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Hamon : Ko-nie deki suguha. The nioi-guchi is bright and there are kinsuji mixed in. Uchinoke and kuchigaiba are present as well as ni-ju ba.
Boshi : The hamon continues around the saki with abount nie hataraki as above.
Kitae : Ko-itame with a controlled and clear kitae pattern. Yubashiri can be seen in several areas.
About this sword :
This is an exciting gendai tanto by Horii Toshihide, with his early mei of Hideaki. He is considered one of the most outstanding Gendai smiths in the history of Nihonto. This tanto is a fine example of his early work and with a kanmuri-otoshi-zukuri sugata.
Toshihide was born in Shimosaka in 1886. In 1905 he became a pupil of Horii Taneaki (a student of Takai Naotane). The early works of Toshihide were signed Hideaki, like this example. Hideaki was the name that was given to him by the NTHK in 1913. He changed his name to Toshihide in 1933 out of respect for the birth of emperor Akihito. He is well known for having forged swords from the steel of a Russo-Japanese War damaged gun of the Battleship Mikasa. He forged sword at Japan Steel Works in Muroran, Hokkaido. The Horii smiths still work there to this day. Toshihide passed durring WWII in 1943.
The importance of Toshihide as a top Gendaito smith cannot be understated. Ranked at 2.8 million yen in the Toko Taikan and listed in Fujishiro's Shinto-hen. Ranked Saijo Saku at Kurihara Hikosaburo's Tosho Banzuke, Ranked Saijo Saku at the 6th Shinsaku Nihonto Denrankai, received the Special Honor Seat at the Nihon Token Tanrenjo (NTT) and ranked Genro at the Nihon Token Shinbunshi.
This tanto has a saya-gaki by Tanobe Michihiro. The translation is as follows:
Zuisen Horii Hideaki Taisho 13 year, it is in Kanmuri otoshidzukuri and outstanding work. Yamato den excellent work, nagasa 6 sun 8 bu and a half
Heisei 19 year, early 11th month, Tanshan wrote and kakihan The # 26
This blade is in old polish. The polish is high quality and in good condition with only minor belmishes. A rare and finley-crafted Taisho work by one of the greatest war-time smiths.
$4500
