Kiridashi and higonokami are two small Japanese knives that answer different needs. A kiridashi is a small workshop knife with a single bevel, used like a hand tool for cutting, marking and carving. A higonokami is a folding knife that opens with thumb pressure on a small tail and has no lock.
Kiridashi
A kiridashi is a small Japanese knife with a single-bevel blade. The blade is broad, the edge line is angled, and the tip comes to a point. The cutting edge is steel joined to a softer body.
A single-bevel blade is ground on one face only, so it cuts differently in each hand. That is why kiridashi are made in right-handed and left-handed versions.
People use a kiridashi for woodwork, marking lines, carving, paring, sharpening pencils, cutting paper, and working leather and bamboo. In Japan today the main users are carpenters, gardeners and specialist craftspeople.
Kiridashi blades commonly come in widths from about 12 to 24 mm, and the right width depends on the job. A narrow blade suits marking lines and fine work, where you want the tip to do the steering. A wider blade is easier to grip and better for heavier shaping.
Our kiridashi are made by Masuda Kiridashi Factory in Sanjo, Niigata, a family workshop that the third generation, Masuda Yoshihide, joined in 2017. Masuda makes kiridashi in right-handed and left-handed versions. See them here: Masuda White 2 Kurouchi Kiridashi 24mm and Masuda White 2 Kurouchi Tsuchime Kiridashi 24mm.
Care is simple. Masuda's blades are soft iron and steel, not stainless, and will rust gradually if they are left wet, so wipe the blade dry after each use, coat it with a thin film of oil, and store it so the edge does not knock against other metal tools.
Higonokami
A higonokami is a folding knife whose blade turns on a riveted pivot. You open it by pressing the chikiri, the tail of the blade that sticks out of the handle, with your thumb. There is no lock: friction at the pivot holds the blade, which is why the higonokami is described in English as a friction folder.
Higonokami have been made in Hirata, now part of Miki City in Hyogo Prefecture, since the Meiji 20s (1887 to 1896). The maker says the design dates from about 1894. The name was registered as a trademark in 1910 and was then usable only by members of the association. At the peak there were 40 registered makers and about 200 workers, and today only Nagao Kanekoma may use the name.
Blades come in several steels: SK steel, blue paper steel (aogami), white paper steel (shirogami), multi-layer blue paper steel, and VG10. Some higonokami use a warikomi blade, where hard steel is sandwiched between soft iron, also called a sanmai or three-layer construction; an all-steel blade is not warikomi.
The rivet is the part to watch. It loosens with use, and the fix is to tap it lightly on an anvil-like surface to tighten it. A stiff knife usually opens if you tap the tail on a table. Carbon steel blades need the same routine as any carbon knife: wipe dry, oil before storage.
Our higonokami are made by Nagao Kanekoma in Miki. Those in blue paper steel are listed in two sizes: Higonokami Aogami Folding Knife, Medium and Higonokami Aogami Folding Knife, Small.
Questions and answers
What should I know before I buy my first kiridashi?
Pick the blade width by the work you plan to do, 12 to 24 mm. Decide whether you need the left-handed version, since single-bevel knives are handed. Care is a wipe and an oiling rather than much else.
Which width should I choose?
Narrow blades, around 12 mm, suit marking lines and fine work. Wider blades, up to 24 mm, suit heavier shaping because they are easier to grip and guide.
Is a kiridashi really different from a utility knife or a marking knife?
It is a specific traditional design rather than a general cutter: small, single bevel, broad blade, angled edge, pointed tip, with steel joined to a softer body. People use it for woodwork, marking lines, carving, paring, pencils, paper, leather and bamboo, and today its main users are carpenters, gardeners and specialist craftspeople.
Do they make kiridashi for left hands?
Yes. Single-bevel kiridashi exist in right-handed and left-handed versions. Masuda, who makes our kiridashi, makes both.
Can a higonokami work as an everyday carry knife?
It can ride in a pocket, but it is not a modern folder. It has no lock, only pivot friction holding the blade open, and the rivet loosens with use, so check it now and then and tap it snug on an anvil-like surface. If the blade is carbon steel, keep it dry and oiled.