Kanekiyo belongs to the largest lineage among the five Yamato traditions, the school, which took its name from the smiths who resided outside the Gate -- the western main entrance of Todai- in Nara. The school traces its origin to Kanenaga of the late period, and Kanekiyo is transmitted as either a son or student of the second-generation Kanenaga. A bearing the date Karyaku 4 (1329) survives as the earliest documented work, placing the first generation firmly in the late era. Thereafter, reference works on signatures record as many as seven successive generations using the name Kanekiyo, spanning from the Karyaku era through the Tenbun era of the late period. The school achieved the greatest prosperity among all Yamato groups, and by the period it appears to have absorbed the other schools, continuing essentially as the sole surviving Yamato lineage.
Across the generations, Kanekiyo's work consistently displays the hallmarks of the tradition. The forging typically shows with a tendency toward , particularly conspicuous in the earlier generations where adheres thickly and abundant are present. The appearance of toward the is a further diagnostic feature. The temper is characteristically a -based line, often with a shallow feeling, accompanied by , , and -- traits deeply rooted in the Yamato manner. Along the , adheres well, producing a bright and clear , with and running through the temper. The typically runs straight into with at the tip and a somewhat deep . Later generations from around the Eisho and Daiei eras show a broadening of the tempering vocabulary, with -based - and intermixed, lending a -like tendency that closely resembles the work of Sengo Muramasa. The of early works display , while late-period blades show taka-no- file marks and signatures bearing the notable inscription "-ju."
The Kanekiyo line offers an unusually complete record of the school's evolution across more than two centuries. The earliest works, datable to the late period, exhibit workmanship that differs notably from the later generations, with both and well displaying the school's distinctive features in their most vigorous form. The first-generation dated Kareki 3 (1328) is prized not only for its excellent forging and tempering but also as invaluable documentary material. Among the middle-period works, blades appraised to the era display sparkling, coarse adhering in the manner, while Oei-era works show well-worked with a bright and strongly lustrous . Even as the school's traditional manner "somewhat softened" in the early period, the workmanship remains excellent relative to its time. Across the full range of production, the consistently affirm that both and are -- sound and well-preserved -- and the carved of encountered on certain works are noted as a distinctive feature often found in Yamato blades.