足長丁子 Ashinaga Choji

What is Ashinaga Choji in Japanese Katana terminology?

Ashinaga Choji is a term used in the context of Japanese swords. It refers to a type of blade pattern (Hamon). Specifically, it is used to describe a pattern where the 'heads' of the 'nails' (choji) are aligned in a 'checkerboard' (gunome) style, and among these, it refers to those where the 'legs' (ashi) are particularly long. This pattern is often seen in swords from the Shinto (new sword) and Shinshinto (new new sword) periods.