What should the Senior Deacon use to receive the Candidate in the First Degree? Could he use a sword?

The Standard Work and Lectures does not specify the nature of the sharp instrument. It is perhaps most common to use one of the extreme points of a pair of compasses, but this is by no means required and it would be perfectly fine to use a sword instead. Indeed, the first examples of a “reception” in the documentary record of Masonic Ritual describe “a sword or spear or some warlike instrument” being used for this purpose. Anything that enhances the experience for those present—for example, the Candidate who hears the Senior Deacon’s sword slide from its scabbard and the Brethren who witness its use — should be viewed in a positive light so long as it remains within the form, intent, and spirit of the Ritual.