The name Masakage encompasses two distinct smithing traditions across separate eras. Kashu Masakage, working in Kaga Province during the Nanbokucho period, is traditionally said to have been a disciple of Etchu Norishige. However, whereas Norishige bears dated works from the Showa and Gen'o eras, Masakage has dated examples from the Joji era (1362-1368), creating a chronological gap that makes direct pupilage difficult to sustain; it is more natural to understand him as having received Norishige's influence indirectly. Centuries later, a separate Satsuma-domain smith named Taira Masakage -- the eldest son of Ike Masamitsu -- first received instruction from his father and later studied under Hoki no Kami Masayuki. The Ike family served the Kajiki-Shimazu, a branch house of the Shimazu clan, and after completing his training Masakage resided at Kajiki in Osumi Province as a retained smith. His eldest son Masamichi succeeded to the craft.

Kashu Masakage's work is characterized by itame mixed with mokume, with abundant chikei and thickly adhering ji-nie; the jigane often shows a slightly blackish tone and a standing grain that conveys a distinctly northern-provinces character. His hamon ranges from gunome-midare to notare mixed with gunome, choji, and togariba, executed in a nie-deki manner with kinsuji and sunagashi running through and a bright nioiguchi. The boshi frequently shows vigorous hakikake tending toward yakizume or kaen-style effects. His finest works brim with haki -- an imposing spirit of dominance -- particularly in the intense midare of the upper sections. The Satsuma Masakage, by contrast, pursued the Shizu-style manner excelled in by his teacher Masayuki: ko-notare mixed with gunome and pointed elements, with deep nioi, thick ara-nie, and vigorous activities of kinsuji, nie-suji, and sunagashi. From overall sugata through forging and tempering to nakago finish, his work clearly inherits the master's manner, though his finest pieces achieve a conspicuously more refined and meticulous forging than usual.

Kashu Masakage's blades, though typically o-suriage and unsigned, evoke the manner of high-ranking Soshu masters while a subtle astringency in the nie and the provincial jitetsu confirm the Kaga attribution. His tanto and naginata-naoshi forms demonstrate range within a consistently powerful aesthetic. The Satsuma Masakage's signed works, meanwhile, represent the pinnacle of the late Satsuma school. One katana is described as work at its highest level, reminiscent of his teacher Masayuki, while another -- an especially successful blade of high dignity -- was the cherished sword of Henmi Jurota, who distinguished himself with Saigo's forces during the Seinan War.