Higonokami Folding Knife – Blue Paper Steel 100mm

This seems to be a genuine aogami higonokami. The stamp on the blade says as much. I expected the blade to be SK steel, but it really is blue paper. Fit and finish are pretty good. It's not meant to be perfect, as the final touches are for the owner to do. But the rivet is properly tight, the blade is good, and the handle has been deburred. Mine is serviceably sharp out of the box but I am going to dress it and get it scary sharp. I'm very pleased. This will be a neat little light duty blade for opening boxes and sharpening pencils. --- Update: I spent a couple hours dressing the blade - I ground the primary bevel to a 1200 grit, and put a microbevel on it. First of all, the steel this knife is made of, the aogami steel on the edge, is indeed very hard. Wow. But once I got the blade how I wanted it and took a few finishing passes for the microbevel, this knife is scary sharp. The blade shape is really easy to sharpen too. My knife is already starting to take a pleasing patina on the handle. The rivet had worked itself a little too free for my liking in the first few days I spent fidgeting with it, so I tapped it tighter with a hammer. Easy adjustment to make, and the rivet is substantial enough that you'll need to tap it pretty firmly to make it tighter. I bought a leather fountain pen case and trimmed it to fit, so now I have a sheath too. Pretty neat little tool. Probably one of the best knives you can get for the money.

Easy 5 stars. I’ll be honest—I was a bit skeptical. All the talk about this being made by the last descendant of a knife-making family sounded a little too good to be true. I figured it might just be clever marketing. But once the knife arrived, I was genuinely surprised. The steel is absolutely beautiful, and you can clearly see the craftsmanship in the three-layer construction—softer steel on the outside with that gorgeous blue Aogami core running through the middle. As it tapers down to the edge, the blue core is about 1cm exposed on one side and about 1.5cm on the other, it looks like a hamon. It's not perfectly even, but that just adds to the handmade feel—and honestly, it came razor sharp, so no complaints. I was torn between this and the Higo no Kami Model 10, which has way more reviews, but I’m really glad I chose this one. It’s such a perfect general-purpose knife—but honestly, it’s so nice I’ll probably never use it just to keep it in this condition. That said, I’m definitely going to pick up the Model 10 now too, just to compare them side by side. They're so inexpensive, which makes collecting these easy. I need one to use so I can just keep this one for pristine. I’ve always had a love for Japanese culture and for knives, and this one absolutely delivered.

Wonderful, slim knife with a blade that's great for slicing. I use it to cut cigars and it shaves the cap off with ease. The pivot was a little stiff, but it loosened up with a couple drops of 3-In-1 Oil. The steel is incredibly hard. Sharpening it takes a bit of time, I recommend using a diamond stone for the coarse grits and finishing off with fine ceramic stones. Just be patient, Blue Paper Steel is really hard and resists abrasion, so get comfortable and settle in for a long sharpening session... but once it's sharp, it stays sharp. I'd recommend a 17-20 degree angle for best results. I haven't noticed any rust, but I keep my blades clean and lightly oiled with mineral oil so your results may vary. The brass handle is gentle on the hands, but scratches easily. Do NOT carry in the same pocket as your car keys.

This is a true classic knife that belongs on everyone's EDC list. Small, light weight, inexpensive, and VERY sharp I find myself wanting to carry this more than many other knives I own that are many times the price. The beauty of this knife is in it's simplicity. There are no springs, no locks, no fancy mechanisms - just a sharp piece of steel and a brass handle that it tucks into. Once open, the opening handle acts as a lock to keep the blade open while in use. The sharp blade lasts through much use and sharpens well. The fine edge will not tolerate abuse, but basic household tasks like cutting paper, opening boxes, cutting fruit, trimming thread, etc is where this excels. Cutting cardboard is also easy, but it will dull the edge faster. But, to be honest, cutting cardboard on ANY knife will dull the edge pretty dang fast. Overall this is a fantastic knife that requires minimal maintenance and should outlast me, my kids, and their kids if treated with respect.

I like the steel used in the blade! Pretty sharp out of the box, and it holds an edge well! Not very rust resistant, should plan on drying after every use and oiling regularly.

To start, I recognize that this knife will not appeal to everybody. Within the $30-35 price point, you can find a myriad of options that offer more modern and practical EDC features like a pocket clip, locking blade, ergonomic grips, a thumb screw, or spring assisted opening. This is not one of those knives. On the contrary, it strips away all of those "nice to have" features and you're left with a simple and utilitarian blade. And that's the beauty of it. Nothing flashy, no fancy polishing...simple function over form. First impressions are that construction is sound, craftsmanship is good. Tight opening, but after initial oiling and some exercising it has smoothed out noticeably and I anticipate that it will continue to improve with some use. Out of the box, sharpness is okay, and probably adequate for most. The blade edge shows only very slight curvature, which should make sharpening very intuitive, especially if you're less experienced. I can't comment on the steel as of yet, but my experience with Japanese steels is overwhelmingly positive from a quality perspective. Can't wait to put it to task!