Chikatsugu was a swordsmith of the group (-) in Province. Sword reference compendia () record smiths bearing the name Chikatsugu in both — at and in Nitta Manor (Nitta-sho) — as well as in , and the name is further associated with a founder of the Hokke Ichijo lineage in Bingo Province. The Chikatsugu most prominently represented among designated works is recorded as the son of -hyoe no Jo Chikatsugu, affiliated with the Kichiji group (Kichiji-), with dated works under the era names Genko and Ryakuo placing his activity in the late to early period, around Kagen (1303-1306). An earlier generation, attributed to the mid- period around Koan (1278-1288), is associated with work and identified as the son of Suketsugu.
The forging of Chikatsugu's blades displays the school's distinctive traits in pronounced clarity. The characteristically develops a — the fine, crepe-like standing grain that is a hallmark of the group — while adheres and appears throughout. is observed on works of broader proportions. The is fundamentally , a straight temper base into which small-pattern elements such as , , and are mixed, with , , , and entering the temper. The tends toward tightness with , and on larger works the deepens above the . Blades of the later generation present a commanding, dignified shape (-gara) with wide , , and , while shortened earlier-generation works retain orthodox proportions and well-balanced form.
Chikatsugu's oeuvre illustrates the breadth of the tradition across the mid- to late period and into the era. The examiners note that even where a blade shows a slight — a somewhat fatigued tendency — the essential shape of the period has not collapsed, affirming these as good works. Works of the later generation are distinguished by their martial character; on the stand as evidence of a blade's battlefield exploits. The transmission of individual pieces through eminent households, including the 'in-no-miya and the Sano Art Museum, attests to the enduring regard in which Chikatsugu's work has been held within the canon of swordsmithing.
