We have here a blade signed Kanemoto, most likely a later generation. This late Edo era blade has the classic Sanbon-sugi hamon for which they were noted for. The hada is a well worked Itame/Mokume  blend with Masame in the shinogi-ji. There is a Jizu like boshi with longish turnback. The blade is very healthy with a wide mihada. It is Uno-kobi-Zukuri most likely a shinshinto periodSwordsmith.

The Kanemoto smiths originally worked in Akasaka in Mino Province (modern-day Gifu Prefecture). The first generation was active from around 1500, and a number of his swords bear dates and inscriptions including the name of his village, Akasaka. There were several subsequent generations who signed just with the two characters of the name. The work of the second generation, known as ‘Magoroku’, excels that of the others, but after him it is difficult to distinguish between the later generations of smiths. The characteristic ‘hamon’ is particularly regular and contrived on swords of the later generations into the Edo period. The signature is very well done and looks semi-cursive.

The blade is mounted in an Edo period koshirae. The tsuka is leather wrapped in the jabara-maki style with kiri-mon menuki. The fuchi/kashira, koiguchi,kojiri and kurikata are all matching arabesque style inan antique Japanese bronze/brass finish. The seppa and habaki are copper and the tsuba an iron sukashi in the form of a Ho-bird or Phoenix. The sageo is black to match the ito. The saya has a beautiful vermillion finish that needs repair near the kodzuka area. All in all a wonderful package and a classic mino style Kanemoto.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SAYA HAS BEEN TOTALY RE-LACQUERED AND RESTORED,  PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON*