Signature: "INSHU OMI HEKI SUKENAO (NO) JO FUJIWARA KANETSUGU SAKU" with NTHK paper. Blade length: 83.6 cm or 32.91". Sori curve 2.0 cm or 0.79". Width at hamachi notch 3.08 cm or 1.21". Thickness at hamachi 0.76 cm or 0.30". ERA: Late Edo period. Bunkyu to Keio era. Circa 1861 to 1865. SHAPE: Long shinogi-zukuri tachi, chu kissaki, iori mune. JI-TETSU: Masame covers on the itame hada with ji-nie. HAMON: Tight gunome midare undulates with ashi, yo and kinsuji. KOSHIRAE: With tsunagi (wood blade). Mounts, moko shape tsuba, iron with a ishime texture surface The menuki of su-aka, are of a nice large dragonfly. Fuchi kashira and kojire unsigned of matching sentoku brass ishime texture to a millet ear pattern. Black lacquered ro-iro saya. All in perfect condition. Kanetsugu was born in 1839 and was a swordsmith in Inshu province, present day Tottori pref. His clan served the domain of Tottori for generations under the name of Kanesaki, Kanetsugu lost his father at the age of 22 and learned under Yokoyama Sukekane in Bizen province and Takahashi Naganobu at Edo. After the Meiji restoration in 1868 Kanetsugu moved to Tokyo to forge a sword to dedicate to the Ise Shrine in 1886. He also forged copy (utsushi) swords modeled after old treasure swords in the Shosoin repository at Nara in the next year. He passed away in 1910 at age 71. SIZE: Blade cutting length 32.91", overall length approx. 45". CONDITION: The blade is in a beautiful polish with copper habaki in shirasaya. The koshirae is original to the blade and looks like new with new tsuka ito, wrappings to the hilt. A beautiful sword now in perfect condition and ready to enjoy. 53111-1 GA (7,500-8,500)