This month’s blade is a wakizashi. 33.1 cm (1 shaku kyo ). It is hira-zukuri, iorimune, the blade is wide and thick with sakizori. The forging is masame in koitame with ji-nie. The temper is done in Chu-suguba, with gunome-ashi and ko-ashi, ko-nie deki, bright and clear nioi-guchi, sunagashi in the ha. The boshi is komaru with long kaeri, the tip is hakkikake. The nakago is unaltered, the yasurime are sujichigai, the tip is a rounded kuri-jiri, there is a three-character signature to the right and below the mekugi-ana. Hint – among the works of this smith there are both midare and suguha and there are also some of pure masame hada.
Now who do you suppose made this? Send us your answers by noon on the 15th. There will be a multiple-choice quiz as part of the presentation on the 16th. Invitation below.
