Dr. Utility, or: How I Learned to Stop Snubbing and Love the Tanto

[Comeuppance]

I used to be staunchly against tantos. They look too aggressive and are featured on cheap mall-ninja knives all the time. I lumped it in mentally with assisted opening for the longest time in the mental category of "signs of a poorly-made, mass-market, cheap, terrible knife that will get you raised eyebrows from the general public and LEOs."

However, I got a CS Tuff Lite a while ago. The straight edge made utility work so much easier than curved blades! Taped seams, cardboard boxes, and plastic straps all fell by the thousands to that wharncliffe blade.

But it doesn't puncture particularly well! I guess there's a downside to everything.

Cut to a few months ago, I snag a DLC Zing Tanto and a DLC Junkyard Dog from Kershawguy on a drunken impulse buy. That's when I reconsidered my position on tantos - the point where the grinds meet essentially makes for two tips, allowing you to make precision drawing cuts with the lower tip and easily pierce with the primary tip. You then have an upper edge that is great for push-cutting materials (much like when you leave scissors open and just slide them through whatever you're cutting), and a larger main edge for slicing or detail work, It's like having two knives.

So, if you do a lot of utility work with your knives, give tantos a shot. Start cheap, but with the knowledge that there are plenty of quality tantos out there.

I still always also carry a regular blade with some belly, but I'm starting to wonder why.

So, now my rotation looks a lot like this:


Not to say I don't still carry and use my standbys:

 

[evanPGH]

Give a traditional tanto a try, belly AND tip strength. :thumbup:

 

[csisland]

Give a traditional tanto a try, belly AND tip strength. :thumbup:

No thanks.

 

[evanPGH]

No thanks.

Cool story bro.

 

[Sonnydaze]

I understand that tantos are good for stabbing, cutting tops out of cans, digging for IED's. I had one NIB LUM tanto that was beautiful...too pretty to use. Always figured that a curved blade was best for slicing, such as Spydie Stretch or equivalent.

 

[o4tg]

I understand that tantos are good for stabbing, cutting tops out of cans, digging for IED's. I had one NIB LUM tanto that was beautiful...too pretty to use. Always figured that a curved blade was best for slicing, such as Spydie Stretch or equivalent.

Tantos are great slicers. Recurves exist because they focus more cutting force on a specific section of the blade, requiring less energy for heavier cuts. American tantos are the same thing (debatably better at it), and a metric poop ton easier to sharpen.

To the trash talkers.....

Are some American tantos mall ninja? Yes.
Are all American tantos mall ninja? No.
Are people who say they're all mall ninja exaggerating and unjustly condescending? Yes.

If you post on a knife forum, you should really be able to understand that almost all blade profiles have strenths and weaknesses. Rather than making snide remarks about owners of said knives you either have no experience with, or used for a task it didn't fit the bill for.

 

[Nal0n]

So it sounds like you get a regular knife with a kiridashi for free?

 

[Krav]

You bring up some valid points,I find my taste of variety ever expanding. I forgot I had a sog I use from time to time.

I'm dying over your sng 110 beautiful....:thumbup:

 

[goodeyesniper]

for me the wharncliffe has much more utility capability for 99% of tasks. the tip is much more useful for piercing, using the mechanics of the human body much better than a tanto's raised tip, and obtuse secondary point.

different strokes

 

[NetshadeX]

Give a traditional tanto a try, belly AND tip strength. :thumbup:

This 100% The Williams Hissatsu dropped my jaw with it's piercing ability AND has a functional belly. More folders should feature the traditional tanto.

 

[NetshadeX]

I understand that tantos are good for stabbing, digging for IED's

Sounds like you live in a tough neighbourhood

 

[Officer's Match]

This has become one of my favorites.

 

[Mannlicher]

none of the things a Tanto is good for, are what I do with a knife. No warriors in armor to stab, no tin cans to open, no fantasy combat with aliens. I'll just continue to skip the blade shape entirely.

 

[Syncharmony]

none of the things a Tanto is good for, are what I do with a knife. No warriors in armor to stab, no tin cans to open, no fantasy combat with aliens. I'll just continue to skip the blade shape entirely.

Fantasy combat with aliens is always a possibility though. It's better to be prepared for situations like that then be caught with your pants down on-board a spaceship.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

none of the things a Tanto is good for, are what I do with a knife. No warriors in armor to stab, no tin cans to open, no fantasy combat with aliens. I'll just continue to skip the blade shape entirely.

So you don't open and break down any boxes, cut any packing straps, slice any cordage or cut any wood? Tantos aren't the end-all-be-all by any means, but the only areas I find that they fall a bit short are in food prep and skinning type applications where the belly of a blade really comes into it's own.

Tantos, Americanized or otherwise, are like any other blade shape, they all have advantages and disadvantages. An inability to use one for common tasks probably says more about you than the knife.

 

[TheModernNeanderthal]

I am carrying a Kershawguy tanto Zing right now :thumbup:

Also, where did you get the blue satin EX02?

So, now my rotation looks a lot like this:

 

[Comeuppance]

I am carrying a Kershawguy tanto Zing right now :thumbup:

Also, where did you get the blue satin EX02?

I bought it from USA Made Blade off of the for sale by dealer page. It's a knife that was only offered at Blade Show 2013, and I've yet to see another. Elishewitz himself confirmed that was the case through emails (when I asked about a custom of his I had picked up.)

 

[Czechmate]

Tantos are some of my favourite things... :thumbup:

Gotta get some pics up of the fixed blades.

 

[TheModernNeanderthal]

I bought it from USA Made Blade off of the for sale by dealer page. It's a knife that was only offered at Blade Show 2013, and I've yet to see another. Elishewitz himself confirmed that was the case through emails (when I asked about a custom of his I had picked up.)

I can't tell you how jealous I am.

 

[Quiet]

Tantos are some of my favourite things... :thumbup:

Gotta get some pics up of the fixed blades.

Ok, so I have to confess that while I don't love Tantos per se, I DO love (and own) a few of the knives that you show here in your pic. As we discussed yesterday, I have the Be Wharned, and the Needs Work (not in pic), but I also have and love one of the Buck Bravos (with the swedge tip). LOVE that knife. I'm actually awaiting a CRKT Razel to add to my collection, another non-traditional shape which I suppose could be considered tanto-like. I also have a SOG Mini X-ray, and a CS large Voyager with the tanto/half-serrated blade knocking around here somewhere.