When the sword had passed to MINAMOTO no Yorimitsu, it is said to have been used by his retainer, WATANABE no Tsuna, to cut off the arm of an Oni (ogre) on the Ichijomodori-bashi Bridge, and its name was changed to Onikiri (Oni Cutter).
源頼光の代、配下の渡辺綱が一条戻橋で鬼の腕を切ったとされ、その際名を鬼切と改めた。