Q658. Late Koto katana signed Hoki no Kuni no Ju Sainoo Shichiroemonojo Morihiro Saku.

Nagasa: 27 1/4″ 69.3 cm.

Sori: .9 cm.

Moto haba: 3.1 cm.

Moto kasane: .7 cm

Saki haba: 2.1 cm.

Saki kasane: .4 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 9 1/8″ 23.2 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 37 3/4″ 96 cm.

Shinogi zukuri, koshi zori, iore mune, chu kissaki, ubu 1 hole. The hada is ko itame with ji-nie. Suguba hamon in a consistent nioi guchi covered in ko-nie, with subtle hataraki. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon ending in a flame shaped point on the omote and ko maru on the ura, with a short kaeri. The blade is in a professional grade (most likely Japanese) polish and perfectly flawless. There is a Tokubetsu Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2016. The habaki is quite nice and gold foil; the shirasaya is very well made and faced in horn.

Shichiroemonojo Morihiro worked at the very tail end of the Koto period, just as Tokugawa Iyeyasu was consolidating power and preparing to shuffle the country (quite an interesting time in Japanese history). Beginning collectors often turn their noses up at swords in suguba; those with more experience know how difficult is was to produce a bright & beautiful straight hamon. This sword is very well made and quite appealing. 2 pounds, 11 ounces. $4,850.

About my pictures: I’m trying out a new system and there are bugs to work out. The pictures aren’t in order up & down the blade but thery do show every inch. Anything that looks like a nick in the edge of the sword is just the cloth it is resting on; there are no defects.