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The 2018 tantō at the NBTHK
In the catalogue of the 平成の名刀・名工展 (Heisei no Meitō Meikōten), opened on 24 August 2019, it appears as number 18: a tantō signed 國壽 (Kunihisa) and dated 平成戊戌年 (Heisei tsuchinoe-inu no toshi, the year 2018), 26.0 cm long and without curvature, entered under his civil name, of Gunma. It was polished by 森井鐵太郎 (Morii Tetsutarō), the habaki is by 中田育男 (Nakata Ikuo) and the scabbard by 森井敦央 (Morii Atsuo).
The katana Suigetsumaru
His katana 水月丸 (Suigetsumaru) measures 81.8 cm, with 2.7 cm of curvature. In it he seeks to unite the dynamic and the static, “the calm hidden in the fury”. Its forging, drawing out and clay were recorded on video in 2019.
The works he shows
He shows a tantō 月光 (Gekkō, “moonlight”) of 2010 with an inlaid gold crescent moon, a hira-wakizashi of 2010, a wedding tantō (嫁入短刀, yomeiri tantō) of 2012 and a protection tantō (お守り短刀, omamori tantō) of 2014. He also makes small ironwork: knives and kogatana, mekugi pin pushers, kettle rings (釜鐶, kamakan), ember tongs, and netsuke, obi clasps and earrings in the shape of lotus root.
His style
In a 2021 video he explains, while applying it, the hardening clay (土置き, tsuchi-oki) of a blade. There is no description of his style, his own or by critics: neither of the steel (地鉄, jigane), nor of the hardening, nor of the tradition he follows.
His blades
The tantō 月光 (Gekkō, “moonlight”), of 2010. Photo: the smith himself
The gold crescent moon inlaid in the tantō Gekkō. Photo: the smith himself
A hira-wakizashi of 2010. Photo: the smith himself
A tantō of his, on a black background. Photo: the smith himself
The tang with his signature 國壽 (Kunihisa). Photo: the smith himself
A blade of his, with its temper. Photo: the smith himself
