Nagao Kanekoma – Authentic Higonokami Folding Knife (Blue Steel Warikomi)

Nagao Kanekoma is a name that carries immense weight in the history of Japanese blade-making. Based in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, the birthplace of traditional Japanese iron-forging, the brand is the last and only legitimate maker of the world-famous Higonokami knife. The origins of this knife stretch back to the Meiji era, when local blacksmiths began shifting from making agricultural tools such as sickles to forging blades for everyday use. Among them was Komataro Nagao, who, alongside Murakami-san, was one of the first to create knives using these forging techniques.

The real breakthrough came in 1897, when a trader named Tasaburo Shigematsu returned from Kagoshima with a unique folding knife. This knife had a lever-like “tail” that made it easy to open, and, unlike the traditional single-bevel blades of the time, it featured a double-bevel edge. Inspired by this design, Nagao and other blacksmiths in Miki began to reproduce and refine it. Soon, this folding knife was marketed under the name Higonokami, and it quickly became a nationwide phenomenon. Its popularity was such that even Emperor Taisho was known to own one.

By 1902, the knife’s fame had grown so rapidly that the Higonokami Knife Association was formed. At its peak, the association boasted more than 40 member companies and over 200 craftsmen, all dedicated to producing these practical and affordable folding knives. The Higonokami became a part of daily Japanese life, carried by students, craftsmen, and even aristocrats.

However, the golden age of the Higonokami was eventually challenged. The rise of cheap imitations, coupled with technological advances such as imported knives and electric sharpeners, gradually eroded its market dominance. By the 1950s, demand had plummeted, forcing most blacksmiths to close their workshops or switch industries. In the end, only one workshop survived: Nagao Kanekoma Seisakusho. To this day, they remain the sole inheritors of the “Higonokami” trademark, preserving this cultural icon through their craftsmanship.

Specifications

• Type: Folding Knife (Higonokami)

• Blade Material: Blue Steel, hand-forged Warikomi construction

• Blade Thickness: ~3.8 mm

• Blade Length Options: 105 mm / 85 mm / 75 mm

• Handle Length Options: 120 mm / 100 mm / 90 mm

• Handle (Saya): Brass flip cover

• Origin: Handcrafted in Miki City, Hyogo, Japan