武士刀 - 钢 - Masterpiece Japanese Sword Katana Sou Hiroshi and Son Sou Tsutomu Mukansa NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon (Sho - 日本 - 20世纪

Here is a superb  collaborative masterpiece of an extraordinary master craftsman father Sou HIROSHI 宗弘 and son Sou TSUTOMU 宗勉.
To honor his father.

This is the exceptional collaboration sword of the renowned father Sou HIROSHI 宗弘 aged 79 in his later years and legendary son master craftsmen Sou TSUTOMU  aged 57 matured peak of his skills that follows the style of the Soshu tradition, which had been deeply admired by the work of Minamoto KIYOMARO  while Sou TSUTOMU achieved consecutive awards.
The inscription signature starts with the place of work Chikushu-ju 筑州住 then the joint works name of leader smith Sou HIROSHI 宗弘 and his son Sou TSUTOMU 宗勉 saku. The other side shows the date  Auspicious day in the 2nd month, of the Rat, the 1st calendar sign of Showa (1984).

The smith Sou HIROSHI 宗弘 was born on August 9, 1905, in San'no-cho, Fukuoka City, given name was 宗康弘 Sou YASUHIRO.
From 1942 of Showa 17, he studied under Komiya Shiro KUNIMITSU  and his initial swords were inscribed with the name "MASAMITSU"正光. During the WW2, he was involved in the production of Naval swords at Minatogawa shrine.
After the war in November 1954, he received an official licence as an official Master swordsmith from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. He achieved the Doryoku-sho Award 4 times and the Nyusen Award 6 times consecutively for the Newly Crafted Masterpiece Sword Exhibition from 1955.

He is well-known as the father of swordsmith Sou TSUTOMU 宗勉 who is submitted to the selecting committee "Mukansa" and is also renowned for the excellent sharpness as well as strength of his blades in the world of swordsmanship and martial arts.

Sou TSUTOMU 宗勉, born on May 1, 1927, In 1946 when he was 19 years, he studied under his father. He received the Shoreisho Award once, Doryoku-sho Awards 6 times and Nyusen Awards 4 times continuously then finally was honored as an esteemed Mukansa award in 1990 -  submitted to the jury in the Newly Masterpiece Sword Exhibition.
Many of his masterpieces follow the style of the Soshu tradition, with influences from KIYOMARO and in later years, he also created works inspired by the Yamashiro tradition and the exemplar blades of Tsuda Echizen-no-Kami Sukehiro  He passed away in 2015 aged 88 years old.

Black lacquered Rayskin polish surface scabbard Uchikatana Koshirae wonderful awsome piece
very nice detail in perfect condition one of a kind.

This blade is the best quality Sukehiro-Utsushi.
The blade shape is very wide and massive. and Hamon is perfect Togari-ha without fault, and activities in ha are very attractive.

Blade length 74.1 cm
Sori 1.7 cm
Hamon starts up in Gunome at Hamachi then makes up flamboyant outline of sharpened "Togari-ha
Fuchi/Kashira : Samurai warrior design, Shakudo Nanako-ji surface, Takabori carving.
Menuki : Samurai warrior design, Shakudo Katabori carving, Gold
Tsuba : Samurai warrior design, Yamagane copper ground, Nikubori, Openwork signed as Souheishi Nyudo SOUTEN-sei
Tsuka /saya: Rayskin, light brown silk cord Moro-tsumami style lozenge warp.
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon (Masterpiece).