![]() The simplicity of these blades is truly what makes them remarkable. Nothing too fancy, but it gets the job done! The methods for manufacturing these Higo knives has gone essentially unchanged since the year 1894 - they completely embody the ideology of “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”! The blades themselves are forged, left with a rough forged finish, and are made using a simple variety of SK Carbon steel. The friction in the swivel and the force of the user’s thumb gripping the “chikiri” (the tab at the top of the blade) keep the blade in place during use. To further simplify the design, there is no locking system. The handle is made out of a single sheet of steel folded in half to create some rudimentary “scales”. These little blades are hand-made in Japan by 5th generation blacksmith Mitsuo Nagao-san with steel from the Yasugi district. The Higo-No-Kami (or, simply, Higo) knife is handy, affordable, high-quality, cool to look at, and easy to use. Dundee’s signature belt knife still holds a special place in my heart, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that frightening off street-thugs with a pocket sword doesn’t come up much in my day-to-day routine. Nowadays, my affection for well made tools as fashionable accessories is still a thing, but my tastes have changed. I can only assume he is as hilarious and charming as I remember. Whether or not this film, or Paul Hogan’s titular character, has aged well is something I cannot speak to, as I’ve made a conscious decision to let Crocodile Dundee remain blissfully unaltered in my mind from the last time I saw this movie when I was ten. To the best of my recollection, Crocodile Dundee is the absolute best movie ever made by human beings. One of my personal heroes and life coaches at the time was none other than the incomparable Crocodile Dundee. Other knifemakers of traditional style or modernized versions of Higonokami must refer to their products as "Higo" or "Higonokami-style".Ever since I was a little kid, I always liked the idea of carrying a pocket knife. However, only one fifth-generation manufacturer KaneKoma (from its Nagao Kanekoma Factory in Miki) is legally allowed to call its knives exclusively "Higonokami". The name "Higonokami" is now trademarked by the Miki Custom Knife Guild in Miki City near Osaka, and it decides which brands can be associated with the name. But sales went into decline after harsher knife legislation was enacted in Japan in 1961 following the fatal stabbing of Japanese politician Inejirō Asanuma a year earlier. The pocketknives became very successful and popular in Japan. With the abolition of the samurai class, the decline in demand for swords required diversification into tools and knives. The knife first appeared in 1896 as a result of smiths and metal workers struggling in post- samurai Japan following the major reform of the country made by Emperor Meiji in the late 19th century. Kami can be spelled in numerous ways depending on the government agency in the case of the Kokushi (国司, "Governor's Office"), the kanji is 守 which literally means "protector". The shitōkan enforced the historical law system known as Ritsuryō. Within the Taihō Code, Kami (長官) was the highest of four titles of shitōkan (四等官) in the "four-ranked officials" system, the others being suke (次官), jō (判官) and sakan (主典). This was the most senior administrative position or Kokushi who governed Higo (肥後国), an old province on the island of Kyūshū, which is now in present-day Kumamoto Prefecture. The kanji used to spell Higonokami (肥後守) in Japanese means the "Governor of Higo". A distinguishing feature is that the blade has a flat grind without a secondary bevel. The handle is stamped with the name of the maker of the knife and the steel used in the blade. The handle of the Higonokami is made of a folded over sheet of metal. ![]() The knife has no locking system, but is a friction folder or " penny knife", using the friction of the swivel or the pressure of the user's thumb on its iconic lever or chikiri, to prevent the knife from folding during use. A higonokami ( 肥後守) is a type of folding pocket knife originating in Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan in 1896.
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