The lineage was founded by Hashimoto Shinzaemon, known as , who served as a kakae-ko (retained smith) of the Nabeshima domain. In Keicho 1 (1596), by domain order, he entered the school of Myoju in Kyoto together with his kinsman Munenaga; studied sword forging while Munenaga learned carving techniques. They returned to in Keicho 3 (1598) and took up residence in the castle town below Saga Castle, where under the domain's patronage the group flourished greatly. In Genna 10 (1624), again went up to Kyoto, received the court title Daijo, and changed his name to Tadahiro, simultaneously altering his clan designation from Minamoto to Fujiwara. He died on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of 'ei 9 (1632). Over the course of his career his signatures changed among three principal types: the five-character " no ," the eight-character junin inscription " no junin ," and the " Daijo Tadahiro" signature. The third generation, Mutsu no Kami , was the legitimate son of Omi no Daijo Tadahiro and succeeded as head of the main Hashimoto line after the death of Tosa no Kami , when that branch returned the right to the signature to the main house. He received the title Mutsu no Daijo in Manji 3 (1660) and was promoted to Mutsu no Kami in 1 (1661). He died at the age of fifty in Jokyo 3 (1686), seven years before his father.
The hallmark of the tradition is an exceptionally refined of tightly forged in which extremely fine adheres thickly, producing the distinctive surface known as (rice-bran-like texture), with fine entering well and the steel appearing bright and clear. The 's early output encompasses a wide stylistic range, including conscious emulations () of earlier masters: works in the manner of Naoye featuring mixed with ; pieces recalling old Yamato works with and ; and blades modeled after Kunimitsu and Kagemitsu of the -period tradition. His specialty displays deep with well-adhering , a bright and clear , and fine and , conveying a tasteful, somewhat archaic flavor distinct from the band-like of his later Tadahiro period. The 's style stands closer to his grandfather than to his father, and excellence in forging is his true forte; among the upper three generations, his workmanship is acknowledged as the strongest and most refined. His characteristic carries an extremely shallow -like nuance with deep , thickly adhering , and fine , while the turns back deeply toward the with slight at the tip. He was also highly skilled in , fully demonstrating his extraordinary technical ability.
The line occupies a position of singular importance among smithing traditions. The established a new provincial school under Nabeshima domain patronage that synthesized the refined forging techniques absorbed from Myoju with an ambitious program of emulating classical masters, producing works of notably superior quality in both and . The collaboration with the carver Munenaga, whose appear on several distinguished works bearing his own signature alongside 's, further distinguishes the school's output. The comparatively small number of surviving works by the is attributed both to the relatively short span of his active career and to the fact that he served in the capacity of , producing blades on behalf of his long-lived and prolific father. Nevertheless, his extant works display a forging of extraordinary refinement and a mastery of in which the fine activities along the hardened edge surpass even those of the . Both generations produced blades that are (sound and well-preserved) in and , with powerful and dignified , and their works stand among the representative masterpieces of the tradition.