Kanehira包平

Ko-Bizen school · Bizen province · active 987-989

Hawley reference KAN35
Hawley
150
points — scale 15 (recorded) to 500+ (legendary)
Fujishiro
Sai-jo saku
supreme masterwork — the highest grade

Smith record

EraEien (987-989)
Active period987-989
ProvinceBizen
School / traditionKo-Bizen
Hawley IDKAN35

Recorded signatures (mei)

備前國包平作bizen kuni kanehira saku
河内國秦包平kawachi kuni hata kanehira

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About these ratings

Hawley points come from W. M. Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths (1981), the standard Western reference cataloguing over 12,000 smiths. Most recorded smiths sit at 15–20 points; only a few dozen legendary masters exceed 150.

Fujishiro grades (from Nihon Tōkō Jiten) rank workmanship from Chū saku up to Sai-jō saku, while the Tōkō Taikan valuation (Tokuno, 1977) reflects each smith's relative market standing in yen. Explore more smiths in the searchable swordsmith index.

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