Kaneyuki is traditionally recorded as either the younger brother or the son of Kaneshige, the smith who relocated from Tsuruga in Province to and is revered as the progenitor of the Seki school of swordsmithing. Together with Kaneuji, Kaneshige stands at the fountainhead of the tradition, and Kaneyuki directly inherited his master's manner of work. He is said to have styled himself Uemon no Jo. His active period is placed in the late to era, though no dated works survive. Even pieces bearing reliably authentic signatures are extremely rare, and the great majority of blades attributed to him are (greatly shortened) and (unsigned), including several conversions. According to the Kokon Meizukushi, Kaneshige is described as "Buddhist name Doa; a native of ; a resident of Tsuruga; an outstanding master who crossed into Seki and took up residence there," and it is from this lineage that Kaneyuki's art descends.
Blades long appraised as Kaneshige or Kaneyuki reveal, in comparison with other works of the period, a forging that carries a discernible Hokuriku-region temperament with a certain rustic flavor. The characteristically shows mixed with , frequently tending toward (prominent grain) with areas of (flowing pattern) and traces of near the edge and spine. adheres thickly, enters, and a faint often appears. The commonly emphasizes round-headed and as the principal motif, presenting a comparatively calm and gentle manner of tempering. Many examples display mixed with and in linked sequences, accompanied by , , and fine . The is characteristically bright and clear. These shared points of appreciation are common to the Kaneshige group, yet Kaneyuki's work is consistently distinguished from that of the lineage within the Kaneuji group by its different character and occasionally rougher forging, with that does not always reach the level of refinement as Kaneshige's own.
Kaneyuki occupies a significant position in the early tradition as the direct successor to Kaneshige's art, standing alongside yet distinctly apart from the line. His works preserve the formative characteristics of Seki swordmaking before the tradition fully crystallized into the styles of the later schools. Although securely signed pieces are vanishingly scarce, the body of attributed work demonstrates a coherent and recognizable manner that has permitted consistent appraisal across generations of scholarship. The combination of Hokuriku-inflected forging, linked tempering, and -based activity with abundant constitutes a reliable set of points for identifying his hand. Blades attributed to Kaneyuki frequently exhibit bold -period with wide , shallow , and , and the best examples are praised as (sound and well-preserved) throughout, with workmanship that clearly manifests the distinctive traits of the Kaneshige group.