Higonokami vs Kogatana: What’s the Difference in Japanese Knives?
Sep 26, 2026
Higonokami and kogatana are not two names for the same Japanese folding knife. A Higonokami is a specific Japanese folding-knife tradition associated with Miki, Hyogo. A kogatana, in the historical sword-mounting context used by major museums, is a small utility knife carried with a Japanese sword. Modern Japanese folding knives, including SUWADA's current range, form a separate contemporary category.
That distinction matters because online shops and search results often mix the terms together. In particular, describing a kogatana as a “traditional Japanese folding knife” is historically misleading.
Higonokami, kogatana and modern folding knives at a glance
| Term | What it refers to | Folding? | Historical context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higonokami | A specific Miki folding-knife tradition and registered name | Yes | Meiji-era pocket knife |
| Kogatana | A small utility knife associated with Japanese sword mountings | No | Found with historical sword fittings, including Edo-period examples |
| Modern Japanese folding knife | A broad contemporary category made by many Japanese makers | Yes | Modern designs, materials and maker-specific constructions |
What is a Higonokami?
Higonokami is a folding-knife tradition from Miki, Hyogo, one of Japan's long-established metalworking centres. The official history published by Nagao Kanekoma describes the form as developing in the Meiji period from knife making in Miki.
There is a small dating discrepancy in the primary sources. Nagao Kanekoma's own history places the creation and naming of the Higonokami form around 1894. Miki City's official civic timeline records 1906 as the year Higonokami knife production began. Rather than forcing those sources into a single date, it is more accurate to say that Higonokami emerged in Miki during the late Meiji period.
The characteristic construction uses a pivoting blade and a projecting tail called the chikiri. Nagao Kanekoma's own diagram explains that the chikiri is pushed with the thumb to open the blade. The maker also describes the classic blade as double-bevelled with a V-shaped section.
According to Nagao Kanekoma's historical account, a hardware wholesaler named Tasaburo Shigematsu developed the portable folding form after being inspired by a knife brought back from Kagoshima. The same account says the name Higonokami was chosen because many customers were in the Kumamoto area, historically Higo Province.
The Higonokami Knife Union was established in 1899. Nagao Kanekoma states that the name Higonokami was registered as a trademark in 1910 after imitations caused quality problems. The company says it is now the only manufacturer entitled to use that trademark.
For that reason, it is better to treat “Higonokami” as a specific historical and trademarked knife tradition, not simply as a generic word for every Japanese friction folder.
What is a kogatana?
A kogatana is a different object. The British Museum catalogues kogatana as utility knives forming part of Japanese sword mountings. Its collections include Edo-period examples fitted with wakizashi mountings.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art makes the related terminology clearer: a kozuka is the handle of the small by-knife carried with a Japanese sword, stored in a slot in the scabbard. In museum terminology, the kogatana is the small utility blade or knife; the kozuka is its handle.
Most importantly for modern search terminology: a historical kogatana is not a folding knife. It does not describe the same pivoting pocket-knife construction as a Higonokami.
This is why phrases such as “traditional Japanese folding knife kogatana” should be treated cautiously. They may appear in modern commerce and search data, but they combine two historically different categories.
Are Higonokami and kogatana historically connected?
There may be an indirect connection, but it should not be overstated. Nagao Kanekoma's Japanese-language history says the knives brought back from Kyushu that influenced the Higonokami form were remembered as resembling a tōsu or kozuka-type small knife.
That is the manufacturer's historical account of the design's inspiration. It does not make Higonokami and kogatana the same object, nor does it mean the folding Higonokami construction existed in the earlier sword-mounting tradition.
How does a modern Japanese folding knife differ?
“Japanese folding knife” is now a broad category rather than one historical pattern. Contemporary makers use different pivots, blade steels, handle materials, dimensions and design languages.
SUWADA's current folding knives are an example of this modern category. They are not Higonokami, and they are not kogatana.
The seven current Masterpiece models use an approximately 60 mm ATS-314 cobalt-alloy stainless-steel blade and handles in natural wood or Micarta. The separate Damascus model uses a forged layered-steel handle with a mirror-polished Japanese cobalt stainless-steel blade.
See the current SUWADA folding-knife range.
Higonokami vs modern SUWADA folding knives
The useful comparison is not about which is “better.” They represent different design traditions.
- Higonokami: a named Miki folding-knife tradition with a chikiri tail and a history dating to the Meiji era.
- SUWADA Masterpiece folding knives: contemporary Japanese folding knives using natural wood or Micarta handles and a compact ATS-314 blade format.
- SUWADA Damascus folding knife: a contemporary all-metal model with a forged Damascus-steel handle and a separate cobalt stainless-steel blade.
If your interest is in historical Japanese pocket-knife design, Higonokami is the relevant tradition to study. If your interest is in current SUWADA materials and construction, see our Micarta vs wood vs Damascus handle guide and our Japanese folding knives and SUWADA Damascus guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is every Japanese folding knife a Higonokami?
No. Higonokami is a specific folding-knife tradition and registered name associated with Miki. Japan has many other folding-knife designs and makers.
Is a kogatana a folding knife?
No in the historical sword-mounting sense documented by museum collections. A kogatana is a small utility knife associated with a sword scabbard, not a pivoting pocket knife.
What is the difference between kogatana and kozuka?
Museum collections generally use kogatana for the small utility knife or blade and kozuka for its handle, which fits into the sword mounting.
Who makes Higonokami today?
Nagao Kanekoma states that it is now the only manufacturer entitled to use the registered Higonokami trademark.
Are SUWADA folding knives Higonokami?
No. SUWADA's folding knives are contemporary Japanese folding knives with their own construction and materials. They should not be described as Higonokami.
Sources
Historical Higonokami information in this guide is based on Nagao Kanekoma's official history, its official construction diagram, and the Miki City historical timeline. Kogatana and kozuka terminology is cross-checked against the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Choosing and caring for a modern SUWADA folding knife
If you are comparing traditional Japanese knife terminology with the current SUWADA range, continue with our handle-material guide, then see cleaning and sharpening for practical ownership.
