Fake higonokami?

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Welcome!

I’m not an expert on this, but I don’t see a maker’s mark on the blade of yours, and the tab looks suspiciously like pot metal.

From the Wikipedia article:
“The name "Higonokami" was trademarked by a Miki guild, and today only the maker KaneKoma (Nagao) is legally allowed to use that name. Other makers routinely use "Higo" or "higonokami style". Musashi is another brand that goes back to the guild days. Today a number of Japanese knifemakers make traditional styled Higonokami, or modernized versions thereof.”

My Nagao Higonokami looks like this:


Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
 
I used to buy them a decade ago and some came in a box and some in thick plastic/nylon bags with paper labels- It is sort of a generic / general model these days. There are a few people making them, as pointed out previously though some are more desirable than others.
Is it actually made in Japan? The "proper" ones used to come in a box.
 
calm said:
I used to buy them a decade ago and some came in a box and some in thick plastic/nylon bags with paper labels- It is sort of a generic / general model these days. There are a few people making them, as pointed out previously though some are more desirable than others.
Is it actually made in Japan? The "proper" ones used to come in a box.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I think it must have been made in Japan. https://www.lamnia.com/en/p/26120/knives/higonokami-no-4-silver-folder-folding-knife
 
Just Tom. said:
Welcome!

I’m not an expert on this, but I don’t see a maker’s mark on the blade of yours, and the tab looks suspiciously like pot metal.

From the Wikipedia article:
“The name "Higonokami" was trademarked by a Miki guild, and today only the maker KaneKoma (Nagao) is legally allowed to use that name. Other makers routinely use "Higo" or "higonokami style". Musashi is another brand that goes back to the guild days. Today a number of Japanese knifemakers make traditional styled Higonokami, or modernized versions thereof.”

My Nagao Higonokami looks like this:


Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
I guess it is not an original Nagao Higonokami but just a "Higonokami" style blade then. Made by another manufacturer.
 
Can't necessarily go by blade markings on these knives. On my friction folders by OHTA, there are no blade markings. Instead, he marks his (at least the ones I have) on the handle near the thong hole - clearly seen in this picture.

Mark side
1650556630894.png
Pile side
1650556852420.png
 
Late to the party, but...

I have 4 higos, one of which I ordered direct from the maker years ago. That one has a blued/black handle, no mark on the blade and came in a heavy vinyl sleeve with a paper label. The only one with a mark on the blade has a gold-colored handle and a san mai blade. It also is finished much better than the other 3. The OP's looks just like my silver one, right down to the rough forge finish on the tab.
 
Modoc ED said:
Can't necessarily go by blade markings on these knives. On my friction folders by OHTA, there are no blade markings. Instead, he marks his (at least the ones I have) on the handle near the thong hole - clearly seen in this picture.

Mark side
View attachment 1798260
Pile side
View attachment 1798264
Click to expand...
Not clearly seen. Very hard to make out in your photo, and just as hard to see on my own knife. In fact, I couldn’t see yours until I got mine out and looked at it under a bright light. A.L.’s apparent befuddlement is justified.
 
That Ohta is made by Hiroaki Ohta. He can put any markings there he likes. The old brass higos are made by different makers. It’s like saying ”your american Case lockback is definitely fake see, mine says Buck”.
 
It is kind of a misconception that only the real Higonokami comes in box. They are cheap knives, roughly made, meant to peasant and not a show piece. The plain carbon edge, plain hand, version almost always come in vinyl sleeve while the better edge steel like Blue and White usually come in box.

It is like how Buck knives come in cardboard box or in plastic package.
 
I've had four Higos through the post about five - six years ago from different vendors all came in clear plastic bags. Of course that doesn't mean they shouldn't have been in boxes, I'm just saying.
Brass handle laminated, black & two silver handles, all are real, they are so cheap it didn't enter my head that they should have been boxed.
 
calm said:
I used to buy them a decade ago and some came in a box and some in thick plastic/nylon bags with paper labels- It is sort of a generic / general model these days. There are a few people making them, as pointed out previously though some are more desirable than others.
Is it actually made in Japan? The "proper" ones used to come in a box.
Click to expand...
Nice!
 
A.L. said:
That Ohta is made by Hiroaki Ohta. He can put any markings there he likes. The old brass higos are made by different makers. It’s like saying ”your american Case lockback is definitely fake see, mine says Buck”.
Click to expand...
He's almost literally saying, "all Asians look the same." Thank you for noticing this because I felt like I was the only one who cared.
If a person visits the nagoa kanekoma website, you'll find that most every knife they produce has one thing in common; the handles are not made of wood. So as soon as I saw this dude post an image of a knife with a wooden handle I knew it was not made by the same company.
I hate racism.
 
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