Phurbas (or kilas in Sanskrit) are ritual-pegs or ritual-daggers that have great significance in Tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism. Originally used in the context of non-Buddhist sacrificial rites involving animal victims, in the Tantric Buddhist context it functions as a symbol of enlightened-wrath of all buddhas that "cuts through aggression." A major Tantric deity among Tibetans is Vajrakilaya who holds in his hands a "cosmic phurba" that he uses to liberate sentient beings from their afflictive emotions.
Iron phurbas are highly desirable among practitioners. They are second only to meteorite!
