Kunihide is transmitted as a son or disciple of Kunitsugu and is said to have used the appellation Hikotaro. Sword reference works place his active period around the Jowa era (1345-1349) of the period, and according to the there are further generations bearing the name, with a second generation assigned to around the Shitoku era at the close of the period. Extant signed works are exceptionally rare: almost all consist of spears, with only two signed examples known, and no unquestionably genuine signed have yet been identified.
Kunihide's workmanship displays clear affinities with that of his master Kunitsugu while occupying a position that yields, if only slightly, in the overall sense of formal dignity (kakucho). His forging shows mixed with , sometimes tending toward and standing grain (), with thick adhering and entering. His is characteristically versatile: works in with shallow are seen alongside more complex tempers mixing , , , and into intricate patterns. In either mode, the is deep, adheres thickly, and and appear well. On his more elaborate works, uchi-noke, , and enliven the interior of the temper. His typically proceeds and turns back in , with vigorous . His signed spears are forged in , displaying with flowing grain, fine , and , with a narrow temper accompanied by and . These rare pieces provide valuable reference material for a maker whose corpus remains incompletely understood.
At first glance, the features of Kunihide's work call to mind the range of Kunitsugu, and it is precisely by comparison with that standard that the attribution is typically confirmed: a subtle difference in the level of execution and the sense of kakucho distinguishes Kunihide's hand from that of his master. Nevertheless, the various activities within the hardened edge are splendid, and the finest examples attributed to Kunihide stand as especially superior pieces within the school lineage. Both and are frequently noted as (sound and well-preserved), and these blades remain rich in points of interest for the study of the tradition during the period.