HIGONOKAMI - A Brief History

 
The knife first appeared in 1896 as a result of blade smiths struggling with the lowering demand for swords with the decline of the samurai under the reforms made by Emperor Meiji in the late 19th century.
The name "Higonokami" was trademarked by a Miki guild, and today only the maker KaneKoma (Nagao) is legally allowed to use that name. Musashi is another brand that goes back to the guild days. Today a number of Japanese knifemakers make traditional styled Higonokami, or modernized versions of the unique blade.
Higonokami pocket knives proved very successful and were popular in Japan. The popularity of the blades dwindled after the tightening of knife legislation in Japan in 1961.
Today, the Higonokami is praised by knife aficionados and has cemented itself as one of the most iconic and stylish traditional pocket knives.