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Hamon : Nioi deki gunome midare. There are some togari and some hako midare as well. Ko ashi, ashi and yo are present. Ha hada can be seen inside the hamon. There are kinsuji and inazuma dancing in the nioi guchi that become chikei in the ji.
Boshi : Jizo in style with komaru and a long return. There is chikei in the boshi ji.
Kitae : Well forged itame nagareru with masame mixed in. The jigane pattern is very clear and has a flowing feeling overall. There is abundant chikei in the ji. The shinogi-ji is masame.
About this sword : This is a nice mumei koto katana. This sword is well made and would be a great candidate for shinsa. It exhibits activities that are often found in Jo saku work such as abundant chikei, kinsuji and inazuma. There are no forging flaws in the blade and the heath of the work is good. There are two old rust spots with some pitting (see photos) on the ha and some scratches on the ji. Otherwise the condition of the old polish is very good. We have seen many new polishes that are far below this terms of clarity and geometry. If one can overlook a few blemishes this blade offers much enjoyment. There is a old kiri komi on the mune. This is a cut from crossing swords in a actual fight. Kiri komi are considered a badge of honor and not at all detracting. It is accompanied by a old shirasaya and a wooden habaki.
This sword has an old address recorded on the tsuka. This is most likely the address and name of the owner at the time that this sword was submitted to the occupation forces at the end of WWII. It reads:
Okayama-ken Tsuyama-shi xx-machi, (attn.) Yoshizawa xx, Kawasaki Sukeaki, (xx are not readable)
Tsuyama was an old city, in Mimasaka or Saku shu in the period before the Meiji revolution. There was a smith family named Kanekage in this town that worked over several generations from late Koto to the early Shinto period. Kanekage was a descendant of Naoe Shizu and moved from Mino to Tsuyama. His work style had Mino traits simmilar to this katana. We have studied a mumei katana attributed to Sakushu Kanekage, which has a Hamon similar to this. It is interesting to consider that is may be an early product of the Kanekage line, kept by a family in the smith's hometown.
This is an ideal sword for someone looking for a good quality koto katana, with many activities to study, without spending a large sum.
-SOLD-
Note: The owner of this sword is happy to guarantee that this blade will pass shinsa. Please email for full details.nihontocraft@bellsouth.net
