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Hi @GreyVR The nakago remains ubu but the portion of the date was almost certainly erased for whatever reason. Tanobe sensei noted it as well on the sayagaki 1st thought was that perhaps it was an attempt to pass it off as a Gorozaemon so the Eiroku portion was erased.

Slight price adjustment to $4800 USD Shipping included for USA Thank you kindly -Kevin Lee

I will always send my blades to Woody Hall in Hawaii. His work is exceptional and he is the 2nd american togoshi to win an NBTHK Award. The 1st being his master Robert Benson. Robert has more or less retired in his old age but his apprentice/son Nicholas is a capable togishi as well. Tho I have never had a blade worked on by him. Robert Benson has fully apprenticed under living national treasue Koke Ono so it s a great line of polishers

Hi @Takezo Your Gorozaemon overall is a very unique piece and likely ordered in a particular way at the time. I have yet to see another Kiyomitsu with Mitsu mune or an original Futasuji Bi like yours

Interested to know as well but it definitely is not a Fuchi and doesnt particularly look Japanese as well other than the crane motif

Good Evening I am putting up a beautiful Kamakura/Nanbokucho tachi attributted to Ko Kongo hyoe Details: NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Blade Length: 67.0 cm (26.38 in) Curvature: 1.6 cm (0.63 in) Mekugi Holes: 2 Motohaba: 2.86 cm (1.13 in) Sakihaba: 2.22 cm (0.87 in) Kasane: 0.58 cm (0.23 in) Sword Weight: 655 grams (1.44 lbs) Era: Kamakura to Nanbokucho period (Approx. 1342–1330, over 682 years ago) Shape: Suriage Mumei piece with a deep curvature, characteristic of late Kamakura to Nanbokucho period swords. The kissaki is magnificent on this sword and it was given a shiage togi in summer 2025. $5000 USD with shipping included for USA. Will ship overseas where feasable. Here is the link to hi res imgaes and let me know if there is any part of the sword that you d like to see additional images for and I ll accommodate as fast as I can. Will be happy to answer any questions as well. https://www.kozmophotography.com/Ko-Kongo-hyoe/n-CqmsMj Thank you kindly -Kevin Lee

Thank you @Lewis B It really is a wonderful piece. The image from samurai nippon was a little washed so it didnt do the blade justice. I am so fortunate the sayagaki worked out. Originally I was told it would take about another month for Tanobe sensei to get to it so I had agreed to get the sword back and ship it as is. And then this was the email I got the night before the sword was to be returned and the sayagaki was done 2 days later. Not sure what exactly transpired but I feel extremely fortunate. And this sword also feels very different than any other Sue Bizen i ve held. The motohaba ( 3.08cm ) and sakihaba ( 2.16cm ) isnt really impressive but the kasane is a crazy .9cm and weighs about 900g. And the shinogi is high so it pushes the overall thickness even wider. I dont know how this was expected to be wielded but the weight and lack of taper makes it feel more like an axe with how forward heavy it is 😆

@RobDam The blade has arrived and I am very glad to have requested and waited for Tanobe sensei s sayagaki as he had quite a lot to say about it. I certainly did not expect for him to wrtite this much about it. Was able to get a fairly refined translation. 備前国住長舩清光作 九字銘有之而製作年紀ガ消サレ二月日ノヲ残存ス 俗名無キト雖モ孫右衞門尉ニ紛レハ無ク 蓋シ年號永禄ナラン 頑健ナル先反ノ造込而板目ニ地沸ヲ敷キ 肌目ノ立ツ鍛ヘニ得意ノ廣直刃ヲ焼キ足・葉入 沸ツキ横手下ニハ彼ノ個性ナル 縦長ノ葉ガ見ラレ其持味ヲ明示スル優品也 " Bizen Koku Ju Osafune Kiyomitsu Saku The blade bears a nine-character signature. The portion containing the date has been erased, with only "2nd month, day" remaining. Although no common (secular) name is included in the signature, there can be no doubt that this is the work of Magoemon no Jō Kiyomitsu. It was most likely made during the Eiroku era (1558–1570). The blade has a robust construction with a pronounced saki-zori. The steel shows a well-forged itame-hada with abundant ji-nie, and the grain stands out clearly. It displays his characteristic wide suguha containing numerous ashi and yō. The temper is rich in nie, and beneath the yokote one can observe his characteristic elongated, vertical yō, a distinctive hallmark of his workmanship. It is an excellent blade that clearly and fully displays the distinctive qualities of his work. Blade length: 2 shaku, 3 sun, and 4 bu 5 rin Written by Tanzan in the month of Rinchū (6th lunar month), in the year of Hinoe-Uma (Fire Horse). " I definitely plan on taking more images with some professional gear when I get a chance.

The sword arrived yesterday and it s more than I could have ever wished for 🙏🙏🙏. I ve looked at every millimeter of this blade and there s not a single area showing any hint of age or loose hada. The entire blade is just coved in activity and every millimeter of the nioiguchi is bright and brilliant. Just amazing what an upper sue bizen blade can be. On top of it all it has massive .9 cm kasane and sits at just about 900 grams. Will definitely try to take more photos with some professional gear and try to capture as much of the hataraki as I can

The nakgo and mei looks promising. Would be great if we could see the full close up condition of the blade. There were many Norimitsu smiths during the muromachi and they all made good blades. The best of them were active in the 1400s and this one ( if genuine ) would be either the 6th or 7th gemeration. The 6th generation Norimitsu was a skilled smith and rated Jo Saku. Would love to see this blade s journey and how it turns up. Best wishes

Thank you everyone for the help and esp @YourBabyBjornBorg for the help with the characters 🙏🙏🙏🙏 After adding everything up this is what I have so far if the translation is correct "Bizen Koku Ju Osafune Kiyomitsu Saku" The tang bears a nine-character signature. The portion containing the date of manufacture has been erased, leaving only "2nd month, day" (二月日). Although no personal name is recorded, there is no doubt that this is the work of Magoemon-no-jō Kiyomitsu (孫右衛門尉清光). The era is most likely Eiroku (1558–1570). It is a robust work with a pronounced saki-zori. The steel shows a well-forged itame-hada with abundant ji-nie, and the grain stands out clearly. The blade displays Kiyomitsu's characteristic wide suguha, containing numerous ashi and yō activities. The temper is rich in nie, and just below the yokote appears his distinctive vertically elongated yō, a hallmark feature that clearly demonstrates his characteristic workmanship. This is an excellent example of his work. Blade length: 2 shaku, 3 sun, and 4 bu 5 rin. Written by Tanzan in the month of Rinchū (6th lunar month), in the year of Hinoe-Uma (Fire Horse).

And is the opposite side just date and kao ?

@YourBabyBjornBorg Oh my godness thank you so much for this !!