AS21194 Katana:Mumei (Hokke Saburo Nobufusa)first generation.

Ordering number : AS21194
Katana in Shirasaya

Signature:Mumei (Hokke Saburo Nobufusa)first generation.
無銘（法華三郎信房）初代

(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo saku, Jyo-jyo saku Jyo saku and regular
saku)
This sword belongs to Jyo Jyo Saku ranking.
The blade was polished.
Habaki : Silver single habaki.
Blade length : 67.8 cm or 26.69inches.
Sori :2.5cm or 0.98inches.
Mekugi :1
Width at the hamachi : 3.1cm or 1.22inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.15cm or 0.84inches.
Kasane :0.7cm or 0.27inches.
The weight of the sword: 775grams.
Era : Showa period
Shape : The blade is broad and thick, 5cm Ububa left, deep Sori and longer Kissaki.
Jigane :Koitamehada flows like Masame, Jinie is attached, Hadame is visible.
Hamon :Niedeki Choji-midare, Togari-Choji-midare, Ko-Choji-midare, Sunagashi and Kinsuji work well in Hachu. Boshi turns back round.

Special feature :This work is Mumei but it is by Hokke Saburo Nobufusa in Showa period. Hokke Saburo Nobufusa, whose real name was Takahashi Noboru, was a sword smith from Miyagi prefecture, He made many Sakasa-Choji like Are school, which has good-working Kinsuji in Hachu. He had 5 pupils and won a prize from Minister of Education at Shinsaku Nihonto Exhibition. In Showa 17 he was chosen as Kihin-Joui rank(second highest rank), Gendai Sword Smith Popularity Ranking by Kurihara Hikosaburo sensei; we can see that he was already so popular before the war.

From Aoi Art: This is the work of the first generation of Hokke Saburo Nobufusa (a swordsmith from Miyagi Prefecture), famous for his modern swords.
The reason why we can determine that this is the first generation of Hokke Saburo Nobufusa even though it is Mumei(unsigned) is because I went directly to his house and purchased his swords.
Therefore, this work can be clearly identified as the work of Noboru Takahashi, the first Nobufusa.
Soon after the war, word spread that the Occupation forces would be hunting for Japanese swords, so Nobufusa hid the swords he had made.　When the world calmed down, he disposed of the sword at once.
This work is the first Hokke Saburo Nobufusa with a sense of dynamism.
I highly recommend this work.

Aoi Art estimation paper :whole Oshigata.