A Shodai Yukihiro Katana (肥前国出羽守行広)

Yukihiro – son of Yoshinobu and younger brother to Masahiro – was born in 1617 into the heart of the Hizen tradition. He received his Dewa no Daijō title in 1648 and his Dewa no Kami title (Lord of Dewa province) in 1663. This katana was made after he received that coveted no Kami title, placing it firmly within his mature period – always the most desirable work of any Hizen smith. In 1650 he travelled to Nagasaki to study Dutch forging techniques alongside Hisatsugu and Tanenaga, and is also believed to have studied Bizen Ichimonji methods with Noriyoshi in Edo. The breadth of his training shows in the quality of his work.

The blade presents the ko-itame jihada that defines the finest Hizen output, and a gunome midare hamon of particularly lovely clove-blossom character, with long ashi and sunagashi adding life across the steel. At classic Edo-period samurai sword length and curvature, this is a working sword that clearly saw real use – it carries a few very minor flaws that place it in honest and attainable territory for a genuine Shodai Yukihiro.

The nakago is ubu with ha-agari kurijiri shape and sujikai yasuri file marks, and carries the full Hizen no Kuni Dewa no Kami Yukihiro signature. Yukihiro’s legacy endured through six generations of talented successors – testament to the standard he set. Two certificates of authenticity accompany the sword: NBTHK Hozon and NTHK Kanteishô.

Update – This katana now has a custom koshirae crafted for it by Unique Japan and it looks great. Please ask for further details – images and video will be shared. Note also that this sword is currently in Sweden with all import taxes paid, making it ideally suited for a European collector. Payment can be made in Euros. We can of course ship anywhere in the world. Yukihiro is a wonderful Hizen smith to collect and at this price, an ideal first serious acquisition.