An Underrated Brand Quietly Dropped a Superior, Affordable Japanese Gentleman’s Knife

The heritage style is hundreds of years old, but this new silhouette uniquely modernizes the original design.

Black textured folding knife handle with a brass pivot screw and partially visible blade on a red background.

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Published March 31, 2026

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You know a knife design is built for the long haul when, centuries after its introduction, brands are still introducing new interpretations.

That’s exactly what is going on with the higonokami lately, as everyone from Best Made to Civivi brings their own visions of the traditional Japanese blade to life.

Hand holding a folding knife with a brown blade and textured black handle with brass screws. — Tenable’s higonokami treatment offers modern advantages without veering too far from classic aesthetics.

While their offerings are compelling in their own ways, the latest release from Kansept’s budget-friendly spinoff brand is my new favorite.

After all, the new Tenable Higonokami offers great looks, reliable materials and modern upgrades at an unbeatable price.

Classic to contemporary

As true knife knerds know, the “higo” dates back to a unique time and place: 1896 (if not earlier) and Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture.

Scrambling to diversify their offerings in response to the samurai class and a ban on wearing swords in public, Japanese metal smiths introduced the simple but stylish slicer.

Closed black textured folding knife with bronze-colored blade and brass screws. — The pronounced lever, complete with a grippy ridge, makes one-handed deployment swift and smooth.

The word itself is rather complicated, but can be very loosely interpreted as “protector.”

The most critical characteristic is a friction folder mechanism, requiring thumb pressure on its chikiri (lever) to hold the blade steady.

Tenable’s take is the brainchild of Goran Mihajlovic, whose background sounds reality show-worthy: born in Serbia, he has spent more than two decades operating out of Colombia’s Tanimboca Natural Reserve, deep in the Amazon.

Folding knife with a brown tanto blade and textured black handle featuring a brown pocket clip. — While not what you’d call premium, D2 steel offers a ton of value while acing most everyday tasks.

An experienced bladesmith and wilderness pro specializing in rainforest survival, Mihajlovic works as a field production manager, assisting film crews in remote jungle environments … and designing knives on the side, of course.

His interpretation of the higo combines classic aesthetics with modern materials and engineering, led by a 3.02-inch modified reverse tanto blade made of budget-friendly but bombproof D2 steel, which is valued for its edge retention and durability.

Folding knife with black textured handle and bronze-colored metal components on a white background. — The liner lock might raise the eyebrows of traditionalists, but it is no doubt more secure and safe.

A precision-ground swedge boosts its piercing prowess while a ceramic ball-bearing pivot and pronounced lever, complemented by a liner lock, ensure the blade swings out smoothly and holds steady during tough everyday tasks.

That’s the big upgrade here, as the traditional design had no such feature; the liner lock essentially eliminates the risk posed by a non-locking mechanism slipping and potentially cutting your hand under duress.

Tenable’s higo also comes with a variety of handle options, including G10, micarta and twill carbon fiber, the last of which is paired with a water ripple Damascus blade that is not currently available.

Black textured folding knife handle with bronze pocket clip and partially visible bronze blade. — The pocket clip is another feature you rarely see on a higo but will nonetheless be glad to have.

What you can get right now is a gray coated blade paired with a sand-colored G10 handle or the arguably more attractive edition featured on this page: a rose gold coated blade with a black micarta handle.

Oh, and this higo boasts another feature that’s rare for the style but incredibly common with contemporary EDC knives: a stainless steel pocket clip.

Availability and pricing

Tenable’s Higonokami is available now in multiple variants at a starting price of $57.

Folding knife with a brown blade and textured black handle secured by gold screws.

Tenable Higonokami

Starts at $57

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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