Katana O-suriage
Blade length 71.0cm, thickness at the base 7mm, width 3.1cm
This is a katana blade shortened from long tachi blade. When you imagine its original shape, it suggests the typical style of tachi blade from 14th century.
Steel has a wood grain layer pattern, and its color is clear.
Hamon is made of large particles (nie). The particle band (nioi-kuchi) is not wide like Soshu tradition, but tight and bright. It suggests the good quality of the steel and proper hardening work. Hamon becomes wider around the kissaki. The hamon at the very tip is round. And then, the hamon turns back and runs on the back. So it has a lot of hamon on the back surface.
Of course, utsuri also appears.
The polishing is very excellent, probably done by some mukansa polisher.
You can easily see that the blade is made by a master smith, because of its proper shape, clear steel, and bright hamon. But it is difficult to guess the smith.
Some people attribute it to "Hasebe". But we don't agree with the opinion, because the steel of this blade is finer than Hasebe. Usually their steel is rougher with larger wood grain layer pattern. Other people say this is Osafune school. We can consider it, but such a lot of hamon on the back is rare for them. Of course, no one know the truth. Anyway it is interesting to detect the clues to think about the smith who make this blade.
So, we will temporally attribute it to Ko-Mihara for a while, until we have found more clues to guess the school or smith.
Tang
Habaki is made of silver.
Shirasaya and bag
1,500,000.yen (consignment)