This sword, as the name implies, was not designed for combat. It was entirely used for the purpose of decapitating convicted criminals. Used in the 17th and early 18th centuries, they have a few defining features. Most obviously, they lack a point, since they are not intended to ever be used for thrusting. The blades are often very broad to give them additional chopping power, and said blade is often, but not always, etched with intricate designs and meaningful inscriptions. It was seen as preferable to the axe, due to the differing positions the executed prisoner would be in; an axe forced them to place their head on the chopping block, while the sword allowed them to die with their head upright (if still kneeling). Even after falling out of actual use, the executioner’s sword remained a symbol of judicial power and authority.
This is a weapon from several Polynesian cultures, but especially the native people of Hawaii. It is similar to the Aztec macuahuitl, in that it consists of a paddle-shaped wooden club inset with small sharp pieces along the edge. The difference is that the sharp pieces in the leiomano consist of shark teeth, especially tiger shark teeth. Said teeth would often pull out of the weapon and remain lodged in a wound after a strike, to be replaced in the weapon later. Another difference from the macuahuitl is the manner in which the blades were attached; the macuahuitl has its obsidian pieces affixed with pitch, while the leiomano has its teeth sewn in place.
