Hand-Finished in Japan's Blade-Making Town
This is not a plastic novelty. According to Anime Anime's report, each Gryphon model in the One Piece Paper Knife series is individually edged by craftsmen in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, a city long known for its blade-making. The result is a letter opener that actually cuts envelopes cleanly, which is more than most anime desk goods can claim.
The knife reproduces the details of Shanks' saber down to the blade pattern (hamon), the shape of the guard (tsuba), and the sheath. It measures 215mm (about 8.5 inches) overall and comes with a display stand, so it can sit on a shelf between mail days. The price is ¥5,500, tax included.
Advance sales opened on July 6, 2026, with general release following on August 3.
Zoro and Law Got Theirs First
The paper knife line is not new. It launched in 2018 with four models based on the swords of Roronoa Zoro and Trafalgar Law, two of the franchise's most dedicated blade users. Per Anime Anime, the Gryphon model exists because fans kept asking for it, and it is easy to see why: Gryphon is the sword Shanks carries as his main weapon, which makes it one of the more storied blades in the series despite how rarely he draws it.
For collectors who picked up the Zoro and Law knives eight years ago, this is the first new addition to the lineup since.
A Franchise Still Setting Records
The timing lands in the middle of a busy stretch for One Piece. Eiichiro Oda's manga has run in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump since July 1997, and worldwide circulation passed 600 million copies as of March 2026, split between more than 450 million in Japan and over 150 million overseas. Volume 67 still holds the series' first-printing record at 4.05 million copies.
On screens, the TV anime began its Elbaph arc on April 5, 2026, and Season 2 of Netflix's live-action One Piece started streaming worldwide on March 10, 2026. Shanks himself has been drifting closer to the manga's center stage, so a piece of Red-Haired Pirates merchandise arriving now should find a ready audience.
Looking Ahead
The advance sale is underway, with the general release to follow on August 3, 2026. The Anime Anime article links to the product through Village Vanguard's online store and Animate's online shop, both Japanese retailers. No international release is mentioned in the source, so overseas collectors will likely need an import proxy or a retailer that ships abroad.
As for watching the sword in action, the Elbaph arc is currently airing in Japan, and the Netflix live-action series remains the most accessible entry point for viewers who want Shanks with a real-world budget behind him.