Q720. Tachi signed Oite Goshu Suzuka San Roku Bitchu no Kuni Junin Takeshita Sukemitsu. Showa San Ju Ku Nen Hachi Gatsu Roku Kitsu Jitsu (6th of August 1964 lucky day). Made at the request of Yoshioka Yoshi.

Nagasa: 31 1/16″  78.8 cm.

Sori:  1.4 cm.

Moto haba:  3.6 cm.

Moto kasane:  .9 cm.

Saki haba:  2.3 cm.

Saki kasane:  .4 cm.

Nakago nagasa:  9 3/8″ 23.9 cm.

Overall in shirasaya:  44 1/2″ 113.2 cm.

A friend has supplied the following about this swordsmith:

Takeshita SUKEMITSU 竹下祐光, real name is Takeshita Zenji 竹下善自, was born in May 20, Taisho 4 (1915), lived in Otsubo-Shimizu, Hino town, Gamo-gun, Shiga pref. He belonged to smith SUKEHIRO’s lineage to learn sword making technique both from his father Eitaro SUKEMITSU 栄太郎祐光 and smith Okishiba MASATSUGU 沖芝正次 in Osaka. He won a Nyusen prize in Showa 16 (1941) and awarded with Tokusen prize in Showa 18 (1943) in the sword evaluation contests sponsored by the Agency of Cultural Affairs.
After a few years of history as an official army sword maker, he was officially licensed from the Agency of Cultural Affairs as the Artistic Japanese Sword Artisan in Showa 29 (1954), when he was 40 years old.
He continuously had won the prize of NYUSEN from Showa 39 – 45 (1964-70), 11 times awarded altogether in the evaluation contests held by Japanese Sword Preservation Society (NBTHK).
Later in his life, he moved his atelier to Misawa, Kawakami town, Takahashi city, Okayama pref. and worked together with his son, smith Minamoto ISAO 源勲.

Shinogi zukuri, koshi zori, iore mune, chu kissaki, ubu one hole. The hada is tight and flawless ko itame/ko nuka. The hamon is variations in choji (doubled, flat top, crab claw, box, & others) with abundant ashi and sunagashi in a bright and consistent nioi guchi. The boshi is tiny choji ending in O-maru and a short kaeri. The blade is in polish except for a few very faint scuffs (too faint to show in my pictures) from cutting. It is mounted in quality shirasaya with a silver foil habaki.

This tachi is huge and heavy, quite impressive given the flawless forging. My pictures don’t do justice to it; it is much nicer. You won’t be dissatisfied. 4 pounds, 7 ounces. $3,495.