Few Japanese knives have remained as simple and recognisable as the Higonokami. Created in the late 19th century in Miki, Hyogo, this traditional folding knife was once an everyday tool in Japan — used for everything from sharpening pencils and small craft work to the countless little cutting jobs where carrying a full-sized knife simply made no sense. More than a century later, the construction has barely changed, and that simplicity is really the charm.

The blade uses Aogami, or Blue Paper carbon steel, in a traditional warikomi construction, where the hard cutting steel is sandwiched into softer supporting material. It is a very straightforward combination, but also a very effective one: Aogami takes a keen edge, holds it well and remains pleasant to sharpen on normal whetstones. The blade is double bevelled, so there is no left- or right-handed limitation.

There is almost nothing unnecessary in the construction. A single sheet of brass is folded to form the handle, the blade rotates directly around the pivot, and the extended chikiri tang is used to open the knife and held under the thumb during use. There is no spring and no mechanical blade lock. Compared with a modern pocket knife it can initially feel almost primitive, but that simplicity is exactly what has allowed the design to survive for well over a century.

These are also knives that tend to look better with use. The brass handle gradually darkens and develops its own patina, while the carbon-steel blade will do the same. That also means it needs some care: Aogami is not stainless, so the blade should be wiped clean and dried after use, and occasional oiling is worthwhile if the knife is being stored for a long period.

Today there are countless folding knives that are more complicated, more polished and more mechanically sophisticated. A genuine Higonokami is appealing for almost the opposite reason. It is a small piece of Japanese tool-making history that remains inexpensive, practical and entirely usable — a knife reduced to little more than good carbon steel, brass and a pivot.