The Kanemichi name stands at the center of the lineage, one of the two dominant smithing groups in Kyoto during the and early periods. The founder of the line, Kanemichi of , relocated to the capital together with his sons: Iga no Kami Kanemichi (the eldest), Kanemichi, Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi, and no Kami Masatoshi. These brothers collectively established the school known as - or -, and their descendants perpetuated the Kanemichi name across multiple generations and branches, including the Tango no Kami line active in Osaka during the Genroku era. Among the brothers, the Iga no Kami is regarded as the one who most faithfully transmitted the original manner of their native province, while subsequent generations increasingly absorbed the influence of Osaka fashion.
The stylistic evolution of the Kanemichi line is well documented across its designated works. The Iga no Kami's early output, before receiving his court title around the Tensho era, displays a "somewhat whitish style of forging, with pointed tempering" and a tight with small -- "essentially that of late ()." In the later phase, the temper becomes "a large, turbulent based on small and mixed with large , angular elements, and pointed tendencies," with strong , and , and the fully formed " " -- a -tendency turn with a pointed return and vigorous . The describe how this renewed workmanship displays "a -like quality." By contrast, the nidai Tango no Kami Kanemichi departed from his father's hallmark to produce flamboyant toran-style large - reflecting "the fashions current among Osaka ," as well as a distinct -based mode with deep "reminiscent of Shinkai." The nidai's toran works characteristically begin with , above which paired and triple groups alternate in deliberate rhythmic sequence.
The designated corpus reveals both the breadth and the coherence of the Kanemichi tradition. The 's finest (Tokuju, 13th Session) is praised as the " of Kanemichi" for its -like and "boldly unrestrained approach," while the nidai's matching (, 46th Session) demonstrates calculated ingenuity in its varied toran patterning, with the repeating a 3-3-2 sequence and the inverting it to 2-3-3 -- "allowing one to perceive the maker's ingenuity." A collaborative work () by Eizen and Kanemichi, dated Tenna 3, is noteworthy for its inscription recording the use of nanban-tetsu, giving it "high documentary value." Across these branches, the family's ability to sustain technical excellence while adapting to successive aesthetic currents distinguishes the Kanemichi name as one of the most consequential in swordsmithing.
