Q523. Tanto signed Fujishima Tomoshige Saku.

Nagasa: 11″ 28 cm.

Sori: .05 cm (almost none)

Moto haba: 2.85 cm.

Moto kasane: .55 cm.

Nagago nagasa: 4 3/16″ 10.6 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 17 5/8″ 45 cm.

Ubu 2 holes, hirazukuri, iore mune. The hada is itame with mokume and straight grain, nagare with bright ji-nie. The hamon is gunome midare in pointed peaks with sunagashi, kinsuji, and other hataraki: a bright nioi-guchi covered in ko-nie. The boshi ends with a swept chu-maru and a medium kaeri. There are gomabashi hi and a bonji on the omote; gomabashi hi on the ura. The tanto is in polish, flawless taking into account the expected for the school nagare (slightly coarse) hada, and mounted with a solid silver habaki and in well made shirasaya. There is a Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2008.

There were numerous generations of smith with this signature between mid Nambokucho and late Edo. The 1st generation is thought to have been a student of Rai Kunitoshi and to have started work in Fujishima, Echizen Province but later moved to Kaga where the school remained. The paper doesn’t specify a generation but I think this is definitely early, rather than late. Nice tanto: you won’t be disappointed. 1 pound. $2,125.