The design of these weapons varied greatly between individuals, but all ryyk blades were hand-constructed and were considered an extension of the wielder, much like the Wookiee relationship with their bowcasters. The average weight of a ryyk was around fifteen kilograms, but Wookiees could wield them with surprising speed and grace. The blade was first developed when the Wookiees were still technologically primitive; they were used for clearing paths through the thick forests of Kashyyyk and fending off vicious predators and other attacking animals.
Ryyk blades were used heavily by Trandoshanslavers during the Clone Wars and by Wookiee Berserkers during the Galactic Civil War. For a non-Wookiee to use the ryyk without earning the right to do so was an insult to most Wookiees.