 The hilt consists of a round pommel , a flat grip and an arched crossguard . The grip is 10 @.@ 1 cm ( 4 @.@ 0 in ) long , 1 @.@ 2 cm ( 0 @.@ 5 in ) thick , and from 2 to 3 cm ( 0 @.@ 8 to 1 @.@ 2 in ) wide . It is rectangular in cross @-@ section and its hard edges make it difficult to handle and impractical for fighting , which is indicative of the sword 's purely ceremonial usage . The pommel is 4 @.@ 5 cm ( 1 @.@ 8 in ) in diameter and 2 @.@ 6 cm ( 1 @.@ 0 in ) thick , with a chamfered outer ring that is 1 @.@ 3 cm ( 0 @.@ 5 in ) wide . The crossguard forms an arch that is 1 @.@ 8 cm ( 0 @.@ 7 in ) wide in the middle and widens up to 3 @.@ 4 cm ( 1 @.@ 3 in ) at both ends . It is 1 cm ( 0 @.@ 4 in ) thick near the grip and measures 20 cm ( 8 in ) in length along its upper edge . 
