[ Feature ]
Form : Hira-zukuri. Iori-mune. Mihaga is ordinal. Kasane is relatively thick. No sori attached. Tanto form.
Nakago : Ubu. Yasurimes are katte-sagari. Saki is kuri-jiri. Two holes.
Jigane : Itame-hada. Some changes mixed. Jinie attached. Chikei appeared.
Hamon : Sugu-ha. Shallow notare attached. Ko-nie attached. Fine kin-sens and sunagashi appeared.
Boushi : It runs in sugu. End shows yakitsume form.

雲文黒石目塗鞘短刀拵 : 小刀穂(銘 : 相模守政常)、剣巻龍図小柄、波龍図縁頭鐺、角黒塗磨喰出鐔
Cloud pattern, black stone lacquered scabbard, short sword with a small sword kozuka-ho (signature: "相模守政常" Sagami no kami Masatsune), kozuka: sword scrolling dragon design, fuchi-gashira, kojiri : nami-ryu design, sword guard: with black lacquered horns and polished plated decoration.

[ Highlight ] Sukesada was a swordsmith active in the Bizen Osafune clan at the end of the Muromachi period (1336-1573). It is thought that there were many swordsmiths who made the same signature, and he left many swords suitable for actual warfare in response to the demands of the warring age. This work has a slightly thicker layering than the width of the body and a longer stem.　The date of the signature on this sword, 'Eiroku 7 August', coincides with the final battle between the two great generals of the Warring States period, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, at Kawanakajima.

When Shingen's people suffered from a shortage of salt, Kenshin, whose territory was in Echigo, which produced abundant salt, supplied his enemies with the necessary goods, hence the origin of the proverb 'sending salt to the enemy'.

Kenshin was a Zen enthusiast, and there is an anecdote that during the battle of Kawanakajima, Kenshin prematurely rode alone into Shingen's camp, and when the enemy general, sitting comfortably under the curtain, drew his sword and asked, "What is this about the sword blade?", Shingen calmly dodged the weapon with his iron fan and replied, "The snow on the red furnace".

[ Conditions ] The condition of the jigane iron and the blade pattern appear to be in good condition, although there are some partial cloudiness and sink marks due to the condition of the old sharpening. There is some sharpening thinning. The condition of the koshirae scabbard is good. There is a slight crack in the waxed part of the kozuka handle.