Suketaka's home province was Harima (Banshu). He studied under Kuroda Takazane, and in Kansei 10 (1798) received the honorary title Nagato no Kami. He died in Bunka 2 (1805) at the age of fifty-three. Throughout his career, Suketaka held Tsuda no Kami Sukehiro in deep private admiration, and this reverence defined his life's work. Among period smiths who studied Sukehiro's toranba-style temper -- including Suishinshi Masahide and Tegarayama Masashige -- Suketaka is regarded as particularly skillful.
His blades consistently present a large-scaled with somewhat wide , shallow , and an elongated . The is a so tightly forged it approaches , with adhering and the bright and clear. The begins with a long , then forms a toran--like composition in which large and - intermix, creating conspicuous height variations and a billowing, wave-like effect. Thick enter; the is deep; and adheres well, with appearing in places. The is bright and clear throughout. The is characteristically with , showing toward the tip. The long and application of likewise emulate Sukehiro's manner.
The notes that Suketaka's toran- is "truly so accomplished that it approaches the genuine article," though none among his contemporaries attains the degree of brightness seen in Sukehiro himself. His is praised as carefully refined, evidencing high technical skill, and his works are consistently termed representative pieces. Matched made as true pairs are noted as uncommon, adding to the documentary significance of such examples.
