Kantei #5

Answer

SUISHINSHI MASATSUGU

Juyo Token, October, 2000

Length: 70.3 cm
Sori: 2.2 cm
Motohaba: 2.95 cm
Sakihaba: 2.1 cm
Kissaki Length: 4.5 cm
Nakago Length: 21.0 cm
Nakago Sori: 0.2 cm

Keijo: Shinogizukuri, iori mune, broad mihaba, with a bit of difference between the motohaba and sakihaba, thick kasane, there is a hint of funbari, with a deep sori, elongated chu-kissaki.

Kitae: Tight ko-itame with a hint of a mixture of large mokume in the lower half, with thick ji-nie fine chikei is abundantly inserted, the steel is clear.

Hamon: Gunome mixed n choji, abundant long ashi inserted, wide nioi, with thick nie, couarse ne is mixed in here and there, sunagashi thoughout, nie suji (nie forms lines), there is kinsuji, small tobiyaki are mixed in the yaki-kashira (heads of the choji), the nioi-guchi is bright and serene.

Boshi: Suguba with a deep round return, very much hakkake.

Nakago: Ubu, saki is kurijiri, yasurime is a kessho o-sujikai, one mekugi ana, there is a goji mei (5 character mei) and kao done with a thick tagane on the hai-omote towards the mune, and there is a nenki done in the same manner on the ura.

Commentary: SUISHINSHI MASATSUGU was called KAWABE HOKUSHI. He was instructed by TAIKEI NAOTANE. It is said that he became the son-in-law of his teacher, and according to one story, is also said to be the son of the nidai MASAHIDE (HAKUYU NYUDO). MASATSUGU used the Go of SUISHINSHI, and from this, it is clear that essentially he continued as the sandaime (third generation) of the KAWABE family. MASATSUGU resided in Shitayagoto-machi, made his living making swords, and it is said that he passed away on the 21 st day of the 3 rd Lunar Month of Man’en Gannen (1860). His work style, even to the mei style, is absolutely that of the NAOTANE RYU, rather than that of the SUISHINSHI RYU, and he specialized in SOSHU DEN and BIZEN DEN.

This katana shows a workmanship in which the kitae exhibits a tight ko-itame hada in which a hint of o-mokume is mixed in the lower half. It carries thick ji-nie, and fine chikei is abundantly inserted. The hamon is gunome with choji mixed in, and has abundant long ashi inserted. The nioi is wide, with thick nie and coarse nie mixed in here and there with sunagashi and nie suji (lines of nie) are applied throughout. This is a work style of the SOSHU DEN, in which he was especially skilled, and as would be expected, there is a lot of nie in the ji and ha, and the activity in the ha is also abundant. In addition, the point that both the ji and ha are bright and clear is also a special characteristic. This is a piece in which the work style closely resembles that of his teacher, NAOTANE, and as was mentioned above, it continues well the NAOTANE RYU, even to the mei ji (characters in the mei). This is a superior piece among the works of this same artisan that very satisfactorily exhibits the characteristics of SUISHINSHI MASATSUGU, and can probably be said to be a representative piece of his SOSHU DEN work.