A Suishinshi Masatsugu Katana (水心子正次)

Among the finest swordsmiths of the Shinshintô period, Suishinshi Masatsugu occupies a singular position – heir to one of the great lineages in Japanese sword history, and executor of a blade form that connects the late Edo era directly back to the earliest days of the tradition. This katana, signed and dated on a good day in February 1854, is a prime example of his mature work in the kissaki-moroha-zukuri style: double-edged near the kissaki, consciously echoing the legendary imperial treasure Kogarasu-maru attributed to Amakuni of Yamato, circa 710 AD. The result is a sword of genuine presence – muscular, precise, and deliberately archaistic in the best possible sense.

Masatsugu was born Kawabe Hokushi, the son of the 2nd generation Suishinshi Masahide and grandson to the founder of the Shinshintô movement. After his father’s early death he completed his training under the grandmaster Taikei Naotane, whose daughter he later married, and he signed using the same Suishinshi name and official kao as his father – a mark of deliberate continuity. Rated Jo-saku by Fujishiro and highly skilled in the Bizen and Sôshû traditions, Masatsugu produced swords of such quality that several have attained NBTHK Jûyô Tôken status – a remarkable achievement for any Shinshintô smith.

The hamon here is a rich gunome choji midare with remarkably long ashi reaching toward the cutting edge, accompanied by vivid sunagashi and striking kinsuji – golden lines of nie crystals that flash in changing light. The Tanobe sensei sayagaki confirms deep and thick nie and nioi, noting the abundance of hataraki and characterising the blade as well made. Certification is outstanding: NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon and NTHK-NPO Yushusaku (the highest honour at the NTHK-NPO), with comprehensive sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro dated January 2017.