Q510. Suriage katana by Tsuda Sukenao.

Nagasa: 26 3/8″ 67 cm.

Sori: 1.2 cm.

Moto haba: 3 cm.

Moto kasane: .7 cm.

Saki haba: 2 cm.

Saki kasane: .5 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 8 1/16″ 20.7 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 36 3/4″ 93 cm.

Koshi zori, iore mune, chu kissaki.  The hada is ko-itame, itame in bright ji nie, and masame in the shinogi ji.  The hamon is a bright and consistent nioi guchi covered in ko-nie: toranba, gunome midare, and shallow notare with sunagashi, a bit of kinsuji & hotsure, and a few yo (isolated hardened areas above the hamon).  The boshi is undulating with strong hakkekake (swept) and a long kaeri.  There is one tight running masame in the shinogi ji just above mid point of the omote.  I don’t consider this to be a defect but someone else might so I mention it.  Otherwise, the blade is flawless and my lousy pictures don’t do it justice.  The sword is in polish and mounted in well made shirasaya in excellent condition and with a beautiful gold foil habaki, also in fine condition.

This sword comes with 3 papers.  The earliest was issued by Fujishiro Yoshio (author of Nihon Toko Jiten) in 1943.  There is another Fujishiro paper, issued by the son of Yoshio in 1998.  And last, there is a Tokubetsu Kicho paper from the NBTHK, dated 1976.

Omi no Kami Sukenao was born in 1639 and he worked until 1693.  He was a top student of Echizen no Kami (Tsuda) Sukehiro, one of the most important of all smiths in Shinto times.  Sukenao married Sukehiro’s younger sister and thus became family.  He was granted the Omi no Kami title in 1669 or early in 1670; we know this sword was made then or later.  Sukenao was a significant swordsmith who made high quality swords, some of which have passed to Juyo Token or better.  Were this sword ubu (unshortened), my price would be much higher; for Sukenao, this is a bargain.

2 pounds, 10 ounces.  $7,125.