Antique Japanese Tanto, signed Sadatsugu (貞次) — Echizen Shimosaka (Yasutsugu) school, early-Edo Shintō period — NBTHK Hozon Tōken — with vermilion Wakasa-nuri koshirae, matching kozuka and kōgai, plus shirasaya

Signed tanto by Sadatsugu of the Echizen Shimosaka line · itame with abundant ji-nie and vivid yubashiri · gunome-based hamon with togari-ba, tobiyaki and kinsen · complete in a beautiful red Wakasa-lacquer mounting

A signed (zaimei) tanto by Sadatsugu (貞次), a smith of the Echizen Shimosaka school who worked in the early Edo period (Shintō era). Freshly polished and in superb, nearly flawless condition, it is dressed in a striking vermilion Wakasa-nuri lacquer mounting complete with matching kozuka and kōgai — and comes with a plain wood shirasaya as well. A true "total package" for the collector, papered by the NBTHK as an authentic work of the smith.

Workmanship and condition

The blade is freshly polished throughout and superbly preserved — essentially flawless and exceptionally sound (kenzen). The jigane is an itame (wood-grain) surface with abundant ji-nie, across which yubashiri ("splashes" of hardened steel) stand out crisply. The hamon is based on gunome mixed with togari-ba (pointed heads) and shows tobiyaki (detached islands of temper); the nioiguchi is tight and well-defined, with bright kinsen ("golden lines") playing within the edge — a lively, well-controlled temper full of interest.

Form

This is a hira-zukuri (flat-sided, ridgeless) tanto of classic proportion. At a nagasa of 23.4 cm (about 7 sun 7 bu) with a nearly straight 0.1 cm of sori, it has the tight, purposeful silhouette expected of a fine dagger, balanced and comfortable in the hand.

On the signature and the smith Sadatsugu

The tang (nakago) is signed Sadatsugu on the omote (front). Many smiths across the centuries carried the name Sadatsugu; the maker of this tanto was the son of Kanetsune of Ichijō (Ichijō-jū Kanetsune) and a pupil of the first-generation Yasutsugu — the celebrated Echizen master, originally named Shimosaka, who was granted the "Yasu" (康) character by the Tokugawa and worked in the Keichō era (early 1600s). Sadatsugu accordingly belongs to the prestigious Echizen Shimosaka (Yasutsugu) school. In February 2025 the NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai) examined the blade, certified it as a genuine (shōshin) work of Sadatsugu, and issued a Hozon Tōken certificate.

The koshirae

The tanto is mounted aikuchi-style in a beautiful Wakasa-nuri (Wakasa-lacquer) saya — the celebrated marbled lacquer of old Wakasa province — in vivid vermilion over black, polished to reveal its swirling, tortoiseshell-like pattern. The hilt is wrapped over same (ray skin) with figural menuki, and the mounting retains its matching kozuka (small utility-knife) and kōgai (skewer) in their pockets, making this a complete and harmonious ensemble. A plain wood shirasaya (resting scabbard) is also included, so the blade can be rested in the shirasaya or enjoyed in its handsome lacquer koshirae as the mood suits.

A freshly polished, signed Shintō-era tanto by Sadatsugu of the Echizen Shimosaka line, its ji-nie-laden itame steel and lively gunome temper papered by the NBTHK — housed in a striking vermilion Wakasa-nuri mounting complete with kozuka and kōgai, and accompanied by a shirasaya. A genuinely complete and collectible package, ready to appreciate exactly as it is.

Specifications

• Type: Tanto (hira-zukuri)
• Signature (mei): Sadatsugu (貞次), on the omote (signed / zaimei)
• Certification: NBTHK Hozon Tōken (issued February 2025)
• Period: Shintō period (early Edo, ca. Keichō era / early 17th century)
• Smith / school: Sadatsugu — Echizen Shimosaka (Yasutsugu) school; son of Ichijō-jū Kanetsune, pupil of the first-generation Yasutsugu
• Jigane: itame with abundant ji-nie, with clearly visible yubashiri
• Hamon: gunome-based with togari-ba and tobiyaki; tight nioiguchi with kinsen
• Blade length (nagasa): 23.4 cm / 9.21 in (about 7 sun 7 bu)
• Curvature (sori): 0.1 cm
• Width at base (motohaba): 22.6 mm
• Thickness at base (motokasane): 5.9 mm
• Peg-holes (mekugi-ana): 2
• Weight: 140 g (blade only) / 290 g (without scabbard)
• Condition: freshly polished, essentially flawless, very sound
• Mounting: aikuchi tanto koshirae with vermilion Wakasa-nuri saya, matching kozuka and kōgai; shirasaya also included
• Torokushō (Japanese registration) No.:Yamagata 29669