Kantei

Mino-den

美濃伝 (Mino-den)

The tradition of Seki, in Mino: the latest of the five and the most influential on the sword of the Edo period.

Style and characteristics

A blend of Sagami and Yamato: an itame jigane with masame, often with shirake-utsuri, and a gunome hamon with sharp points (togari-ba) or in groups of three, the sanbonsugi of the Kanemoto line. The bōshi tends to be jizō. Practical blades, with a thin kasane and a high shinogi.

History

It began in the Nanbokuchō period with Kaneuji, a pupil tradition places beside Masamune, and with Kinju; their followers settled in Naoe. In the Muromachi period Seki became the largest production centre in the country, with dozens of families signing with «Kane», and from it came Izumi no Kami Kanesada and Magoroku Kanemoto, famed for their cutting. When the wars ended its smiths spread across the provinces, which is why much of shintō descends from Mino.

Smiths of the school

Back to the schools