Shikkake Norinaga is regarded as the de facto founder of the Shikkake school, one of the five principal lineages of the Yamato tradition. The nominal founder of the school is said to have been Norihiro, but as no secure extant works by him are known, it is Norinaga who is recognized today as the progenitor. His birth year can be calculated from age inscriptions on two surviving : one dated Bunpo 3 (1319) recording his age as forty-eight, and another dated Ryakuo 3 (1340) recording his age as sixty-nine, yielding a birth year of Bun'ei 9 (1272). Works bearing the name continue from the late period through the period, indicating that the name was inherited by successive smiths. A longstanding convention holds that signatures prefixed with "Shikkake" belong to the second generation or later, while short signatures omitting the school name are attributed to the first generation, though the dated evidence has prompted scholars to urge further examination of this generational division. Some works bear the rare court title "Sakon no Jo," lending them particular documentary value.
In construction, Norinaga's works characteristically exhibit a high with a broad -- features shared broadly with Yamato workmanship. The forging shows with a pronounced flowing tendency inclining toward , upon which fine adheres thickly and enters, frequently producing prominent . The is fundamentally -based, yet a hallmark of the Shikkake school is the manner in which link together in continuous sequences within the tempered area -- a feature the classical reference Kon'yoron acknowledges when distinguishing Shikkake work from that of the and schools. Along the , , , and uchi-noke appear with regularity, while and run through the temper. The typically runs straight with vigorous , sometimes approaching a -like finish. Works executed in pure also exist within the school's range, offering a glimpse into the breadth of Norinaga's working manner.
The consistently characterizes Norinaga's finest works as displaying both and that are -- sound and well-preserved -- with a described as bright and clear. Evaluations repeatedly affirm that the linked running from base to tip, together with thickly adhering of beautiful luminosity, constitute the essential points by which Shikkake Norinaga is appreciated. The Kon'yoron observes that while the overall rank of Shikkake work may be felt to be somewhat below that of or , the powerful forging characterized by thick and interwoven nonetheless yields a of strong vitality. Signed works by Norinaga are comparatively few, and those surviving with date and age inscriptions are recognized as possessing exceptional documentary value for the study of both the school and the smith. Within the Yamato tradition, Norinaga occupies a position of enduring scholarly interest -- a smith whose characteristic linked , forceful , and refined steel define the identity of the Shikkake lineage.