* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Soboro Sukehiro (Tsuda Sukehiro I)
そぼろ助広（初代助広）
- Period
- Early Edo period
- School
- Disciple of Kawachi-no-kami Kunisuke (I)
- Active Years
- Kan'ei–Kanbun (c. early to mid 17th century)
- Tradition
- Osaka Shinto
- Rank
- Jō-jō-saku (superior new-sword rank), saijō ō-wazamono (highest cutting grade)
Description
Pioneer Who Opened Up Osaka Shintō——Soboro Sukehiro
Soboro Sukehiro (commonly known as Yahei) was an early Edo-period swordsmith traditionally said to have come from Tsuda village in Harima Province, and he is the first-generation figure known as “Tsuda Sukehiro.” He went to Osaka and became a disciple of the first-generation Kawachi-no-kami Kunisuke, whose lineage traces back to Horikawa Kunihiro, said to be the founder of shintō, and he honed his forging skills.
Style
His curvature was shallow, his jigane was based on ko-mokume-hada, and he excelled at chōji-midare and gunome-midare hamon reminiscent of the Bizen-den. This style is said to show the gentle character of early Osaka shintō, different from the tōran-ba that his adopted son, the second generation, later established.
Origin of the Nickname “Soboro”
There are various theories about the origin of the nickname “Soboro,” such as that he always wore rags, but there is no definitive source, and the details are uncertain.
Reputation and Successors
He was ranked among the shintō jōjō-saku and the saijō ō-wazamono, and he received high praise for both sharpness and range of works. His adopted son, the second generation, received the title Echizen-no-kami and called himself “Tsuda Echizen-no-kami Sukehiro”; he founded the tōran-ba and became the representative figure of Osaka shintō, but it was Soboro Sukehiro who laid its foundation. Today, when “Tsuda Sukehiro” is mentioned, it usually refers to this second generation, so the first generation is distinguished by the name “Soboro Sukehiro.”
Related Swordsmiths
堀川国広
Soshu tradition (New Sword)Horikawa Kunihiro
Momoyama to Early Edo period (New Sword genesis era)
山浦真雄
Sōshū and Bizen traditionYamaura Saneo
Late Edo Period (Shinshintō era)
肥後守輝広
ShintōHigo no Kami Teruhiro
Azuchi-Momoyama to early Edo period (around Keichō)
越前下坂
Sōshū tradition lineage (Shintō period)Echizen Shimosaka
Early Edo period (Shintō era)