What hada is this?

[Pincheck]

Hi all,

 

Has anyone got any idea what you would call this hada?  It's from a sword that I just got back from the polishers and it was a real pig to photograph. It's super tight, almost muji unless you get the light just right then you see a kind of mottled finish, maybe itame, maybe masame. Any ideas?

 

[Grey Doffin]

I would call that ko-itame.

Grey

[Surfson]

Maybe nashiji

[Pincheck]

Thanks guys.  I’d heard of nishiji, chirimen and konuka hada but I’ve never seen anything like this in the flesh and wouldn’t want to label something I’ve got no experience with. Ko-itame is probably the safer label. It’s very subtle and has a slight sparkle to it in the right light. Whatever it is, it’s quite pleasing to see.  It’s a really nice thing, a couple of chips the polisher couldn’t get out without changing the shape so he left them in, but the quality of the workmanship looks very high to my eye No flaws, straight as they come, crisp lines. 68cm Nagasa but o suriage by at least another 10, mu Mei, noticeably thin shinogi-ji, super straight suguha in ko nie (maybe? Not that you can tell from the photos). The polisher said it felt like koto steel, other knowledgeable people that have seen it thought hizen. I’ve no idea but it sure is pretty.

[Ken-Hawaii]

All blades have itame hada, bu this is very tight, so I'd go with Grey's ko-itame.