UK Sword Register.
No. 64
Type: Shinshinto Katana
Sugata: Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, shallow tori-zori, slightly extended chu-kissaki.
Jihada: Tight ko-mokume with jinie.
Hamon: Suguha in ko-nie, ko-maru boshi with kaeri.
Nakago: Ubu with one mekugi-ana, yoko yasurime, kuri-jiri. Signed on the haki-omote HIZEN KUNI TADAYUKI.
This sword has all the attributes of the mainline Hizen Tadayoshi school which was carried on, with negligible loss of quality, into the shinshinto period. In common with the style favoured by the mainline Tadayoshi group, this sword is made in Yamashiro-den. The suguha hamon, starting at the ha-machi, has a thick “belt-like” nioiguchi and like all Hizen-to, the boshi is a suguha and ko-maru. Again, as was customary with Hizen daito, the signature is located on the haki-omote (tachi-mei) and the sword has a sturdy yet graceful katana sugata.
It would seem that the shinshinto smiths of the Tadayuki family had a particularly close relationship with the 8th generation Tadayoshi. Indeed it has been suggested that the 6th generation Tadayuki, acted as the guardian of this Tadayoshi, who was adopted into the Tadayoshi family. This 6th generation, whose personal name was Hashimoto Wakase, collaborated with Tadayoshi in swordmaking, up until his death on 19th July 1844. It is believed that this sword was made by this man and it is by no means inferior and very similar to, the workmanship of the 8th generation Tadayoshi.
The seventh generation Tadayuki, who is also likely to have worked alongside hachidai Tadayoshi, died on 29th June 1855 and was given the posthumous name Baisetsu-koji.
Clive Sinclaire
Bexley, Oct ‘04