The Taima school traces its origins to Kuniyuki of the late Kamakura period and ranks among the five major traditions of Yamato Province. Affiliated with Taima-dera, the school flourished through the Nanbokuchō period. While reference works enumerate many smiths—including Tomokiyo, Tomotsuna, Tomonaga, and Arihōshi—extant signed works remain exceedingly rare. Only two signed tachi by Kuniyuki are presently known. Most surviving blades attributed to the school are mumei pieces authenticated through connoisseurship (kiwame) by the Hon'ami family and other appraisal authorities.

The collective technical manner of Taima workmanship presents certain apparent contrasts. Signed examples by Kuniyuki display a comparatively calm and restrained character: flowing itame forging, suguha-based tempering with small irregularities and slight hotsure, and ko-maru bōshi—overall a dignified expression typical of Yamato orthodoxy. Yet among mumei attributions, particularly those bearing old Hon'ami authentication, a bolder temperament emerges. The jigane shows dense itame mixed with mokume and flowing grain, occasionally tending toward masame near the edge; conspicuously thick ji-nie adheres throughout, with abundant chikei and sometimes faint utsuri. The hamon, while fundamentally suguha-based, mixes ko-gunome, ko-chōji, and notare elements; the habuchi displays vigorous hotsure, nijūba, and kuichigai-ba; thick nie covers the tempered area with frequent kinsuji and sunagashi. This interweaving of brilliant nie activities and bright, clear nioiguchi reveals an admixture of Sōshū character so pronounced that certain examples approach confusion with works by Yukimitsu. Though such workmanship differs from the scarce signed pieces, it is inferred that signed blades of this livelier style once existed.

The school's legacy rests primarily upon its authenticated mumei works, many transmitted as meibutsu such as the Kyōhō-era registered "Jōbu Taima." Construction typically shows wide mihaba, thick kasane, high shinogi with wide shinogi-ji, and bold proportions—hallmarks of Yamato manufacture. In tantō, the school favored large kanmuri-otoshi and hira-zukuri forms with uchizori. The refined yet forceful forging, marked by densely spread ji-nie and prominent chikei, combines with tempering of thick, strongly lustrous nie to produce blades that are bright, clear, and scenically rich in activity. Among Yamato lineages, Taima stands distinguished by the strength and brilliance of its nie-deki, and the school's superior examples (shūsaku) remain valued both for their technical excellence and their sound, well-preserved condition.