Good Japanese inspired knives

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Apr 29, 2011
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What is a good Japanese culture inspired knife to use as a edc. Nepal has the kurki and Italy switchblade and Philippines has balisong knife America knife probably a bowie. Japan probably Katana but I can't edc one also I can never afford a real Japanese Katana. Not anytime soon unless it's one of those flea market Chinese made katana.
 
I just got done reading up on the shillin made by the Chu family for generations in Taiwan. That is what is want something made in Japan.
 
Higo No Kami knives (a style, not a brand)
Rockstead knives (not cheap)
MCusta knives (much more affordable than Rockstead, and with loads of variety.)
Anything "Cold Steel" + "Tanto"; Cold Steel Kobun
Reate Kwaiken, Boker Kwaiken, Quartermaster Kwaiken, Tendick Kwaiken
 
Do you know where to buy those kind of knives where I get it directly from the source.

The Shillin knife by the Chi family I read has a five year plus waiting list. I know my budget wouldn't be in that caliber but at the same time I don't want cheap Chinese manufacturing imitating a style.
 
The design of the Spyderco Lum Chinese folder is the same as the Shillin. At the moment, there is a pink G10 variant of the large Lum that can be had for less than $100 as demand isn't so high since it's pink. The pink matches the culture IMO and makes the knife quite elegant. All the other variants are limited and demand is high making it fairly tough to get at below or at costs. The pink one is a lot of knife for the price; a lot of VG10. Won't find a better knife in that style for that price.

Benchmade also has a Lum knife, the Onslaught, which is similar but more beefy. The mini is still available.
 
What is a good Japanese culture inspired knife to use as a edc. Nepal has the kurki and Italy switchblade and Philippines has balisong knife America knife probably a bowie. Japan probably Katana but I can't edc one also I can never afford a real Japanese Katana. Not anytime soon unless it's one of those flea market Chinese made katana.

The Katana is but one size of Japanese sword. The Tachi is larger. Wakizashi is shorter, and most Knife fans are familiar with the Tanto
and Kwaiken (pronounced Kai-ken). The Tanto inspired knives in both fixed blade and folding have been staples of he US Knife industry for several
decades. If you want to go another route, there are Japanese traditional hunting knives called ken-nata.
 
EDC for what purpose?
A bowie is a fighting knife, not what you take out to open a bag of chips.
There are lots of belt-sized Japanese-style knives, from kiridashi to full kwaiken, and LOTS of really nice custom ones available.
I regularly carry a kiridashi, which is like a mini utility knife, or a really pissed-off x-acto. (forget who said that first, but it makes me smile.)
 
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