Q418. O-suriage, mumei katana.

Nagasa: 28 5/8″ 72.7 cm.

Sori: 1.7 cm.

Moto haba: 3.1 cm.

Moto kasane: .75 cm.

Saki haba: 2.1 cm.

Saki kasane: .5 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 8″ 20.4 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 40 1/4″ 102.5 cm.

Shinogi zukuri, iore mune, chu kissaki, koshi zori. The hada is tight ko itame with masame covered in bright ji-nie (it sparkles). The hamon is gunome midare interspersed with areas of suguba, with sunagashi, kinsuji, hotsure, and other hataraki, all covered in brilliant ko-nie. The boshi is slightly undulating and swept, ending in ko-maru and a short kaeri. There are bo-hi carved on each side of the blade.

This sword is flawless and in professional polish. It comes with a gold wash habaki and well made shirasays with horn at the koi guchi and mekugi. It comes also with a Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2009 and giving the sword to Echizen Daijo Kunitsugu.

Kunitsugu worked originally in Kumamoto and later in Kyoto, Osaka, and Echizen, and at the end of his carreer he moved back to Kumamoto. His period of activity centers around Kanbun (1661). He was a student (some say the son) of Dewa Daijo Kunimichi for whom he made and signed swords. It is thought that the large amount of work he did for Kunimichi accounts for the relative scarcity of work signed with his own name. This is a fine sword in exceptional condition; there is a lot to appreciate here. 2 pounds, 8 ounces. $2,850.