© Copyright Robert Cole 2015 - No copying or distributing
The Eight DO
SANYODO - The Eight Roads of KOTO





BITCHU - Primary KO-AOE: MORITSUGU School - YAMASHIRO roots
_________                                                        
YASUTSUGU Founder HO-AN 112O        "The Ten Sons of Moritsugu"
____|____                
MORITSUGU NIN-AN 1166                   TAMETSUGU SHO-GEN 1207    
    |__________ ________                TSUNEZANE SHO-GEN 1207     
____|_____ ____|___ ____|____           YASUTSUGU KEN-RYAKU 1211  
TSUNETSUGU TSUGUIYE SADATSUGU           SANETSUGU KEN-RYAKU 1211  
 - SHO-GEN GOBAN KAJI 1207 -            KANETSUGU KEN-RYAKU 1211  
    Always considered the               IYETSUGU  SHO-KYU 1219   
three BITCHU main-line smiths           TOSHITSUGU KEN-RYAKU 1211
      //////////////ARTWORK 
      - Three way split in flowing river/////
     Three Way Fork in the River
TSUNETSUGU - HOSO-width YAKIBA. SAKA KO-ASHI KO-CHOJI MIDARE BA
TSUGUIYE   - Wide YAKIBA. Deep, complex inner-pattern
SADATSUGU  - CHU-SUGUHA - KO-ASHI and KO-CHOJI builds in lower


MORITSUGU School:
YASUTSUGU Founder HO-AN 1120             
___|_____                                
MORITSUGU NIN-AN 1166 "Ten Sons"
   |__________________________________ _________ __________ ____
___|______                        ____|____ ____|____ _____|___ |
TSUNETSUGU(1) SHOGEN GOBAN KAJI   YASUTSUGU SANETSUGU TAMETSUGU |
YASUTSUGU                                   YOSHIZANE TAMENORI  |
SANETSUGU     ~First Fork~                          YORITSUGU |
                                                                |
     ___________________________________________________________|
____|___                                                        |
TSUGUIYE SHOGEN GOBAN KAJI                                      |
    |____________ ____________ ________ _________               |
____|_____   ____|_____ ______|___ ____|____ ____|____ ________ |
TOSHITSUGU   TSUGUYOSHI TSUGUTOSHI TSUGUTANE TSUGUTADA TSUGUNAO |
YUKITSUGU                          SANENOBU  MASATSUGU MOROHISA |
SUKETSUGU    ~Second Fork~                                       |
SHIGETSUGU                                                      |
                                                                |
     ____________________________________________ ______________|
____|____                                    ____|____          |
SADATSUGU SHOGEN GOBAN KAJI                  TSUNEZANE          |
    |________ _________ ________             SUKETSUGU          |
____|___ ____|____ ____|____ ___|_____                          |
IYETSUGU YUKITSUGU NOBUTSUGU KANETSUGU                          |
IYEHISA                      ARITSUGU                           |
NOBUTSUGU                    KANETSUGU                          |
HISATSUGU(1)  ~Third Fork~                  ______________ ___|
HISATSUGU(2)                             ____|____      ____|____
HISATSUGU(3)                             NOBUTSUGU      NARITSUGU
                                         YOSHITSUGU(1)  HISATSUGU
                                         IYETSUNA       KUNITSUGU
                                                        HIROTSUGU

                                                 - Students -


BITCHU KO-AOE School                       Primary: YAMASHIRO Roots
MORITSUGU School: 
YASUTSUGU Founder HO-AN 1120   
___|_____                      
MORITSUGU NIN-AN 1166 - "Ten Sons"
   |_____________________ ________________ _____________________
___|______           ____|____        ____|____                 |
TSUNETSUGU(1)        YASUTSUGU        SANETSUGU KEN-RYAKU 1211  |
   | SHO-GEN 1207    KEN-RYAKU 1211   ____|____                 |
   |                                  YOSHIZANE TEI-O 1222      |
   |________________ ______________________                     |
___|______       ___|_____             ____|____                |
TSUNETSUGU(2)    YASUTSUGU             SANETSUGU                |
KEN-RYAKU 1211      | TEM-PUKU 1233    KEN-RYAKU 1211           |
    ________________|                                           |
___|______       ___|_____                                      |
TSUNETSUGU(3)    YASUTSUGU                                      |
      - KEN-CHO 1249 -                                          |
      ____________________________________ _____________________|
_____|___                             ____|____                 |
TAMETSUGU(1) SHO-GEN 1207             TSUNEZANE SHO-GEN 1207    |
     |_____________                   ____|____                 |
_____|___      ____|___               SUKETSUGU SHO-KYU 1219    |
TAMETSUGU(2)   TAMENORI HO-JI 1247                              |
KAN-GEN 1243  _____|___                                         |
              YORITSUGU KO-CHO 1261                             |
                                                                |
     __________________________ ________________________________|
____|____                  ____|____                    _______ 
NOBUTSUGU KEN-PO 1213      NARITSUGU KEN-PO 1213        TOTSUGU 
____|_____                     |_____________________  TEI-O 1222
YOSHITSUGU(1) KEN-CHO 1249 ____|____             ____|____  
    |_____________         KUNITSUGU HO-JI 1247  HISATSUGU  
____|_____     ___|____    ____|____             KAN-GEN 1243 
YOSHITSUGU(2)  IYETSUNA    HIROTSUGU       _________        
    - KO-AN 1278 -         KO-AN 1278      MORITOSHI GEN-NIN 1224




