"MOTOSHIGE", SHOSHU DEN - BIZEN.

MOTOSHIGE WAS TRULY A MAKER OF DISTINGUISHED HERITAGE. HIS LINEAGE CAN BE TRACED TO TWO ( BIZEN & SHOSHU ) OF THE MOST FAMOUS, AND POPULAR SCHOOLS OF SWORD MAKING. HIS GRANDFATHER, WAS THE FAMOUS "MORIIYE" OF BIZEN ( A NATIONAL TREASURE CLASS MAKER ). HIS SENSEI ( TEACHER ), WAS THE EXCEPTIONALLY FAMOUS "SADAMUNE", THE SON OF SHOSHU MASAMUNE, SAID TO BE THE GREATEST OF ALL MASTERS.

THIS FINE JUYO BLADE REFLECTS THE TRADITIONS OF BOTH OF THESE SCHOOLS.
HIS LIFE SPAN WAS AMAZINGLY LONG FOR SOMEONE IN THE 1300'S. HIS WORKING CAREER SPANNED NEARLY 60 YEARS! IT WAS ALSO SAID THAT MANY SAMURAI WHO CARRIED "MOTOSHIGE" BLADES, HAD LONG LIFE SPANS. FOR THESE REASONS HIS BLADES ARE THE SUBJECT OF MANY LEGENDS ABOUT BRINGING LONGEVITY TO THERE OWNERS, HIS WORKS HAVE BEEN VERY SOUGHT AFTER FOR CENTURIES. THIS BLADE IS MOUNTED IN "SHIRA-SAYA", AND IN SUPERB ( RECENTLY POLISHED ) CONDITION ( ALMOST LIKE A SHINTO BLADE, AND QUITE HEAVY ). HIS WORK IS RATED "SAIJO SAKU" ( UPPER BEST ), AND HAS A SHARPNESS RATING OF "SAIJO O-WAZAMONO" ( ABSOLUTE SUPREME SHARPNESS ) THIS IS THE "HIGHEST OBTAINABLE" SHARPNESS RATING THAT CAN BE GIVEN, THE BLADE IS AMAZING.

 

元 重    Motoshige Katana

ERA: Late Kamakura ~ early Nambokucho (1312-1362)

THE NAKAGO (TANG): O-Suriage (original tang area cut off)

MEI (MAKERS SIGNATURE): Mu-mei (unsigned)

JIRI (TANG END): kuri (squared off)

MEKUGI ANA (HOLE IN TANG FOR RETAINING PEG): 2

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BLADE TYPE: Katana

STYLE:  Shinogi-Zukuri (most popular style)

MUNE (BACK RIDGE): Iori (peaked)

NAGASA (LENGTH OF CUTTING EDGE):  66.3 cm / 26 ¼”

SORI (CURVATURE): 1.0 cm / 3/8”

Motohaba (WIDTH): 2.9 cm / 1 1/8”

BOSHI: (TEMPERING IN POINT): Notarekomi (wavy temper),

Yakuzume (small turn back)

KISSAKI (POINT STYLE):  O-Kissaki (large point), Sakigiri (point was reshaped)

HAMON :(TEMPERING,MARTENSITE):  Square and regular Gonome mix, with some small choji.  Details of the hamon include ashi, nioi, yo, small nie, kinsuji and sunagashi

HADA (BLADE GRAIN STYLE): Itame Mokume mix, with jinie, jikei, jihan, and Midare Utsuri.

HORIMONO (CARVINGS IN BLADE): Bo-hi with Soe-hi (one thick and one narrow groove running parallel)

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CONDITION: Pristine

KIZU (FLAWS): None

POLISH: 100%

DAMAGE: None

HABAKI:  Two piece gold

SHIRA SAYA: storage case

  

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