A certified in 1935, signed Sukemori and then in the possession of Kinkyo Shigetaka of Toyama, carries the judgment on which this smith's identity rests. The reference works list an smith named Sukemori, but the published sources state that "there exists a Sukemori clearly different from that figure; this blade is likely his". The same entry adds that "the style of the signature likewise appears more old-fashioned than that of Sukemori". Sukemori is therefore treated as a smith, working in before the flowering of the Fukuoka . Four designated works on record carry his name: that prewar , a designated in 1974 and in 1980, a further of 1975, and an Important Cultural Property whose plate assigns it to the period.
Strong is the feature the published sources return to. On the prewar the is with strong through and , an archaic manner. A second commentator on the same blade notes that several smiths used the name in from the last phase of into the period, and that "among the examples examined, this Sukemori shows particularly strong and is the most archaic in tone". The shows the same character in fuller description. Its temper is a broad -tone that undulates gently and in places runs in , mixing and . enter abundantly, adheres well, runs frequently, and the tends to .
The of that blade is a dense , thickly covered with and entered by fine . Its description notes a slight admixture of on the , and its earlier description an tending to stand. The shape is somewhat slender, with retained though the blade is , and a . The runs in and turns back with a tendency. On the the published sources judge the whole "more archaic than Fukuoka , a work of around the early period". The tang carries a large two-character signature cut boldly with a thick chisel.
One blade stands apart in manner. The of 1975 keeps a three-character signature, somewhat corroded, read as Sukemori . Its shows slight , and its temper is a mixed with and small , the deep with , and appearing, the straight to a small round. The published sources observe that the name is found in both the and the groups, with works differing in style and manner of signing, so that several smiths of the name are thought to have worked in both lineages. Even so, they place this blade "judging from the workmanship and the style of the signature" in the group.
The Important Cultural Property , held at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto, is recorded by its plate in brief: signed Sukemori, with a , forged in , its temper mixed with small , 70.3 cm long. That quiet agrees with the prewar and blades. Across the record his work is set apart from the namesakes by the calm -toned line, the weight of in and , and the that runs through the temper.
His designated record is small and high. He has no National Treasures. The Kitano Tenmangu is Important Cultural Property, kept as shrine heritage. The prewar is published in the Kozan , the Kanto Zuiroku and the Nihonto Taikan. Two blades stand in the and tiers, both recorded in private hands. Of the finest the published sources write that "both and are intact, and it is a well-made example". A signed Sukemori comes to market only rarely, and a privately held example is among the uncommon things a collector of early may encounter.