Chokutō was among the earliest in the history of Japanese swordforging. It was created before development of differential tempering in Japanese swordsmithing. Chokutō typically come in hira-zukuri and kiriha-zukuri tsukurikomi (blade styles) which make them very distinct from later tachi and katana which rarely use these forms. The distinctive feature of the chokutō is the straight blade, similar to the ancient swords found in the Three Kingdoms Period of China. Its blades are also often confused with those of shikomizue; there is little evidence to suggest that Chokutō were ever mounted as cane swords.