This example displays many of the Nio characteristics very well: a massive blade with strong koshi-zori, a finely patterned hada and a subdued, but internally very active hamon. The feeling is that this is probably not a shinshin-to because during that period, the tendency was to recreate 'big name' blades and not blades from then lesser-valued schools such as the Suo Nio. Such schools were being copied as a result of increasing awareness of the duplication of well-known smiths and this occurred largely during the Taisho and early Showa periods. The maker of this blade is unknown, but was obviously a man of very high skills as evidenced by the quality of the hada, hamon as well as the presence of utsuri