Higo no Kami 10 Pocket Knife by Nagao Seisakusho, Brass Finish

The write up said "Japanese blue paper steel" I doubted that, but it sure seems so. Real Japanese craftsmanship, "cheaply" made? Not by my standards. It's made with no emphasis at all on flash, all your money is in the steel and pure function. It's a heavy, well shaped blade of 3 layer steel in a simple but sharp looking brass cover, a simple (but incredibly easy to use) tang on the back of the blade allows easy opening. The blade itself was impeccably shaped, but had fine grinding marks on the surface and some small burrs on the "as forged" tip. I took an hour or so and polished out the blade flats with a Cerax 1000 grit waterstone, and finished with a Chosera 3000 to polish. After that onto Roo leather with green emery. The result is a mirror polish where you can clearly see yourself, and see the different color steels in the blade. The blade easily push cuts thru magazine paper. It holds it's edge very well, even after cutting a couple dozen cardboard boxes into strips. (finally cleaned up my recycle pile and actually enjoyed it) After a little stropping and it edge came right back to magazine slicing sharp, although it was still more than sharp enough for any real work just as it was. Blade tension as it arrived is perfect, I do not know if I was lucky, or if they fuss over that, but it's as tight as you would want it for easy opening. In use, there is no feeling it's going to close on you or do anything unexpected. With time it may loosen up, but a couple of taps on the rivet will fix that. I don't see the lack of a lock as any disadvantage. This is a great piece, I recommend it highly, despite the price. (there are cheaper ones on Amazon, but read the fine print and reviews, they ARE NOT the same, and are often Chinese copies) You most certainly DO get your money's worth IF you are the sort of person that appreciates what this knife is, and enjoy caring for your blades. If you want a effort free cutter with a locking blade, get a good folding carpenters knife and a pack of the carbide coated blades (they're incredible), but if you want something a little different to make work a little more enjoyable, this is it. You'll be happy when you need to pull it out. Once finished out, a little oil and a little stropping once and a while is all that's needed to keep this knife in tip-top shape. Unless you hit a nail or something, it won't need regular stoning. It works well for carving too if you enjoy that sort of thing. It's every bit as good as a Mora 106 with so much more style.... OK, the handle isn't as comfortable for long term carving, but it's good enough for a quick project by the fire. If you DO want to use it for a carving project, a little tape would make the handle more ergo. These are a unique piece, that I'm glad I ran across. I plan on getting a couple for my sons while they are still available.

In my opinion this is a must have for any knife collector, or anyone who appreciates the history of the knife itself, handmade Japanese craftmanship and blade steel. Is it EDC'able? Maybe. Modern folders will take hard use better but this just has a "cool" factor and will bring you joy having it. For me it's my gardening knife, but it does slice like a demon when sharpened right and I can see this easily being used for fishing, light wood work, light edc around the house, etc. The break down: Pros: +Piece of Japanese tradition and culture, knife history, and art +Can get SCARY sharp relatively easily +One handed opening and closing using the special extended tang "tab" +Friction folder but can "lock" it by placing thumb on the extended tang tab while using it +Super thin and lightweight at only 49 grams, disappears in your pocket. Cons: -As is well known and should be expected, it doesn't come finished, have to finish/sharpen/polish it yourself. Sharpening took me 10 minutes on a stone. -"Thumb lock" makes it that the knife has no lock at all with a full fist grip (you CAN move your fist up towards the blade and have the tab just under your fist but that places your hand way too close to the edge for serious work, in my opinion) -Handle is thin metal and so not comfortable for extended hard use So no, this won't be your everyday beater at the construction site, but that's not what its meant for. Get yourself a $30 Ontario Rat 1, Kershaw, etc. in that price range if that's what you're looking for. This is a keepsake.

If you are looking for a fast action, corrosion resistant single hand opening lock back blade for survival or self defense, then the Higo no Kami will be sure to disappoint you in every way. It's none of those things. It never was intended to be. What it is, is an old Japanese workman's knife. Hand made. By an old dude with a hammer and anvil. Literally. Some old guy in Japan used a forge, heated some steel, and then banged out this knife on his anvil. It is carbon steel, not stainless, so it will rust if not properly taken care of. Ok, it's an old Japanese technology blade- when these were made it was not even in question that men knew how to properly take care of a knife. If you abuse it, it will rust. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. It's a friction folder, meaning there is no locking mechanism other than the friction of the blade in the handle. There is a thumb tab for extra security. But truth be told, I've used this knife fairly regularly over the last 2 months and the fact that there is no lock doesn't seem to be a problem at all- but then again I'm not trying to batten wood or build a log cabin with it. Like any tool, it should be used within the limits of it's design. The blade is three layers, the center is hard steel, the outsides are soft- and yes, you can see a hamon line. The non-cutting parts of the knife are rough, in the Japanese tradition of knife making. If the owner wished for a better finish, then they would do that themselves or take it to a knife polishing specialist. That part is up to you. The important part, the edge, is finished out of the box. Now, with all of that said, it is a very fine blade. Razor sharp and very tough. It's designed to be used for slicing, not stabbing. I ended up carrying this for EDC in my wallet. It seems to fit very nicely right where the wallet folds. It rides very nicely and unnoticeable- I forget I have it, but since it's in my wallet, I always have a blade with me even if I forget my normal EDC. Bottom line, don't buy a $20 old tech Japanese blade when what you really wanted was a $200 Fallkniven- and certainly don't expect it to perform like one. But do buy the Higo no Kami if you want a really groovy old school vibe knife. For the price, it's worth every penny.