National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

The sword style called Soshuden, which was completed by Masamune, features a representation of vibrant beauty via outstanding nie (martensite crystals) activity in the jigane (ground metal) and hamon (blade pattern) produced by forging both hard and mild steel. This sword has a wood grain-patterned jigane with thick jinie (small martensite crystals in the ground) and lots of chikei (curved lines of martensite crystals in the ground). The hamon features a combination of notareba (a gently undulating pattern) and big gunomeba (an undulated pattern) and lots of kinsuji (small shiny lines), and sunagashi (an activity in the hamon that resembles sweeping sands).
　According to the Kyoho Meibutsu-cho (a book of quality products in the Kyoho era), this sword was given to Ukita Hideie by Wakasa Governor Mori and then to Ishida Mitsunari by Hideie. Finally, after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Mitsunari, who was driven away by other feudal lords and placed in confinement at Sawayama Castle, gave it to Yuki Hideyasu in return for accompanying him to Sawayama Castle. The reason why it is recorded as "Ishida Kirikomi" in the Kyoho Meibutsu-cho is because there are traces of big cuts on the mune (the back of the blade), shinogiji (the area between the ridgeline and the mune) and nakagomune (the back of the tang).