Hōki Kunimune (伯耆国宗) is a smith of Hōki Province whose lineage remains a matter of scholarly debate. One tradition holds that he was a disciple of Saburō Kunimune who subsequently relocated to Hōki; however, when one examines the styles and signature manners of extant works, clear differences from Saburō Kunimune are evident, and in terms of period he may even predate him. Accordingly, he is regarded as a smith who inherited the line of the Yasutsuna group, with works dated no later than the early period. Well-known examples include those preserved at Kunōzan Tōshōgū and one formerly in the Ii family collection. No extant work bears the full inscription "Hōki no Kunimune" — all carry only the two-character signature "Kunimune," cut in a bold, rounded manner that differs distinctly from Kunimune's chisel movement.
Hōki Kunimune's works characteristically display a tightly forged with thickly adhering and , at times showing a standing grain tendency with intermingled. The is fundamentally -based with mixed in, incorporating elements suggestive of and . A hallmark feature is the appearance in the upper half of a banded and sanjūba tendency, accompanied by and running through the temper. The is strongly active and deeply adhering. The typically shows or shallow , ending in with .
The has consistently characterized Hōki Kunimune's work as possessing a "pronounced archaic fragrance" (kokō) and an archaic manner common to old Hōki works, with particular resemblance to Sadatsuna of the lineage. Both and in his best pieces are described as — sound and well-preserved — and his signatures are valued as documentary material. Surviving signed examples are few, lending additional importance to each designated work. His oeuvre stands as compelling evidence of an independent Hōki swordmaking tradition rooted in the Yasutsuna lineage, distinct from the schools with which his name has sometimes been conflated.