This Katana has a scabbard of lacquered wood with patches of black and red alternating and a design of small brown pine needles coving it. The tsuba is made of iron with a dragon and clouds worked into it. The fuchi-kashira are of shakudo with peonies in relief of gold and shakudo. Instead of the ashi which are used for mounting tachi, this katana has a kurigata (a small knob on the scabbard) which allows the attachment of a silk cord that assists in the placement of the sword in the obi (sash) of the samauri carrying the sword. The tsuka’s menuki (ornaments on the tsuka for both decoration and grip) are of shibuichi and depict spotted horses in motion. The tsuka itself is covered in white ray skin and wrapped with black silk cord. The deeply curved blade is 74.2 cm long and has a narrow, strait hamon line.
(Commentary by Rob Nalewajk)