Kantei
A polished katana without mounting, seen whole on both sides on a black background, with the engraved tang below.

Photo: dealer in Japan

Kiyomaro · home-made steel

Work and style

Wide blades with a large point, made with the family’s steel and with Kiyomaro as the model: four katana of his dated from 2001 to 2009.

On this page
  1. Style
  2. His blades
  3. The 2009 katana

Style

The Akamatsu Tarō forge seeks work of vigorous line (豪快な作域, gōkai na sakuiki) and takes 源清麿 (Minamoto Kiyomaro) as its ideal. Kaneteru forges with the family’s steel, and engraves it on the tang.

His blades

  • January 2001 (Heisei 13). Katana of 76.0 cm signed 肥州八代住兼照鍛之 (Hishū Yatsushiro-jū Kaneteru kore o kitau), with bōhi on both sides, made for iai and tameshigiri.
  • January 2003 (Heisei 15). Katana signed 肥後國住赤松太郎兼照作 (Higo no Kuni-jū Akamatsu Tarō Kaneteru saku), with a large point and a dark, wild steel in the manner of Dōtanuki or Kongōbyōe. He polished it himself.
  • June 2007. Katana of 72.4 cm, a copy of Kiyomaro: 写清麿 (utsushi Kiyomaro) and 肥後國住赤松太郎兼照作 (Higo no Kuni-jū Akamatsu Tarō Kaneteru saku) on one side of the tang, 丁亥年六月吉日 (hinoto-i no toshi rokugatsu kichijitsu) on the other. Wide, thick ō-kissaki; itame with ji-nie; a nie hamon of gunome-midare, with a deep nioiguchi, sunagashi and kinsuji.
  • January 2009. Katana of 71.8 cm, with an unshortened tang (生ぶ, ubu); gunome-chōji over a very tight itame. Signed 肥後國八代住赤松太郎兼照作 (Higo no Kuni Yatsushiro-jū Akamatsu Tarō Kaneteru saku) and, on the other side, 以自家製鉄鍛之 (jika seitetsu o motte kore o kitau) 己丑年一月吉日 (tsuchinoto-ushi no toshi ichigatsu kichijitsu): the year 己丑 (tsuchinoto-ushi) is 2009. It is the one in the photos.