Gassan from John Scott Slough's Oshigata book!

Gassan Sadakatsu

GASSAN, IT JUST GETS BETTER AND MORE AWSUM!! Well folks here it is finally!!  This is the one we have been teasing you with.  Just back from polish by master polisher Jimmy Hayashi is another fantastic Gassan Sadakatsu.  It has all the bells and whistles, perfect flawless ayasugi hada, mitsumune, bohi, original solid silver habaki (probably made by Sadakatsu himself), and it is a special order piece.  The icing on the cake is that this sword is also featured in John Scott Slough's great book  "An Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868 -1945" page 140.  There is a picture of Sadakatsu just under the oshigata of this sword. (It doesn't look like he is having a very nice day in the picture, maybe he is upset about having to wear that goofy hat) The sword is dated May of 1920 and inscribed that is was made for the protection of the Kikuchi family.  Even cooler is that it is also inscribed that it was made using the secret art of ayasugi hada handed down by ancestors.  WAY COOL!!  Blade length is 25 3/4 inches.  Gassan Sadakatsu is regarded by many as the finest sword maker of the twentieth century.  He was sword maker to the Imperial Household and two of his students including his son became the first Living National Treasure Sword Makers.  The current National Treasure maker is his grandson.  When you see blades of this caliber you just understand.