© Copyright Robert Cole 2015   - No copying or distributing 
Sagami 
  Kazusa = Upper Soshu
Shimosa = Lower Soshu

SOSHU: General Technical 

SUGATA 
  SOSHU SUGATA is KAMAKURA, early or late NAMBOKUCHO style  with
later  smiths  making SUGATA  competitive with  their times.  One  
expects  wide, thin blades with shallow curvature.  TORIIZORI and  
often with MITSUMUNE.  MITSUMUNE is a calling card.

HADA 
  KO-MOKU  or O-MOKU.  ITAME  with O-HADA.  Some  NASHI-textured.
Steel is a clear translucent blue. Abundant HA-NIE and JI-NIE. CHIKEI.
YUBASHIRI-HADA.

HAMON 
  O-NOTARE O-MIDARE  mix,  O-GUNOME NOTARE MIDARE,  Snow-blizzard
and  Deer-antler forms,  HITATSURA. Possibly a SUGU gaining width
toward the BOSHI. The YAKIBA may have SUNAGASHI and YO.  Stronger
NIE in earlier pieces. NIE can be profuse. NIE can be large. Some
later work in NIOI. SOSHU is famous for hotter quenching. NIJUBA
is associated.  KINSUJI and INAZUMA.  The quality of NIE, in  the
better work, is outstanding and obvious. The quality of steel and
of differentiation create unique metallurgy.

BOSHI 
  Can be HITATSURA, MIDARE, HAKIKAKE, or KAEN-like.  Some TOGARI,
some MARU. Thin deep turnbacks are seen. Sometimes no turnback.

NAKAGO 
  Wide at the MACHIs and falling slender to the JIRI. TANAGO fish
were the model for SOSHU NAKAGO of early-NAMBOKUCHO and forward.





TOKAIDO steel
~ Clear ~
------------
Earlier masters show
greater complexity and
subtlety of color













 Sho-shin
Glossary