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Higonokami

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese folding knife
Higonokami knives

Ahigonokami (肥後守) is a type of foldingpocket knife originating inMiki,Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan in 1896. The knife has no locking system, but is afriction folder or "penny knife",[1] using the friction of the swivel or the pressure of the user's thumb on its iconic lever orchikiri, to prevent the knife from folding during use. The handle of the Higonokami is made of a folded over sheet of metal. The handle is stamped with the name of the maker of the knife and the steel used in the blade. A distinguishing feature is that the blade has a flat grind without a secondary bevel.

Etymology

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Thekanji used to spell Higonokami (肥後守) in Japanese means the "Governor of Higo". This was the most senior administrative position orKokushi who governedHigo (肥後国), anold province on the island ofKyūshū, which is now in present-dayKumamoto Prefecture. Within theTaihō Code,Kami (長官) was the highest of four titles ofshitōkan (四等官) in the "four-ranked officials" system, the others beingsuke (次官), (判官), andsakan (主典). Theshitōkan enforced the historical law system known asRitsuryō.Kami can be spelled in numerous ways depending on the government agency; in the case of theKokushi (国司, "Governor's Office"), the kanji is 守 which means "protector".

History

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The knife first appeared in 1896 as a result of smiths and metal workers struggling in post-samurai Japan following themajor reform of the country made byEmperor Meiji in the late 19th century. With the abolition of the samurai class, the decline in demand forswords, especially after wearing them in public became illegal in 1876, required diversification into tools and knives. The pocketknives became very successful and popular in Japan. But sales went into decline after harsherknife legislation was enacted in Japan in 1961 following the fatal stabbing of Japanese politicianInejirō Asanuma as well as the attempt on then Prime MinisterNobusuke Kishi a year earlier, both by far-right activists.

The name "Higonokami" is now trademarked by the Miki Custom Knife Guild inMiki City nearOsaka, and it decides which brands can be associated with the name. However, only one fifth-generation manufacturerKaneKoma (from its Nagao Kanekoma Factory in Miki) is legally allowed to call its knives exclusively "Higonokami".[2] Other knifemakers of traditional style or modernized versions of Higonokami must refer to their products as "Higo" or "Higonokami-style".

References

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  1. ^Steve Shackleford (5 January 2010).Blade's Guide to Knives & Their Values. Krause Publications. pp. 289–.ISBN 978-1-4402-0387-9. Retrieved26 June 2012.
  2. ^"The tradition of producing Higonokami has been handed down over 100 years". Nagao Kanekoma Factory Co., Ltd. Retrieved26 September 2022.

External links

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  • The dictionary definition ofhigonokami at Wiktionary
  • Media related toHigonokami at Wikimedia Commons
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