Kat_MasaFusa

PUBLISHED GENDAI KATANA

SHODA MASAFUSA c. 1940

SUGATA: SHINOGI ZUKURI

MEI: MASAFUSA

DATE: SHOWA JU HACHI NEN SAN GATSU (1943)

NAGASA: 66.675cm (26.25″)

OVERALL: 87.63cm (34.5″)

MIHABA: 3.175cm (1.25″)

KASANE: 0.78cm (0.312″)

SORI: 1.9cm (0.75″)

This is a well forged Gendaito by the Gifu swordsmith Masafusa. Masafusa’s real name was Shoda Kihichi, whose date of birth was 1916. In 1931 he enrolled in the school of hayama Masatsura. Then in 1936, he entered the Kaji of Fujiwara Kanefusa who was the 23rd generation of the Seki Kanefusa family of swordsmith’s. Later, in 1941, he went to study at the Nihonto Gakuin (Japanese Sword Academy) in Zama. Masafusa became a Rikugun Jumei Tosho in 1942 and worked at the Seki Nihon Token Kaisha (Seki Japanese Sword Co.). His last known residence was KaizuiGun, Nanno-cho.He was known to make medium to high grade Gendaito and Showato. In a 1941 exhibition, he placed 3rd seat in the cutting test category. References include TK-582: Toko Taikan; MAS-67,70,71: Hawley’s; NMK-889: Nihonto Meikan; and GTM-142 Gendai Toko Meikan.

This star stamped Gendai Katana is just above average length at 26.25″ and is 34.5″ overall. I have referred to this sword as a Katana, but technically it should be referred to as a Tachi, as it was made for gunto Tachi mounts, and is signed Tachi mei. It is shinogi zukuri, tori zori, iori mune, chu kissaki and the boshi is o-maru. The Nakago is ubu with two mekugi ana and kesho yasurime. The Hada is a tight ko-itame and the hamon is a flamboyant wide horse tooth gunome.