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Hamon : Nioi-deki dynamic saka-choji with ko-nie. The nioi-guchi is soft and there are many ashi as well as tad-pole choji
Boshi : Midare-komi with a short return. The nioi guchi is clear and even throughout the boshi.
Kitae : Ko-itame hada becoming muji-hada. Light utsuri can be seen along the shinogi on both sides.
About this sword : This is an outstanding gendai katana by Hori Toshihide. He is considered one of the top Gendai smiths and this work has been awarded a Tokubstsu Hozon paper by the NBTHK. A top tier example in every way. Ranked at 2.8 million yen in the Toko Taikan and listed in Fujishiro's Shinto-hen.
Toshihide was born in Shimosaka in 1886. In 1905 he became a pupil of Hori Taneaki (a student of Takai Naotane). The early works of Toshihide were signed Hideaki. Hideaki was the name that was given to him by the NBTHK in 1913. He changed his name to Toshihide in 1933 out of respect for the birth of emperor Akihito. Toshihide passed away in 1943. This katana was a special order and made when Toshihide was 57 years old. The mei records that this custom order was for Mr. Kitahara. Toshihide also noted in this mei: "Iye Shison Mago Tsutou", which means roughly "To be passed down to future generations". This powerful statement reflects clearly in the quality of the blade.
This Toshihide is in old sashi-komi polish and comes with a vintage shira-saya (in good condtion). The polish shows the details of the hamon clearly and is an interesting difference in comparison to kessho polish.
This blade was registered in accordance with the Culture Property Protection Law (Torokusho) in Showa 26 (1951). This was the first year of Torokusho. Early registration blades are often from famous collections, but every citizen was instructed to submit their swords at that time. The Tokotaikan lists Toshihide as a Hokkaido smith and the Showa 26 registration was registered in Hokkaido. It is rare for a gendai to be awarded a Tokubetsu Hozon paper. The fact that this katana achieved such status speaks volumes to its quality and condition.
SOLD
