Tsuruhashi



Tsuruhashi was one of many Rokugani tools repurposed as a weapon by the Crab. Based on the common miner's pickax, this ax featured a forged-steel head mounted to a solid wooden haft. Roughly the length of a katana, the tsuruhashi's head featured two striking ends—a flat blade and a sharp point. While it was commonly used in construction and demolition, many Crab ashigaru and even some clan samurai used the tsuruhashi in battle to deadly effect. The blade head could pry apart armor, while the pointed head easily pierces it, and both caused grievous wounds thanks to the leverage provided by the long handle.