This is a very interesting Katana in the Chikuzen tradition. It is in an original polish with slight pinhole size pittings left from the original polisher. The overall sugata of this sword is impressive and the hamon is loaded with activity. The hamon contains a profuse amount of ara-nie and ko-nie. There is a mixture of erratic size and shaped gunome. The hada has a milky slick looking finish and forged very well with some areas of O- hada mixed in. This blade comes in its original shirasaya. These papers were issued by the NTHK and have 5 stamps attesting to its quality and varacity of its signature. There is a silver 2 piece habaki very nicely done. The blade has Bohi which adds to the balance that this blade possesses. The signature reads: Tamaki Izumi no Kami Moritsuna kore o saku. There is also a very rare name inscribed for the sword on the opposite side of the blade. It reads: Koshinotsuyu (“dew on small bamboo grass”). This type of inscription or naming is usually found on blades that were cherished by the owner or Samurai and a rare treat to possess a blade with this.

Moritsuna was active around Genroku in Chikuzen province and had been a student of Awataguchi Ikkanshi Tadatsuna in Osaka. One of his blades, an o-wakizashi with a flamboyant choji, is featured in the 1974 publication Showa Meibutsu Cho.

There were a few small pinhole sized pits left on the blade by the last polisher. A new fresh polish would take care of  most of this and greatly enhance the blade. The size of the blade indicates it may have been made for a single handed style of swordsmenship and has a great feel and balance in hand. The blade is powerful and wide.