Tatara Nagayuki

Tatara Nagayuki was an Osaka shintō swordsmith who was active in Osaka during the Edo period, and his common name was Tatara Shirobei. He was a native of Kii Province and became a disciple of Kawachi no Kami Yasunaga of the Kishū Ishidō school. He later moved to Osaka, where he was called "Osaka Ishidō." He is known for high-quality jigane and finely made hamon. The jigane shows finely packed ko-itame, with ji-nie that is fine and evenly distributed, and chikei that gives a clear surface texture. His specialty is ō-chōji midare, reminiscent of Bizen Ichimonji. Some of his works also feature gunome and gunome-chōji in the Sue-Bizen style. The nie along the edge is bright and crisp, and sunagashi and kinsuji work gently, showing a refined finish. His distinctive style balances practicality and beauty, and it was favored by the samurai and merchant classes of Osaka at the time. He is ranked as jōjōsaku among shintō smiths, and he is also listed among the saijō ō-wazamono in the cutting-quality rankings.