The Shikkake school (尻懸派) stands among the five great Yamato traditions (Yamato goha) that flourished in the shadow of Nara's powerful temples during the late period. While traditionally attributed to Norihiro as founder, Norinaga (則長) is regarded as the de facto progenitor, documented through extant bearing inscriptions of his age: forty-eight in Bunpō 3 (1319) and sixty-nine in Ryakuō 3 (1340). These datings place his birth in Bun'ei 9 (1272), establishing him as a contemporary of the school's early development. Works attributed to later generations extend into the period, indicating successive transmission of the name across multiple generations. Given the concentration of sōhei (warrior monks) in Yamato Province, it is natural that Shikkake smiths produced numerous , with more surviving examples attributed to this school than any other Yamato tradition.
Shikkake workmanship shares the fundamental Yamato vocabulary: construction with high and conspicuously wide ; forging in that characteristically flows, often incorporating and with areas trending toward near the edge; and steel exhibiting thickly adhering with frequent, stout and occasional . The tempering centers on -based patterns, yet the school's signature lies in its treatment of the : while maintaining the foundation, Shikkake smiths tempered small in connected succession (-), creating a gently undulating effect. Along the appear characteristic Yamato activities—, , , uchi-noke, and —with well-adhering producing a bright, clear interwoven with and . The typically runs straight with vigorous , often tending toward or taking on a flame-like () character at the point. While some examples execute pure patterns, the intermixing of running within the remains the critical diagnostic feature distinguishing Shikkake from other Yamato schools, particularly , with which it shares close affinities.
The school's legacy endures through works of exceptional quality and preservation. Surviving of grand scale—some exceeding 2 7 —demonstrate -period construction with characteristic shallow flaring and deep curvature, often transmitted in rare condition. Shortened attributed to the school display vigorous forging in which flowing grain and interweave, producing steel of remarkable clarity (), while the tempering exhibits thickly adhering, strongly luminous creating bright visual effects. The consistent appearance of well-refined with dense and abundant , paired with distinctive tempering patterns that balance fundamental with running , establishes Shikkake as a school whose characteristic features remain unmistakable across centuries of production. Works attributed to this tradition regularly survive in (sound and well-preserved) condition, testimony to both original forging quality and careful transmission through successive generations.