First debuting in 1894, the Nagao Higonokami is unquestionably one of, if not the single most iconic Japanese pocket knife of all time. Despite being around for nearly 130 years, the Higonokami has seen very few changes to its design, though the friction folder was slightly modified for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Today, Japanese mil-spec Higonokamis are incredibly rare — a fact that’s prompted German brand Boker Plus to deliver a highly-authentic take on the WW2-era Higonokami.
Dubbed the Japanese Army Pen Knife Can Opener, this newly-unveiled folder is outfitted with a handle that’s virtually identical to the original Higonokami, maintaining the historic model’s bent steel construction and olive drab-painted finish. Mated to the handle is a 1.97” drop point blade crafted from 440C stainless steel. Deployed via a nail nick opening, the friction folder’s blade features a 0.07” thickness and a flat-ground edge. Measuring 5.12” overall, the Japanese Army Pen Knife Can Opener weighs in at just 1.06oz.
At the opposite end of the handle, the knife sports a lanyard clip and an integrated can opener that’s modeled after the U.S. Army P-38 pocket can opener. This can opener is mated to the handle via a pair of solid rivets and can be locked into place using the lanyard clip. Alongside the Japanese Army Pen Knife Can Opener, Boker Plus has also released a three-blade variant that uses the same Higonokami handle though gains a reserve tanto blade, a hawkbill blade, and a saw.
Available now, the Boker Plus Japanese Army Pen Knife Can Opener has been priced at $27.
