Do you like tanto blades?

Do you like tanto blades?

  • I like them.

    Votes: 128 67.7%

  • I don’t like them.

    Votes: 61 32.3%
  • Total voters
    189
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I don’t like them but I like this one
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Timothy 75 said:
A lot of people have said they dont need a tanto? I always figured it was just another option like clip point or wharcliff, is there something Im missing? Are there tasks that work best with a tanto? Prying maybe?
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Yup, and also scraping, plus it was real handy when I had to punch through sheets of plastic or pierce and cut openings on plastic containers and such. I used it at work while I worked at construction site, I use it to cut straw, bushes...

I own Recon Tanto BTW. And while I was buying it, woman working there has told me that it's her favourite knife. For 65 Euros it serves me more than good, and tanto point has been useful to me in many occassions, any other knife point would most likley be bent or broken by now, not to mention functionality like scraping or prying. So everything comes down to your needs, it appears to suit mine well.
 
Timothy 75 said:
A lot of people have said they dont need a tanto? I always figured it was just another option like clip point or wharcliff, is there something Im missing? Are there tasks that work best with a tanto? Prying maybe?
Click to expand...
Yup, and also scraping, plus it was real handy when I had to punch through sheets of plastic or pierce and cut openings on plastic containers and such. I used it at work while I worked at construction site, I use it to cut straw, bushes...

I own Recon Tanto BTW. And while I was buying it, woman working there has told me that it's her favourite knife. For 65 Euros it serves me more than good, and tanto point has been useful to me in many occassions, any other knife point would most likley be bent or broken by now, not to mention functionality like scraping or prying. So everything comes down to your needs, it appears to suit mine well.
 
I like them, or at least they are growing on me. I like them for some applications, mostly for aesthetic flair or maybe on a defensive blade. I just purchased an Ultratech yesterday. I went with the tanto edge over the more drop point and double edge because I thought it looked "cooler" on an OTF knife. I bought the knife to mostly play with but also as a unique EDC at my office. I suppose the tanto might be a bit better at poking holes in an attacker, but I'm pretty sure I could ram a butter knife to the hilt if I needed to get someone off me. So to be honest with myself, I just like the way it looks.

I do have a "short" 12" blade Tanto made by Himalayan Imports. Incredibly light and ridiculously sharp. What it lacks in mass (compared to their other offerings) it makes up for in a very slicey belly and has more of an old school squared off and robust tanto tip that would jam through pretty much anything.
 
When I was mostly collecting "do-it-all" EDC knives, I had mixed feelings about them. My usual range of tasks favors a knife with at least a bit of belly.

But as my collection has grown to include plenty of knives that I just plain enjoy without demanding that they work as EDC all-rounders, I've come to enjoy tanto blades more. They also have niches in my usage, so if I expect to need the advantages they can offer on a particular day I like having a couple options available.
 
I like them on folder blades that are 3” to 4.0”. I don’t like them on fixed blades, especially my bushcraft/survival knives.

To me they don’t work on short blades because they take away too much of the primary edge.
 
No I don’t like tanto blades. I’ve tried two or three different ones that friends and coworkers had and they weren’t for me. I can see where in certain tasks they could be very useful but it seems to me tanto blades are a more specialized tool than a utilitarian type.
 
I have rid myself of all tanto blades except one. A CRKT M16-02.

A great knife for pocket carry but a little to small for how I feel a tanto should be used.

Heat treatment and steel are not the best.
 
I love a good tanto for everyday use. Essentially getting two blades, but most importantly two tips is extremely handy for a lot of everyday tasks especially opening boxes. For hard use I also really like a good chisel ground tanto.
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I didn't have a Tanto so decided to try one that wouldn't break the bank if I didn't use it much. I bought a Kershaw Emerson with the wave feature as I wanted to try that as well. It's okay, the chisel like point comes in handy at times. But not my favourite blade shape and doubt I'd get another.
I do want a Benchmade 940 with the reverse Tanto, been saving for that and I'm nearly there.
 
I don’t mind them. Not gonna say they are my favorite shape or that I carry them a lot. I have two Crk tantos. They aren’t bad for draw cuts and I like the two edges. Like two blades almost. It took me some getting used to on the best way to use them. They do look good. It’s not bad to experience one of them to find out for yourself. They’re not bad just different
 
Dcdavis said:
I don’t mind them. Not gonna say they are my favorite shape or that I carry them a lot. I have two Crk tantos. They aren’t bad for draw cuts and I like the two edges. Like two blades almost. It took me some getting used to on the best way to use them. They do look good. It’s not bad to experience one of them to find out for yourself. They’re not bad just different
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Well said. No particular like or dislike here too, the only tantos I have are the old H&K 14255 Snody and the Spyderco Battlestation. Didn't think too much of the functional aspects when I got them, just thought they looked great, haha.
 
I believe the tanto style blade has become accepted and commonplace as a EDC utility working type knife .

I've noticed a bunch of different ones for sale at the local TSC farm store . Many branded from tool companies like DeWalt and Milwaukee .

 
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I don't like Tantos for the same reason that I don't like wharnclif's-they are designed primarily for one type of task instead of multi-use. I much prefer a more general use design. Even my skinners are more general use than a Tanto. Besides, the Tanto design screams "Mall Ninja" to me. I don't know too many people these days who need to punch through light armor or kevlar with their knives aside from the rare possibility of a someone in the armed forces. Someone can possible make the case that they can be used as a chisel but I would rather just use a chisel when one is required. I never had any use for Tantos and at this point in my life, I doubt that I ever will. With that said-if you like them, go buy and use them. You will have no competition from me.
 
Tanto is fine on a Japanese sword. On a pocket folder it seems silly to me.
Of course, we have all seen blade shapes that look bad to us...
Buy whatever speaks to you and enjoy the heck out of it!
I find myself gravitating towards thin blades with FFG because I like the
way they cut. I have some very nice looking knives that are thick behind the edge
and do not cut so well...but I still love them!
 
I always had a pocket knife in my pocket , nothin fancy . I just got into knives , Hogue EX-01 tanto to me is a nice tanto blade and is my EDC.
 
Before I decided folders are not for me I carried an Emerson super sofck for years. Now I edc fixed blades with a benchmade bugout as a backup to it. None of my fixed blades are tanto shaped. I do have a Bailout that I carried for while, but the drop point shape on the bailout is just more useful for me.
 
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