Do you like wharncliffes over tantos?

L

Lavan

Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
2,301
If so why? If not, why not.
I see a tanto as a combination of TWO straight edges with an additional point.
:confused:
 
The Wharncliffe is easier to sharpen, more 'Sheeple' friendly and more utilitarian, IMO. I have never had much need to pierce armor with a tanto. ;)
 
Wharncliffes are more usable for everyday carry.

Like A.P.F., I rarely find myself fending of armor wearing thugs. :D
 
I rarely find myself fending of armor wearing thugs.
Click to expand...

Neither do I. However, I ...do.... find that extra point VERY useful in slicing. Like one huge serration.

Coors, my "tanto" is a Benchmade Stryker that is nearly a conventional profile anyway.

Edited to ask HOW a Wharncliffe is easier to sharpen.

I use the flat on the flat and then just do the same on the pointy flat.
All on a diamond stone that leaves BOTH edges scary sharp with a point in between.
 
Each to its use....

But for daily use, a nicely designed wharncliffe puts the SHARP tip (an acute angle, not an obtuse one, like a tanto) very low on the blade -- usually in line with my index finger's indexing line (eek), rather than with the thumb on the top of the blade.

If you're doing a lot of cutting at elbow-height, this makes it such that you don't have to bend your wrist nearly as much, keeping things more comfortable, more controllable, with more power.

This applies for kitchen-knife grip and index-on-spine grip, which are the two I use most when cutting.

-j
 
Lavan said:
Edited to ask HOW a Wharncliffe is easier to sharpen.

I use the flat on the flat and then just do the same on the pointy flat.
All on a diamond stone that leaves BOTH edges scary sharp with a point in between.
Click to expand...

A good point (sorry) Lavan. I would just be afraid of messing up that first point at the end of the primary blade section. Us old guys have shakey hands. :o
 
I...

I don't think the Americanized tanto was designed to be "armor piercing".

If you think about it, the best "armor piercing" tip would be an ice pick. (I mean for soft body armor, not trauma plates... I don't think any knife/person is going to stab through one of those these.)

The Americanized/geometric tanto is kind of more a thick-tip design and not that different from any other low-saber, steep-front-angle design, except with one pointy secondary tip. Beyond that, it's kind of a cosmetic thing, especially if it's ground thin and sharp.

It's really meant for kinds of things that you'd probably snap or bend the tip of a thinner or narrower grind otherwise: scraping, light prying, digging.

From experience, chisel-ground geometric tantos excel at one thing over all other designs... scraping dratted MVA/DMV stickers off your windshield!

-j
 
I've found that the tanto blade on my Mini-Stryker is really useful for what I cut. The main edge is easy to sharpen and the smaller edge towards the tip is great for push cuts and acts like a beefed-up exacto knife. It probably wouldn't be ideal for skinning game, but that's not what I do anyway. I've used mine on camping trips and as an edc taking down cardboard boxes and such. My Lansky gives it a great edge and if I do ever need to punch through the hide of a raging rhino, I know I'm all set.
 
yes i prefer wharnies, the most useful bladeshape for me is a classic boxcutter type of blade (at work), tantos are quite useless for me (both work and off work), i like the look tho, theyre sexy but thats it.
 
Yes, I very much prefer Wharnies over a Tanto. I have no use for a tanto blade. Although, my Ben Hastings' Sandshark II IS the exception. I feel that a Wharncliff blade is far more useful to me, than a tanto.
 
I prefer most anything over a tanto. I just don't find tantos that practical. I do think tantos have a nice look about them and I do own a few, just never use them. YMMV.
 
wharncliffe

You can sharpen the whole blade in one stroke, not two strokes for different edges.

The whole blade is easily used in a cut for better efficiency than a tanto.

A more useful point rather than two obtuse points.

The Wharncliffe design allows for more useful handle designs while still keeping the whole edge covered when closed. The forward edge on tanto precludes some handle choices.
 
For me, among the key issues are point placement and thickness -- I like doing pointwork in everyday use. Wharncliffes generally have thinner points, nice and low exactly where it's most convenient. It makes all the difference between a format I love for EDC, and the tanto which I don't like for any purpose.
 
I edc a tanto for a few years in the late 90's. I hate using them for anything useful. Only advantage for me is prying open cans of paint (I was painting houses as a summer job back then). It doesn't cut nearly as well as ANY other blade design.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top