Yasutsuna (安綱) is renowned as a master smith of Hōki Province at the close of the period, represented above all by the celebrated Dōjigiri. Older views placed his activity as early as the beginning of the period, around Daidō (806-810), but this dating is now considered mistaken; modern scholarship assigns him to the late era. A separate figure reading "Yasue" (安家) of the group is distinguished from the Hōki Yasutsuna, though both names employ overlapping characters. Within the lineage, the smith Yasutsuna is considered among the earlier, more archaic examples.
Yasutsuna's forging characteristically shows (large grain) that stands conspicuously, with and the presence of . The is a mixed with , executed in with and entering well. Fine appears, and a tendency toward is observed, with running through and becoming intertwined with the surface grain. The describes the overall manner as unmistakably archaic (koko), conveying a "Yamato spirit" (). In the -attributed work, the shows little conspicuous , while in other examples the archaic elegance of the -ba and the (pheasant-thigh) tang profile together convey an old-fashioned character.
A noteworthy point in appraising Yasutsuna's signature, as the scholar Honma observed, is that the character (綱) stands out as conspicuously large in comparison to (安). Surviving works include both signed of outstanding form and shortened unsigned blades transmitted through such distinguished collections as the Maeda family. The breadth and antiquity of Yasutsuna's production firmly establish him as a foundational figure in the earliest stratum of Japanese sword-making.