YASUTSUGU HO-AN: KO-AOE Founder. ITAME. CHU-SUGUHA, MIDARE-TOGARI
        and SAKA-MIDARE BA. Following smiths: SHO-JI 1199, 
        KEN-RYAKU 1211 and KA-TEI 1235.
    MEI: YASUTSUGU

MORITSUGU (f: YASUTSUGU): This is the dean of BITCHU KAMAKURA. 
        The GOBAN smiths were among his sons. SUGATA style of 
        this line changes from early to mid KAMAKURA. Wide body
        IKUBI-KISSAKI TACHI. Standing KO-ITAME. JI-NIE and 
        CHIKEI. SUMI-HADA. CHU-SUGU KO-MIDARE in KO-NIE with ASHI
        and YO or SAKA CHOJI-MIDARE HA with ASHI and SUNAGASHI.
        BOSHI: Slight ASAKI-NOTARE HAKIKAKE with O-MARU.
    MEI: MORITSUGU




Ko-Aoe Moritsugu - Juyo Bunkazai

Ko-Aoe Moritsugu
Nagasa: 2 Shaku 4 Sun 5 Bu (74.26cm)
Sori: 6 Bu 7 Rin (2.03cm)
Moto-haba: 1 Sun (3.03cm)
Saki-haba: 7 Bu (2.12cm)
Kissaki-naga: 1 Sun (3.03cm)
Nakago: 6 Sun 2 Bu 7 Rin (19cm)

Shinogi-tsukuri, Ihori-mune, Ikubi-Kissaki. BoHi with small Hi running along-side.
Standing Ko-Itame has JiNie, Chikei and Sumihada. Iro-gane is dark.
Deep Ko-Nie Fukashi Hoso-Sugu holds Ko-Midare Ba that shows Ashi, Yo and Sunagashi. 
Aski-Notare O-Maru Boshi is Hakikake.
Suriage Kiri-jiri Nakago has one Mekugi-ana and signed in the lower Ji.

Moritsugu 


BITCHU KO-AOE MORITSUGU School
YASUTSUGU KEN-RYAKU (f: MORITSUGU): "Ten Sons" Wide bladed 
        CHU-KISSAKI TACHI with deep KOSHIZORI. His blade-shape
        shows the style transition of mid-KAMAKURA. KO-ITAME,
        MOKUME with CHIJI-MEN "Bunched-thread." JI-NIE UTSURI
        stands out. CHOJI-MIDARE with ASHI and YO. HAMON shows
        scattered NIJUBA effects. NIE. KINSUJI and SUNAGASHI.
        BOSHI is NIJU MIDARE with KO-MARU to YAKIZUME. KURI-JIRI
        NAKAGO with O-SUJIKAI YASURI. Large two-character MEI in
        thick strokes.
    MEI: YASUTSUGU

SANETSUGU KEN-RYAKU (f: MORITSUGU): "Ten Sons" From KEN-EI 1206
        to TEI-O 1222. ITAME.HOSO-SUGUHA and KO-MIDARE BA.
    MEI: SANETSUGU





















