Dao refers to a variety of single-edged swords common throughout Chinese history and is one of the four traditional weapons together with the staff (gun), spear (qiang) and the double-edged sword (jian). The dao has many variants which evolved throughout the various dynastic rule in China with e#ach variant suited for the intended battlefield use. The style of dao which proliferated during the Tang Dynasty (7th - 10th century A.D.) was a sword which was straight along blade's entire length.

Ryansword's Tang Dao has a blade made differentially-hardened folded steel designed for chopping and taking on hard targets. A natural hamon is visible in its narrow, cutting edge. All the fittings on this sword are made of intricately-carved brass and plated with silver. The scabbard is made of hardwood and fully-wrapped with rayskin with a smooth, lacquer finish. The handle is designed to be held with either two hands or single-handedly. The handle, from which a tassel hangs, has a wooden core and fully-wrapped with colored rayskin.