New Shinken Purchase! Gendaito - Akamatsu Taro Kaneyuki

[Charliebrown]

Hi All,

 

 

Greetings!

I want to share with you all my most recent Gendaito purchase. Below are the specifications of the blade, please leave some comments, and ENJOY!!!

 

BUSHIDO Akamatsu Taro Kaneyuki (Homemade Iron Forging)

Nagasa Blade Length: 73.8cm

Sori Curvature: 1.9cm

Width at Hamachi: 3.37cm

Width at tip: 2.45cm

Moto Kasane: 0.74cm

Sori Kasane: 0.42cm

Blade weight: 770G 

2013 Year of the Snake

 

I love it, the balance is great. Right above the Handle. Should be great for Iai / Tameshigiri

 

[OceanoNox]

Nice blade! I have one from that forge (in Kumamoto, right?). They are really exceptionally well balanced for iai. Congratulations, enjoy it!

[Charliebrown]

Kaneyuki hails from the Akamatsu Taro clan, a family with a long history in sword making, tracing back to sword makers in the Satsuma region (now Kumamoto Prefecture). 

The Akamatsu Taro clan is particularly known for its Kiyomaro copies, which are made using homemade iron. I think the colour and the shine is different from other nihonto made with NBTHK Tamahagane.

[Charliebrown]

 

Hamon Videos : ENJOY 

 

https://new.express.adobe.com/publishedV2/urn:aaid:sc:AP:2fa54ebd-3b4d-40d9-a32e-3a15b14d6897?promoid=Y69SGM5H&mv=other

 

https://new.express.adobe.com/publishedV2/urn:aaid:sc:AP:5b20185b-7e2c-4b34-a013-2838f1ffa6d7?promoid=Y69SGM5H&mv=other

[2devnul]

Hello,

 

Beautiful blade and Koshirae, I envy you for having that one in collection. Congratulations! 

 

 

18 hours ago, Charliebrown said:

Right above the Handle. Should be great for Iai / Tameshigiri

 

I will argue with that  For Iaido I agree, but for Tameshigiri you want to have something with balance more to the tip. AFAIK even in Japan a different sword is being used for Iaido and for Tameshigiri. For test cutting they usually use heavy 'cleaver' type of swords as it helps (at list for single strike swings) in cuts. Also, that swords is to nice for cutting, don't do it! Buy Hanwei/Coldsteel/whatever for that purpose. Don't waste (it will get damaged/dulled/scratched or bend!) this sword please. Just my thoughts. 

 

[Charliebrown]

Hi Adam,

 

Thanks! Yeah, this blade was particularly striking, and I am happy I have an additional piece in my collection!

From what I gather, the Akamatsu Taro Smiths usually produce works that are similar to Kiyomaro (清麿) style, which makes this piece a bit unique due to the refined symmetry and Patterned random Chouji Midare.

(Please, if someone can identify the patterns accurately, I am here to learn as well!!)

 

The balance of this blade is great for Iaido. Our dojo does have a few cutting swords with the Sori thickness of around 0.39 - 0.45 for cutting practice. Those are with a wider and thinner profile. It depends on the dojo and your Sensei's requirements.

With that being said, this piece is for my personal collection  

[Alex A]

Im with Adam, its far too nice of sword for cutting practice, though its your business.

 

When they get marks and lines on them, they look ****

[jeremy]

12 hours ago, Charliebrown said:

Hi Adam,

 

Thanks! Yeah, this blade was particularly striking, and I am happy I have an additional piece in my collection!

From what I gather, the Akamatsu Taro Smiths usually produce works that are similar to Kiyomaro (清麿) style, which makes this piece a bit unique due to the refined symmetry and Patterned random Chouji Midare.

(Please, if someone can identify the patterns accurately, I am here to learn as well!!)

 

The balance of this blade is great for Iaido. Our dojo does have a few cutting swords with the Sori thickness of around 0.39 - 0.45 for cutting practice. Those are with a wider and thinner profile. It depends on the dojo and your Sensei's requirements.

With that being said, this piece is for my personal collection  

0.39-0.45 inch sori? That's pretty shallow for a cutting blade? 

[Katsujinken]

On 5/28/2025 at 3:15 AM, 2devnul said:

I will argue with that  For Iaido I agree, but for Tameshigiri you want to have something with balance more to the tip. AFAIK even in Japan a different sword is being used for Iaido and for Tameshigiri. For test cutting they usually use heavy 'cleaver' type of swords as it helps (at list for single strike swings) in cuts. Also, that swords is to nice for cutting, don't do it! Buy Hanwei/Coldsteel/whatever for that purpose. Don't waste (it will get damaged/dulled/scratched or bend!) this sword please. Just my thoughts. 

I don’t want to derail the thread, but this is a common misconception. There’s nothing good about a tip heavy sword — it leads to poor technique and other bad habits. 
 

Styles that use shinken, where tameshigiri is integral and not an afterthought, generally advise their practitioners to use one sword for everything because tameshigiri is meant to be an extension of kata and vice versa. 
 

Great looking sword!

[Charliebrown]

Hi All, 

 

Some more photos of the Hamon, Nakago, and fitting details for your enjoyment!!

 

 

[Alex A]

I don't know anything about cutting, but weren't swords in the Edo period with wide flashy hamon known to break more often, just a thought.