While these terms have historically fluctuated in meaning, modern Japanese typically uses 刀 for single-edged swords and 剣 for double-edged swords—of any culture. One Piece, for the most part, favors this convention over any deeper typing, balloon business names ideas creating odd (though technically not-inaccurate) designations of “katana” for swords styled after non-Japanese designs. Mihawk’s sword, Yoru, resembles a large longsword in terms of design, but with a single-edged blade instead.
Japanese swords since shintō are different from kotō in forging method and steel . The kotō swords, especially the Bizen school swords made in the Kamakura period, had a midare-utsuri like a white mist between hamon and shinogi, but the swords since shinto have almost disappeared. In addition, the whole body of the blade became whitish and hard.
The practice of sword making was prohibited, thus swords during the Meiji period were obsolete and a mere symbol of status. Swords were left to rust, sold or melted into more ‘practical’ objects for everyday life. In the Kamakura period (1185－1333), high-ranking samurai wore hyogo gusari tachi (hyogo kusari no tachi, 兵庫鎖太刀), which meant a sword with chains in the arsenal. The scabbard of the tachi was covered with a gilt copper plate and hung by chains at the waist. At the end of the Kamakura period, simplified hyogo gusari tachi came to be made as an offering to the kami of Shinto shrines and fell out of use as weapons. On the other hand, in the Kamakura period, there was a type of tachi called hirumaki tachi (蛭巻太刀) with a scabbard covered with metal, which was used as a weapon until the Muromachi period.
There were even cases of less-gifted swordsmiths signing their swords as the work of more famous craftsmen in order to increase sales. Many low-ranking Marine soldiers and pirates are shown to be wielding these types of swords. Hatchan wields six cutlasses, each weighing over 300 kg. Wanda, member of the Inuarashi Musketeer Squad of the Mink Tribe, wields a double-edged cutlass that she often uses to channel Electro.
There are irregular fingerprint-like patterns on the surface of the blade, the hamon are various, and the grain on the border of the hamon are hardly visible. Once the smith was finished with the blade, it was passed on to a sharpener and polisher who used varying grades of stones with water to achieve a gleaming blade. Then, returned to the smith, the finished blade was given its engraving which included the maker’s signature. Sometimes blades were tested for their cutting prowess, typically on a condemned criminal, and the results were occasionally noted on the blade itself. The day of manufacture and the name of the recipient might also be recorded on what became a busy writing space.
This famous god was sent to Japan to bring peace to the Izumo Province. Takemikazuchi used Futsunomitama no Tsuragi to slay monsters in the province and restore the land. Susanoo gifted Ame no Murakumo to his sister in an attempt at reconciliation after a large argument.