Q412. Suriage, mu-mei katana.

Nagasa: 27 9/16″ 70 cm.

Sori: 1.5 cm.

Moto haba: 3.2 cm.

Moto kasane: .75 cm.

Saki haba: 2.1 cm.

Saki kasane: .45 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 7 3/4″ 19.7 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 39″ 100.3 cm.

Shinogi zukuri, iore mune, koshi zori, chu kissaki. The hada is a tight itame and is covered in utsuri. The hamon is ko-choji gunome midare with sunagashi, kinsuji, ashi, and other hataraki, all in a consistent nioi-guchi covered in sparkling ko-nie. The boshi is sugu nijuba eding in a swept ko-maru with a short kaeri. This sword is flawless. It is mounted with a gold foil habaki (excellent condition) in competently made shirasaya without defect. There is a Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2014 and giving the blade to Ishido Hata Morihisa.

Morihisa (who went by the priest name Toren late in his life) was a smith in the Edo Ishido School; he came out of the group of smiths associated with Mitsuhira. The Ishido School worked in the style of old Bizen; they are known for their choji hamon and utsuri, but with a quieter boshi and tighter hada than those of the earlier Bizen smiths. The working period for Morihisa is about Kanbun (1660); he is rated Chu Jo Saku in Fujishiro and Wazamono for the sharpness of his blades. This is an exceptionally well made blade and I know my photos don’t do it justice. I am often told by my customers that they like a piece much more than they thought they would from my pictures; I’m sure that will be the case here. 2 pounds, 14 ounces. $3,750.