protected. Only members of the Knifemaker Clan in Miki City are allowed to manufacture knives under this brand name.

[@markcoffman494]

@@kemsn great info thanks!

[@InnerSilence123]

@@kemsn oh, so Higonokami knives that we see online are all fakes? thats sad :(

[@kemsn]

@@InnerSilence123 If u buy a Higonokami and its pronounced as Higonokami it should be a real one because no other "Brand" is allowed to use this name... Higonokamis are still being produced and other Brands need to change the name like "Higonokami Style Knife" or something else... Buy your Higonokami from a good Source, check if there is no other adding to the name and youre fine

[@MrHoustonmichael]

STAINLESS STEEL RUSTS IN HOUSTON TX

[@markcoffman494]

NO IT DOESNT

[@rstarr14]

At no point did you say anything at all about higonokami - aside from no lock. That's literally the only information in the video. You just showed the ones you have, and telling a story from each one. Laughable. You didn't shed light on why you didn't understand this knife before, but do now. You said nothing at all. Like, the worst KZbin video I've ever seen. Both in terms of content, and being misled by the title.

[@markcoffman494]

You talk some big talk, but can you walk the walk? I would love to see you make a video and cover the history of it. Go ahead make a go of it.

[@rainman9750]

He kinda has a point tho homie

[@ГеоргиГецов]

Неудобни примитивни ножчета. Озадачен съм защо хората ги харесват.

[@markcoffman494]

English?

[@sadamadamfuck]

Hi. Do you also have such a slight axial play as if the pin on which the blade "goes" is a tad too thin or the hole in the blade too large? Greetings.

[@markcoffman494]

No issues at all with this one.

[@sadamadamfuck]

@@markcoffman494 I don't have any problems either, maybe I'm oversensitive, but when I grab the blade and handle at a 45 degree angle and vigorously try to move I can feel minimal play, but in the end it's handmade and not CNC ;)