Traditional dao of the Khasi tribe regarding Meghalaya very well depicts the indigenous knowledge of the tribe concerning metallurgical and utility tools. Its iron blade has a very sharply convex cutting edge that makes it capable of carrying out numerous tasks, whether related to agriculture or household use. The blunt middle edge is shaped concavely for weight saving without compromising the strength of its structure, allowing for efficient handling over a prolonged period. The wood handle, to which the blade's tang is embedded, has cane strips reinforcing together its upper joints against splitting in use. This wood-iron-cane combination is hallmark Khasi craftsmanship, making do with local resources but using clever engineering.
Apart from functional purposes, the dao serves an iconic value among the Khasi as it is often "" interpreted as that of self-reliance and ancestral lineage. This kind of tool often used to consider not just weapon or implement but in carrying, it identified people while still practical and spiritual to reflect tribal life. These tools have made their way into the reservoirs of ethnographic artifacts-the very testament to the people from northeast India, celebrating the resilience as well as ingenuity of tribal tradition.