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"MAGOROKU KANEMOTO" IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATED MAKERS IN JAPAN. HE IS ALSO RATED AMONGST THE TOP "5" MAKERS WHO PRODUCED THE "SHARPEST" BLADES, THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF SWORD MAKING.
"MAGOROKU KANEMOTO", LIVED DURING AND AFTER THE "TAI-EI" 1521 AD. PERIOD. THIS WAS A TIME OF MUCH SOCIAL UNREST, TURMOIL, AND VIOLENT CONFLICTS, HENCE THE DEMAND, AND NEED FOR BLADES WITH SUPERIOR CUTTING ABILITY WAS PARAMOUNT. KANEMOTO 2nd. DESCENDED FROM A LINE [see genealogy chart on page 4] OF KAJI (SWORD MAKERS) THAT WAS WELL KNOWN FOR PRODUCING BLADES OF SUPREME SHARPNESS.
"KANEMUNE" (MAGOROKU'S GRANDFATHER ) WAS THE FIRST OF HIS MON (SCHOOL)
TO DEVELOP THE SECRET TECHNIQUES THAT RESULTED IT THE MAKING OF BLADES
OF SUPREME SHARPNESS. HIS WORKS ARE RATED "SAIJO O-WAZAMONO", MEANING;
ULTIMATE BEST SHARPNESS (AS ARE HIS GRANDSON'S) THIS IS THE "HIGHEST
POSSIBLE" RATING. IT IS SAID (BY SOME) THAT HE WAS ALSO CALLED
"MAGOROKU"?
"KANEMOTO 1st.", THE FATHER OF MAGOROKU, HOLDS A SHARPNESS RATING OF
"O-WAZAMONO" SUPERB SHARPNESS, THE OTHER "5" FIRST LINE STUDENTS OF
"KANEMUNE" DO NOT SHARE THIS DISTINCTION. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER BY USING
THE CHARACTER FOR MOTO "HATA", WHICH ALSO MEANS "TOMB". THUS HE IS
REFERRED TO AS "HATA" KANEMOTO, HE LATER BEGAN TO USE THE MORE COMMON
CHARACTER WHICH CAN MEAN "BEFORE, OR PRIOR".
"MAGOROKU KANEMOTO" RE-DISCOVERED (OR LEARNED FROM) HIS GRANDFATHERS
SECRETS, AND TECHNIQUES. MAGOROKU, IS THE ONLY OTHER MAKER IN THE SCHOOL
TO BE RATED "SAIJO O-WAZAMONO"! HE IS THE "ONLY" MAKER OF HIS GROUP TO
BE RANKED "SAIJO SAKU", ONLY THE MOST FAMOUS OF SWORD MAKERS SHARE THIS
ULTIMATE DISTINCTION. THE WORK OF "MAGOROKU KANEMOTO" IS VERY
BEAUTIFUL, DISTINCT, AND EASILY DISCERNIBLE! HIS BLADES ARE LONGER, AND
WIDER THAN NORMAL WITH AN "O-KISSAKI" (LARGE POINT). THE SHAPE, AND
BALANCE IS EXCELLENT.
THE BLADE CHARACTERISTICS ARE UNIQUE. THE BOSHI (THE POINTS HEAT TREATING) IS KNOWN AS "THE KANEMOTO BOSHI", IT IS MAINLY MIDARE KOMI(IRREGULAR) BEGINNING AT THE "YOKOTE" (VERTICAL RIDGE LINE) THERE WILL BE TWO SMALL BEADS OF GONOME (ROUNDED HILLS), IT THEN TRANSFORMS INTO A "JIZO HEAD" ( SHAPE OF THE HEAD OF THE DEITY JIZO ) THIS LOOKS LIKE A MONK KNEELING IN PRAYER, WITH HIS SHAVEN HEAD SLIGHTLY BENT DOWN.
THE "HADA" (BLADE GRAIN STRUCTURE) IS REMINISCENT OF EARLY KOTO WORK. IT IS: MOKUME ( BURL WOOD ), MIXED WITH MASAME (STRAIGHT GRAIN, LIKE OAK), THE TEXTURE APPEARS SOFT, AND ELEGANT WITH DEPTH. ABOVE THE "SHINOGI" ( RIDGE LINE) IT BECOMES VERY STRONG MASAME, THIS TECHNIQUE IS DIFFICULT TO MASTER. PERHAPS, THE MOST DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTIC OF ALL IS THE "KANEMOTO HAMON". KANEMOTO 2nd. DEVELOPED THE "SAMBONSUJI" STYLE AND
Images of fittings are next...
