For daily carry and normal pocketknife use, I think Tanto's are way over-rated, another fashion trend for all the armchair commandos, but that is because I always use my folding knives to cut things, not to pry or chop things. I have other knives for prying in a pinch (Busse) or chopping things (soft machete, big bowies). Tantos are are assuredly harder to sharpen, although that isn't any particularly big deal.
(And Emerson got it WRONG for right handed people, using his knives for daily utility carry, to put the bevel on the left side of the blade! Period! A whittling cut pushes the wrong way. I can't think of a good self defense reason for the left side bevel. It looks better that way for pictures and for the admiring right-handed eye, though. Mercifully, some other vendors bevel the right side for right handed knives.)
And a normally stout folder w/ clip or drop point can be plenty strong for stabbing, self defense type situations (very rare in my life so far, an understatement since I have a CCW permit anyway). I sold my CQC7 because the weird discontinuity in the blade just didn't work right for daily cutting chores, same with previously mentioned bevel mistake. Oh well, you buy the knife, and learn why you want to sell it later.
I like my BM Striker (symmetrical grind!), but ended up sharpening the transition from straight blade to tanto tip area kinda "round" and kinda smooth ... got rid of that discontinuity, that corner. Now it's fine, but honestly, doesn't get carried much. (But I like the looks of that Spyderco Lum.... will I ever really learn?)
If you find a folder with a strong enough blade to pry, or to stick the point into a board and bend it out sideways without breaking (I cringe at the thought of my boss years ago on the golf course breaking the tip off my Buck 110 folder), next you'll end up ruining the pivot and lock (as it sounds like some have).
If you assuredly want a small, daily carry pry bar that also happens to be sharp, I think you are into fixed blade territory immediately. Check out the Busse Mean Street or have someone build you a custom out of 1/4" stock with no distal taper and a quick transition from full width to the point, out of something tough like A2 or CPM-9V or M2 or CPM-3v, and have them keep it Rc 55 or whatever, and then have it Black-T coated or something. An "in pocket" swinger sheath might do the trick if you don't want a belt sheath (seems like Dozier builds horizontal kydex sheaths for short fixed blades also).
No sense (to me, anyway) in ruining expensive folders all the time, especially by throwing or prying. Throwing a knife.... as useful as throwing your handgun to the assailant in my book. Rant, rave, enough.
