The Higo no Kami folding knife has a long history in Japan dating back to the late 19th century. A blacksmith is said to have added a simple lever to a minimally designed pocket knife to aid in opening and closing the blade and to set it apart from other knives. The knife proved to be successful and a guild was formed to oversee the manufacture of the knife. Only those belonging to the guild were allowed to manufacture the knife to specification and use the trademarked name "Higo no Kami". The term "Higo no Kami" means "Lord of Higo" in Japanese, in honor of the Lord of the Kyushu area of Japan, where the knife originated. Today, each Higo no Kami knife is still handmade by the last remaining maker in the guild, Nagao Seisakusho.