Sugata
The Japanese Wikipedia describes shapes of great dignity, at times so imposing that they recall Masamune. For the court and the shrines he also forged ancient shapes: ceremonial tachi and straight swords such as the kantō no tachi of 1915, with the tang ending in a ring.
Jihada
A very fine and refined steel, perhaps, according to the Japanese Wikipedia, because of his connection with the San'in region, rich in good iron sand.
Hamon
His basis is the nioi Bizen-den (匂出来, nioi-deki), with gunome-chōji, in the manner of Osafune Kanemitsu; he also tried Sōshū-den and Yamashiro-den. Compared with Gassan Sadakazu, with his showy tempers, bright steel and engravings, his work is sober, classical and robust (質実剛健, shitsujitsu gōken).
Bōshi
The flame-like bōshi (火焔, kaen), in the manner of Kanemitsu.
Nakago and mei
His signature changes over the years: 宮本能登守包則 (Miyamoto Noto no Kami Kanenori) or 於皇都三条因幡宮本包則 (Kōto Sanjō ni oite Inaba Miyamoto Kanenori) in late Edo; 正七位宮本包則 (Shōshichii Miyamoto Kanenori) in Meiji and Taishō, and, as an artist of the court, the clan name Sugawara instead of Miyamoto: 帝室技芸員菅原包則 (Teishitsu gigeiin Sugawara Kanenori). In Meiji he signed on the outer side of tachi and in very different hands, from regular to cursive script: that is why there are false signatures. Many signatures give his age: 帝室技芸員菅原包則八十四歳作 (Teishitsu gigeiin Sugawara Kanenori hachijūyonsai saku), at 84, in 1913, and that of the kantō no tachi of 1915, at 86.
Horimono
According to the Japanese Wikipedia, some of his blades are engraved with the protective word サムハラ (Samuhara).
