Higonokami Knives
Higonokami knives are made by Nagao Kanekoma Factory in Miki, Hyogo — the only successor to the Higonokami name, through five generations since 1894.
Each blade is built by warikomi: a sandwich construction that encloses a hard steel core in softer iron, ground to a double-edged V shape so it cuts the same regardless of which hand you use. To open the knife, push the chikiri — the tail — with your thumb. Shipped from our California stock.
Frequently Asked Questions About Higonokami Knives
Who makes Higonokami knives?
Nagao Kanekoma Factory, in Miki, Hyōgo. Higonokami is a trademarked name, and Kanekoma is its only successor — five generations of work since Komataro Nagao began making knives there in 1894.
Why is my Higonokami stiff and hard to open?
Because it was made by hand. Pivot tension varies from knife to knife, and a firm action out of the box is a characteristic of the object rather than a defect.
To free it up: hold the knife with the chikiri — the tail — pointing down, and tap it against a table.
The pivot has gone loose. Can it be tightened?
Yes. The pivot is a rivet called the kashime, and Kanekoma publishes
a method for tightening it: rest the knife on something hard, such as
an anvil, and tap the kashime with a hammer.
How do you open a Higonokami?
Push the chikiri with your thumb and the blade swings out. The chikiri is the flat tab extending from the back of the blade, and it is the only control on the knife — no button, nothing to release.
What is warikomi construction?
It is how the blade is built: a hard steel core enclosed in softer iron. The hard steel forms the cutting edge, the softer iron surrounds it.
The edge is then ground to a double-edged V rather than bevelled on one side, so the knife cuts the same whichever hand you hold it in.
