On modern versions, a red sash or tassel is attached at the joint of the pole and blade. Variations include having rings along the length of the straight back edge as found in the nine-ring guan dao, having the tip curl into a rounded spiral as in the elephant guan dao (literally Elephant Knife), or featuring a more ornate design as exemplified by the Chinese dragon/Dragon head guan dao. However, apart from the "Elephant knife" none of these variations seem to have historical ground.