K37. O-Suriage mumei katana with Hozon paper from the NBTHK dated 2016 giving it to Kanenori.

Nagasa: 27 11/16″ 70.3 cm.

Sori: 1.1 cm.

Moto haba: 3.2 cm.

Moto kasane: .75 cm.

Saki haba: 2.4 cm.

Saki kasane: .55 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 8 5/8″ 21.8 cm.

Overall in shira-saya: 39 1/2″ 100 cm.

Overall of koshirae: 39″ 99.3 cm.

The paper doesn’t specify which Kanenori (don’t you just love that) but Echizen seems likely. Tight and small itame which is flawless and rich in ji-nie. The hamon is a bright nioi-guchi covered in ko-nie, gumome midare worked with sunagashi and kinsuji. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon ending in a swept ko-maru with a short kaeri. This is a long, broad, and heavy blade, greatly shortened (it must have been massive when ubu) with 2 1/2 mekugi ana and bo hi that continue through the nakago. The blade is in polish and mounted with a 1st rate silver foil habaki and well made shira-saya in excellent condition. Very impressive.

This comes with complete koshirae mounted to a tsunagi. The saya is black lacquer with a horn (most likely) kojiri, kurikata, and koi guchi; with the exception of one tiny nick to the kojiri the lacquer is perfect. The tsuba is iron sukashi of birds on driftwood, 7.0 x 8 x .5 cm. The fuchi kashira are quite fine: shakudo with small mon (kiku and another flower) and dragons worked in gold: wonderful quality carving and in excellent condition. The menuki are shakudo & gold again and appear to be high quality; I can see a crane and what looks like stylized cloud forms. The tsuka-ito is perfectly intact over black lacquered same’.

All in all this is a great set; you will not be disappointed. 4 pounds, 10 ounces. $4,250.