Q884. Long, large Shinshinto katana.

Nagasa: 28 7/16″ 72.3 cm.

Sori: 1.8 cm.

Moto haba: 3.2 cm.

Moto Kasane: .7 cm.

Saki haba: 2.1 cm.

Saki kasane: .45 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 8 7/16″ 21.3 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 40 1/2″ 102.7 cm.

Shinogi zukuri, koshi zori iore mune, chu kissaki. The hada is ko-itame with a bit of running masame. The hanon is ho-choji in a bright and consistent nioi-guchi covered in ko-nie. There is sunagashi, kinsuji, and other hataraki. not much of which will show in my mediocre pictures but is quite fine in hand. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon ending in ko-maru with a medium length kaeri. The blade is in a professional polish and, with the exception of a few pin pricks and a couple faint scratches, it is flawless. The sword is mounted with a solid silver habaki and in well made shirasaya with a sayagaki giving it to Katayama Munetoshi. There is a paper from the NTHK-NPO dated 2023 and agreeing with the sayagaki.

Katayama Munetoshi is thought to have been the older brother of Koyama Munetsugu.  He was a resident of Oshu Shirakawa and worked in the latter half of the 19th century. He is known to have made large swords. Here you have a fine sword: large, long, healthy, made by a respected smith, in polish, and priced at not a lot more than someone paid for the polish. 3 pounds. $3,475.