S119. Tanto signed Mino Kuni Shizu no Ju Kaneuji and dated Koei Gannen Ku Gatsu Hi (a day in the 9th month of 1342). I believe this to be by the Nidai of Shizu Saburo Kaneuji, the student of Masamune and founder of Mino Den.

Nagasa: 10 1/8″ 25.6 cm.

Sori: tiny

Moto haba: 2.7 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 9.5 cm.

Overall length in koshirae: 22 5/8″ 57.3 cm

An incredibly complex temper, with ko-nie in sunagashi and kinsuji (one so prominent you could call it Sweet Potato Vine) and a long return worked in niju ba. My pictures are terrible so I’ve provided an oshigata to give you an idea. Ko-itame hada with occasional elements of mokume. Bo-hi on the omote and goma-bashi hi on the ura, all of which is filled with red lacquer. The blade is flawless with one notable exception: there is a closed fukure 7.5 cm up from the ha-machi on the omote (marked on my photos with a red dash). I have shown this to a properly trained polisher who told me it certainly will be no worse after polish and might be made better.

The mounts are likely late Edo and en suite. Tsuba, fuchi/kashira, menuki, koi-guchi, kurikata, and kojiri are all of copper and as tea ceremony objects. The habaki and 2 seppa are gold foil over copper. The kotsuka is brass with copper accents. the small piece at the mouth of the pocket for the kogatana on the saya is missing. The lacquer on the saya is chipped in a few places; maybe 95% remains.

I can’t recall ever seeing a sword from Nidai Kaneuji before and my references don’t show much either. Very impressive work here; this would be a knock out if properly restored. 1 pound, 5 ounces. $1,950.