Q402. Suriage katana signed Suishinshi Masahide.

Nagasa: 26 5/16″ 66.9 cm.

Sori: 1.7 cm.

Moto haba: 2.9 cm.

Moto kasane: .75 cm.

Saki haba: 1.9 cm.

Saki kasane: .4 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 7″ 17.8 cm.

Overall length in shirasaya: 37″ 94 cm.

Let me begin by admitting that my pictures leave a lot to be desired. This is what I see: Shinogi zukuri, iore mune, chu kissaki. tight ko-itame hada with running masame (especially in the mono-uchi) and a few mokume, all covered in fine ko-nie. The hamon is ko-choji midare in clear nioi guchi and ko-nie (I’m not seeing ara-nie, which often is found on his work) with frequent ashi, sunagashi, and instances of kinsuji that could almost be called short nijuba. The boshi is gently undulating ending in ko-maru and a medium length kaeri. The sword comes with a silver foil habaki, mounted in well made shirasaya (still in paper wrap), and with a Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2012. The sword is flawless; there are no defects. The sword is in quite good quality polish except for the top 2 or 3 mm of the kissaki, which has a slightly different patina (perhaps a spot of corrosion was removed).

Suishinshi Masahide lived from 1750 to 1825. In the 1st half of his career he worked to replicate work of Tsuda Sukehiro and other early Shinto masters. Later his work drew on masters of the Kamakura period; this sword, I believe, borrows from early Bizen. He was among the most important of smiths in Shinshinto; he is rated Saijo Saku by Fujishiro. Fine sword; you won’t be disappointed. 2 pounds, 11 ounces. $7,500.