Higonokami - Steel 18

This is my first purchase and also first Higo knife. I love it because of the simple nature of its design, but also the blade shape and material. Worth every penny.

First thing’s first; hats off to Heinnie’s, I’ve ordered from them a couple times now and they have both been a pleasure. This knife is a pretty quirky little item but it has an undeniable charm from its elegantly simple design. I can imagine a master blacksmith and a couple assistants throwing a couple dozen of these together an hour (it’s actually more like 50 which is why they’re so cheap.) But its understated practicality can’t be emphasised enough; it’s durable, it holds a good edge, and is surprisingly adept at whittling. There are some quality control issues that you can expect for something as cheap as these - but these issues didn’t bother me in the slightest compared with the rest of the knife. With my steel model I had to close the sides a touch either side of the blade using a pair of pliers, and the blade has a slight jiggle. The Damascus model has perfectly straight sides and a rock solid blade, but unfortunately came with the tiniest of chips in the blade. I was going to return and exchange it but Heinnie’s sold out in a couple days so I’d rather just keep it. Both, however, I’ve cut a small strip of cork and placed inside against the spine of the case so the blade isn’t slapping against the inside of the case every time I close it. One thing I particularly love are the inscriptions: without writing a book on it they are the official maker’s marks of Mitsuo Nagao, the 5th generation descendent of the founder of the Nagao Kanekoma Knife factory - the only factory legally allowed to use the name Higonokami on their knives. These are a direct link to the samurai of the late 1800’s and I think the history behind them is incredible. In any case, if the unorthodox tanto-shaped blade is something that piques your interest, I’d say to just go ahead and pull the trigger. Chances are you’ll be very happy with your purchase.

Absolutely brilliant pocket knife. Sharp af and I haven't even sharpened it yet. Very well made, easy to open. And arrived the next day. 10/10

The whole thing just feels extremely poorly made. Did I just get a bad one? Mine has a rough top side to the blade, to the point it almost catches your skin if you run your finger along it. Then the blade itself is blunt and doesn't seem to hold its sharpness *at all*. I've had it a few days and have had to sharpen it 3 times already - and believe me its only had basic use. Compare that to something like my Rough Rider EDC, which has held a seriously sharp blade for months now, and there's no comparison. A real shame as I actually love the basic design and simplicity here. Sadly it feels less like a professionally-made knife and more like a teenagers school project.

Carried it in my back pocket for a day and it's more of a frictionless folder now, but that's my own dumb fault. Great little whittler, just treat her nice.

very quick delivery , the knife is basic which i like and holds a extremely sharp edge for a very long time

There are no frills or fancies with this. A simple construction, for light jobs perfectly functional and given the unusual looks a bit different from the norm. Yes there may be imperfectons in the construction but anyone who knows about the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi will understand. BTW first time buyer from Heinnie Haynes, excellent customer service and fast delivery. All that leaves me to say is Cymru Am Byth!

Never has the saying "you get what you pay for" applied to a knife better than this one. What a cheap, blunt , piece of work. Have tried to sharpen it but its still nothing compared to something like the, also cheap as chips, Uk legal Lanskys for example. Already relegated to the kitchen junk drawer rather than being added to my legal carry rotation. HH service first class as usual.

Not the best Higonakami I own, but cheap, and gives you a feel for the interesting pattern.