Yasutsugu - Kokuho

Yasutsugu
Nagasa: 2 Shaku 8 Sun 3 Bu (85.74cm)
Sori: 1 Sun 1 Bu (3.33cm)
Moto-haba: 1 Sun 2 Bu (3.63cm)
Saki-haba: 7 Bu (2.3cm)
Kissaki-naga: 1 Sun 2 Bu (3.78cm)
Moto-kasane: 3 Bu 2 Rin (0.96cm)
Saki-kasane: 2 Bu 1 Rin (0.63cm)
Nakago: 8 Sun 3 Bu (25.14cm)
Nakagozori: 2 Bu 3 Rin (0.69cm)


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-mune. Wide, heavily Koshizori, Funbari Tachi with strong Chu-Kissaki.
Tachi-ura has Bo-Hi So-Bi to Kakudome and Koshi Ukibori relief-carving Suken and Bonji. Koshi Hira-Ji has a carved, standing Fudo. Tachi-Omote has Ni-SujiBi, twin grooves to squared Kakudome, lower with Bonji and Kurikara Dragon.
Ko-Itame and Mokume with clear Sumi-hada, JiNie swells with Nie gathering in various places.
Tachi-Ura is an uneven Ko-Nie Choji Midare mix, with Ashi and Yo on a rising and falling line, while Tachi-Omote is Ko-Midare with Ashi and Yo. Kinsuji is everywhere and Nijuba is pulled into the mid.
Boshi is Midare with streaming Nijuba pulling down from the Saki.
Ubu Kurijiri Nakago with one Mekugi-ana and a Kaku, squared notch in the lower Mune.
Signed Tachi-UraMei:

                              Yasutsugu




Yasutsugu - Kokuho

Yasutsugu - Kokuho
Nagasa: 73.7cm
Moto-Haba: 2.8cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-mune. Wide, gently Koshizori, Funbari Tachi with strong Chu-Kissaki.
Ko-Itame Hada and Sumi-Hada.
Chu-Sugu Ko-Midare Ba in clear Nioi and Nie.
Asaku-Midare Boshi.
Ubu, rounded Kirijiri with two Mekugi-ana.
   Yasutsugu



Sanetsugu - Kokuho

Sanetsugu - Kokuho
Nagasa: 75.8cm
Moto-Haba: 3cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-mune. Koshizori, Funbari with Ko-Kissaki.
Ko-Itame Hada has thin Ji-Nie and Strong Sumihada Chikei.
Chu-Sugu Ko-Midare Ba with Ashi-iri in clear Nioi and Nie.Theupper restains to Hoso-Suguha.
Hoso-Sugu Boshi has Ko-Maru.
Ubu, rounded Kirijiri with two Mekugi-ana.
       Sanetsugu

BITCHU KO-AOE MORITSUGU School
TAMETSUGU(1) SHO-GEN "Ten Sons" (f: MORITSUGU): Narrow TACHI with
        strong FUNBARI. MONOUCHI straightens. KO-ITAME MOKUME 
        with JI-NIE. CHIJI-MEN "Bunched" HADA. SUGU KO-MIDARE
        where the HABUCHI is deep but YAKIBA held low. ASHI of 
        different size throughout. Robust KO-NIE DEKI KO-CHOJI 
        MIDARE. MIDARE-BOSHI KO-MARU. TAMETSUGU(2) See CHU-AOE
    MEI: TAMETSUGU

TAMENORI HO-JI (f: TAMETSUGU): From JO-EI 1232 to HO-JI 1247.
    MEI: TAMENORI

SUKETSUGU SHO-KYU (f: TSUNEZANE): ITAME. KO-CHOJI KO-MIDARE BA.
    MEI: SUKETSUGU

NARITSUGU KEN-PO (t: MORITSUGU): MOKUME. HIRO-SUGUHA, SAKA-MIDARE.
    MEI: NARITSUGU 
_________             
TSUGUNOBU SHO-GEN 1207
________  
YASUHIRO KEN-PO 1213

________                                               
KUNIHIDE TEI-O 1222     
___|_____               
YASUTSUGU KEN-RYAKU 1211


YASUHIRO KEN-PO: JI-NIE on dappled KO-MOKUME HADA. KO-NIE SUGUHA 
          with ASHI and YO.
    MEI: YASUHIRO

TSUGUNOBU SHO-GEN: NOBU form: EN "Extend."Deeply curved, strong
          KOSHIZORI, KO-KISSAKI TACHI with FUNBARI. KO-MOKUME. 
          JI-NIE on CHIJI-MEN "Bunched" HADA (pattern unique to 
          the AOE) KO-NIE DEKI HOSO-SUGU KO-MIDARE with KINSUJI.
    MEI: TSUGUNOBU 
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