Higo Hoseki Damast Folding Knife 18

This is the most precise traditional higonokami I have received and I own a few , grind lines are spot on and even the chikiri (lever) is nicely finished. It arrived with a zero grind with no micro bevel and was sharp enough to use but not shaving sharp, a little time on my fine water stones and a strop and it's hair popping sharp. The blade is the usual san mai construction with the damask supporting japanese cobolt steel which is extremely hard and holds a lasting edge it will chip if you are stupid whith it so dont try smacking it through hard material use it as a pocket knife. The price is unbelievable this is a hand forged damascus knife made by a Japanese master smith we usually have to pay 400 quid for something of this quality made in the states. To top it off it's UK legal so get your orders in while Heinnie can still get them.

Sounds as if I will have to give this one a pass. I don't have the skill or the tools to make this knife as sharp as I would like by your account. Pity. I have many knives in my collection and it is always utmost in my decision to purchase a new knife if previous buyers give it a good or bad out of the box sharpness rating. This shouldn't be the case as in my opinion ALL knives should come very sharp. Nobody goes out of their way to buy a knife that is blunt and only suitable for spreading butter. I already own a good butter knife, years old, and I don't need any more than one. I suppose that at the end of the day it all boils down to money. You only get what you pay for. My last two knife purchases from HH were £115 and £95 and both knives are razor sharp.

They don't usually arrive very sharp ,although the one in the photo looks pretty well sharpened. You will need a set of japanese water stones to properly sharpen one they should be zero ground with a slight convex. Ceramic or diamond stones will cause micro chipping on the edge any of the sharpening systems will not work well on it .Mine are the sharpest things in my collection once sharpened properly they only need regular stropping. If you are not sure I would recommend phoning Heinnie and talking to Nick or Richard they are great guy's and will give you honest advice , finally I would highly recomend one they are a gift at this price.

Any buyers of this knife have any reviews for me. Quite fancy adding one to my collection, but bought a knife of this style once before and it was so blunt. Spent quite a bit of time attempting to put an edge on it without success. Decent knife sharpening is a skill, one which I don't have. I have to buy my knives sharp straight out the box from the manufacturer. As it should be..