Help me understand the tanto blade shape

jbmonkey said:
i dislike them for one reason. instead of only 2 edges to sharpen...its now 4. unless a chisel grind then its still 2 instead of 1 and knocking off the burr.

i also dont find them any more useful at any task i actually do, compared to other blade shapes. so i avoid them nowadays.
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I really don't feel the same. I think it's more like you've got two completely straight edges to sharpen rather than one straight and one curved one. Much easier. I also like that you can have a stronger edge/bevel angle on the tip for more abusive work + it's quick and handy to reprofile that short edge if it gets damaged or completely regrind the tip if it gets broken off.
 
In the early 80's , they were really exotic and sexy . I still think they're cool . They may not be the optimal utility knife ,but if that's all you have , you'll find you can do most chores just fine . And if you ever really do NEED a strong stabbing point ...:eek:
 
I don't like them either. I admit the phrase "mall ninja" comes to my mind. I had a few back in the 90s when I started getting into knives. I still have my CRKT Komodo Gold tanto as a matter of fact. I haven't bought a tanto in 20 years and I don't plan on buying another one. For the chores I run into on a daily basis, I'll take a spear, drop point, or if I'm really in a crazy mood (variety spice of life thing): a wharncliffe.
 
Dr Heelhook said:
I really don't feel the same. I think it's more like you've got two completely straight edges to sharpen rather than one straight and one curved one. Much easier. I also like that you can have a stronger edge/bevel angle on the tip for more abusive work + it's quick and handy to reprofile that short edge if it gets damaged or completely regrind the tip if it gets broken off.
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A tanto that is V ground has 2 edges to sharpen, but each of those 2 edges has 2 sides. That’s what jbmonkey was talking about.

jbmonkey jbmonkey I actually find Tantos (american style) easier to sharpen than most knives, though if V edged more time consuming. This is because I find that it is usually as you sharpen round the gradual curve of “non tanto knives” (drop points, clip points. etc.) that the angle is liable to change and do funky things. I find it quite hard to keep the angle freehand.
 
Dr Heelhook said:
I really don't feel the same. I think it's more like you've got two completely straight edges to sharpen rather than one straight and one curved one. Much easier. I also like that you can have a stronger edge/bevel angle on the tip for more abusive work + it's quick and handy to reprofile that short edge if it gets damaged or completely regrind the tip if it gets broken off.
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fair points. i dont mind belly sharpening freehand and on something like a sharpmaker as an example for touchups i find the curved edge easy to maintain. easier than a tanto for me......but i see your points and agree it depends how you sharpen and with what and what you like dislike etc. thanks for bringing that up. important points to be considered.
 
I felt the same way about them as you stated, but..... I guess I wanted to try something different, just like you the thought of a strong beater knife appealed to me. I recently got a Kershaw Emerson. I say feed your urge and try it out!
 
Dr Heelhook said:
I really don't feel the same. I think it's more like you've got two completely straight edges to sharpen rather than one straight and one curved one. Much easier. I also like that you can have a stronger edge/bevel angle on the tip for more abusive work + it's quick and handy to reprofile that short edge if it gets damaged or completely regrind the tip if it gets broken off.
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All true. I can dull the front "chisel" out on the job and easily touch it up with a piece of 600gr wet/dry sandpaper I have in the truck for woodworking. Hold the knife (with regard for the edge!) and push the tanto squarely onto the sandpaper (after laying it on a piece of really smooth plywood) and you can get a really fine, useful edge with little effort instantly.

I find my Utilitac II is just about perfect for my tanto needs. The blade is a bit stubby so I get good control, the steel is soft enough that it is easily touched up (or even resharpened) with little effort. It is small enough to carry easy, and for my work using it as a utility knife they have the angles just right for me.

Thankfully, I haven't had to regrind the tip, but since it is a work tool I wouldn't hesitate to do it if needed.

Robert
 
Think of the tanto (if done traditionally) as a knife with two very different grinds, . The tip edge is ground and sharpened to a fairly obtuse angle as high as 30-35 degrees. The main edge is usually a more reasonable angle of around 20. The virtual "tip" of the main edge starts where the angle changes from 30 to 20.

What this accomplishes. is giving a heavy duty piercing tip while lessening the risk to the long edge. It makes ZERO sense with most folders since you can't really use that piercing tip effectively. But they use it because the blade looks bad ass tactical. I'm not even sure that a fixed blade like a Ka-Bar tanto is even using the two angles anymore.

When I tried to think of an EDC knife that benefited from a "tanto" tip the only one I've had was my CKRT KISS. I think any other shape would have been dangerous and also been less ideal as a chisel grind. The tanto tip on the KISS was more out of necessity than trying to be a functional tanto so there are exceptions.

The blade style has it's uses, but on small knives and most folders it's done for looks.
 
jbmonkey said:
fair points. i dont mind belly sharpening freehand and on something like a sharpmaker as an example for touchups i find the curved edge easy to maintain. easier than a tanto for me......but i see your points and agree it depends how you sharpen and with what and what you like dislike etc. thanks for bringing that up. important points to be considered.
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Ok, with a Sharpmaker I can see how it would be easier to have one continuous edge. I don't have a SM myself, I usually use benchstones and sometimes a Tormek.
 
vanadium said:
Nobody needs a tanto, but nobody needs a growing collection of XM18's either. If the point of collecting folders is about variety of experience, working with slightly different tools, adapting your techniques and chores to variations in design, etc., the tanto delivers that. I find it functional, but moreover it's different. It does some things better and some things worse, but it's practical enough, and it's interesting! Basically I recommend it if you're looking for variety, and it helps if you love it aesthetically. If you don't love the aesthetic, by all means choose something else. And if your criteria are strictly practical, just go back to having 1 knife and 1 backup. ;)
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This fits my view. I don't own a knife with an American tanto blade design as I see them primarily intended for piercing something (like you (OP) said). Piercing what? Could be store packaging right? But, how do you know you won't like the design if you never tried it out? This is a hobby and goes beyond "tool". I just have not taken the tanto leap yet and may eventually.

I was taken by the Razel (chisel grind squared tip design) and initially wanted a Graham custom. Spoke to Jon Graham a number of times on the subject. Decided to get the CRKT version (have three) to try out before going the more expensive route. I compare this to the tanto shape and if I am consistent, I would probably buy something made by CRKT or Cold Steel to explore the blade shape relative to my world.
 
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I was not a fan of tanto blades until I got a CQC7. I got it to use as a glorified utility knife. Granted it has a tactical history, but it is even better as a scraper, pry bar, chisel, wire stripper, and with serrated blade makes short work of drywall, hose, drilling a crude hole through drywall or fibreboard or even plywood to run lines through, etc...

The chisel blade is so easy to maintain, and I get mine very sharp.

Things I’d never do with my CRK
 
I wasn't a fan, but they have been growing on me lately and I now have two tanto folders and one fixed.
 
gazz98 said:
Crank it up!!!! When I think of tanto, I think of videos like this! If you don't do a 360 spin before killing a 2 liter bottle, you need to keep practicing.

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JI_uD8.gif
 
I wasn't a tanto guy either, but my Fatty Harpoon Tanto XM 18 is fantastic knife and up for any task. Perhaps not the best EDC designed blade shape but it will make any cuts you need it too.

I actually found the design more useful than I thought it would be recently bought an auto Benchmade HK with the tanto design. It's a knife that stays in my rotation because of its usefulness and aesthetics.
 
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