A Yasusada Tameshigiri Wakizashi (大和守安定)

Yamato no Kami Yasusada is one of the most celebrated names of the Shintô period – a swordsmith whose blades were so reliably lethal that he earned the coveted rank of ryô-wazamono, reserved for makers of the most cutting-effective swords. Said to have originated from Echizen province and studied under the great master Shodai Yasutsugu, Yasusada later moved to Edo where he flourished during the Kanbun era (1661-1673), forging a close working relationship with the grandmaster sword tester Yamano Ka’emon Nagahisa. This long and authoritative ô-wakizashi is a prime example of everything that made Yasusada famous.

The blade carries a vibrant gunome-midare hamon with spectacular extra-long ashi erupting across the wide yakiba – classic Yasusada in every respect. The jihada is well-forged ko-itame enriched with shining ji-nie and impressive tunnels of chikei, with masame-hada running through the shinogi-ji. The beautifully crafted shirasaya mirrors the itame grain of the steel – a fitting tribute to the blade it houses. The habakiis gold-wrapped with diagonal file marks.

The gold-inlaid cutting test inscription on the reverse of the ubu nakago records the following: on the 14th day of the first month of Kanbun 2 (January 14, 1662), this sword severed through two bodies in a single stroke – the test performed and certified by Yamano Ka’emon Nagahisa with his personal monogram. A document of remarkable historical weight, carried in the steel itself for over three and a half centuries.