Katana signed Goshu Suzuka sanroku-ju Takeshita SUKEMITSU kinsaku-kore An auspicious day in the 2nd month, Ox, the 10th calendar sign, Showa
Contemporary sword (Showa 48/1973) Gifu prefecture
Length of cutting edge 76.6cm Curvature 2.0cm Width of base 35.3mm Width of Yokote 25.0mm Thickness of base 7.9mm
Blade construction: Shinogi-zukuri, Iori-mune, extraordinary long, wide and thick that is solidly heavy blade(click HERE for higher resolution image of the entire blade)
Forging(Hada): Forging is fine Itame and mixture of Mokume. Fine steel is covered with thick Nie sparkling hard metal granules "Ji-nie" on Hira-ji surface. Darkish thick lines of Nie so called "CHIKEI" activity wells out from steel.
Temper(Hamon): Hamon is fine Nie hard metal granules base, Flamboyant Gunome, Clove outline and Togari-ha outline where entire temper varies in shape and height. The interior of temper is filled with mist-like crystallize area deeply and activate with frequent ASHI feet and floating YOU activities, thick lines of Nie SUNAGASHI and bright curved threadlike KINSEN areas. Some of Gunome quench splashes into Hiraji surface so called Tobiyaki. The entire temper gives off bright and vivid impression.
Temper of tip(Boshi): Temper of boshi forms irregular Midarekomi with Sunagashi darkish Nie lines blushing away indication.
Tang(Nakago): Nakago is in UBU original. One peg hole. O-sujikai with kesho (greatly slanting left with horizontal) filemarks. Back ridge of Nakago is flat and Double-bevelled (kurijiri) heel shape. The signature in front starts with the place of work Goshu Suzuka sanroku-ju (that is Lives in foot of Mt.Suzuka in Goshu domain) 江州鈴鹿山麓住 and smith name Takeshita SUKEMITSU kinsaku-kore ( i.e. "carefully made") 竹下祐光謹作之 and the reversed side is chiselled the date of year with the sexagenary cycle, An auspicious day in the 2nd month, Ox, the 10th calendar sign, Showa 昭和癸丑歳二月吉日
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.
The subject heroic sword is dated in the 2nd month, Ox, the 10th calendar sign, Showa (that is year of 1973) when he was matured, 58 years old while he had kept winning the NYUSEN award continuously.
The shape is impressively brave with awe-inspiring air, holding an extra long, wide and thick blade leading to the long tip that shows a close resemblance to the ones during end Edo period, full of upheavals times. Well refined forging marks (Chikei) of Itame mixture with Mokume lines comes out from fine steel against sparkling Ji-nie hard metal granules over the Hira-ji surface. Hamon temper lines forms Gunome, Choji and Togari shape that varies in shape. Temper edge is covered in bright Nie granules and the interior of temper is filled in whitish Nioi-mist like crystallize area and thick Nie feet frequently works toward the cutting edge. Thick lines of Nie or bright curved threadlike areas activates across the feet.
The katana shows rich activities of steel forging and quenched Hamon in Soushu school technique and he would model this sword on the reproduction of Minamoto KIYOMARO 源清麿.
Preserved in a Shira saya plain wood mounting, Silver gold plated Habaki collar.
Original polish with some minor scratches/Condition scale: mint (using a scale of mint-excellent-very good-good-fair-poor).
reference data : Ono Tadashi, Geidai Toko Meikan, Kougei-Shuppan 1971
