GENDAITO by KATO TAKAO   (69.6 cm.)

This is a beautiful Gendaito made by Kato Takao, born in 1922 in Gifu, Mino Province and he is descended from the famous twenty-three generations of Kanefusa, which began in the swordmaking area of Seki in the mid-fifteenth century. He specialized in Bizen, Soshu and Mino styles, using Itame Hada and O-Midare Choji Hamon. This sword has a 69.6 cm. cutting edge, is signed "Mino Seki Ju Fujiwara Takao" and dated "Showa Ni Ju Nen Ju Ni Gatsu Kichi Nichi" (1945) and is mounted in the original Shirasaya inscribed with a Sayagaki. This maker is featured in the Gendai Toko Meikan.