The three greatest names in the Ko-Bizen School in the late Heian period are Masatsune, Tomonari and Kanehira, most of whose blades were slender tachi with strong koshi-zori and ko-kissaki, creating a sense of elegance and stilled energy. The most common hada were itame or ko-itame with hamon of ko-midare (frequently with gonome and choji), but almost exclusively composed of ko-nie and nioi.

Despite the fact that most Ko-Bizen blades are slender, Kanehira did produce some splendid works of a wider shape and with chu-kissaki. This example appears not to have lost more than approximately 1.1 mm of its original thickness. The deep color of the steel is emphasized by the scattered ji-nie. The medium-width hamon has a vigorous nie which becomes more subdued and diffused towards the point.