I need a Tanto!

GIRLYmann said:
anyone who collects japanese style blades,
seriously needs a crkt hissatsu

because its so cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsJf0OTwwzI

but tactical users require the newer Otanashi noh Ken
[IMGsnippy[/IMG]
it's absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
http://www.edgeobserver.com/crkt-otanashi-noh-ken/
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I like that a lot. The tip strength is a little bit of a concern for me, but even though I prefer the Americanized tanto, I do still love traditional tantos.

Maybe I'll get one. CRKT is one of my top three favorite folder companies.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
I am a ravenous fanboy, but that's besides the point. I posted very clear proof that is pretty difficult to argue against.
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What you posted was a company's video that they use to sell their product. Of course they're going to make it look like only THEIR blades can survive certain tests.
 
cbxer55 said:
Man, that Otanashi noh Ken looks like an awesome knife. 4.52 blade is right up my alley. Ordering one from Blade HQ today.
Thanks for posting that. Not a huge CRKT fan, but once-in-awhile, they get one right.
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It is a pocket sword!! Check you detent when you get it. Mine came open in my pocket. It also was very dull on the bottom part of the blade from the factory.
 
Dodge said:
It is a pocket sword!! Check you detent when you get it. Mine came open in my pocket. It also was very dull on the bottom part of the blade from the factory.
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From CRKT, that is not a surprise. Sadly. The few CRKT's I've bought have been nothing to write home about. Have not bought one in several years. And right there, you may have just talked me out of buying one now. It's a rather expensive knife for a CRKT, $115.00 from Blade HQ. There is absolutely no excuse for a knife in that price range to come with the defects you noted. NONE!
 
Kwon Kwang said:
That tanto was differentially heat treated.
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none of the traditional tantos pictured in this thread appear to be differentially treated, Instead come with a cheesy fake hamon but that's just me and what I see.

:thumbup: for CRKT Hissatsu, I've long been an admirer of that blade and I like the other stuff that John Willaims puts up for sale as well compared to other "imported" offerings straight down to the Zori that you can find on his site.

As long as everyone else has mentioned fixed blades and not folders, take a look at the KA-BAR 1245, it's a great take on tanto style point, something more similar to the tip if a katana than straight up American tanto
 
stvpourciau said:
none of the traditional tantos pictured in this thread appear to be differentially treated, Instead come with a cheesy fake hamon but that's just me and what I see.
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Exactly. I wasn't posting that as a picture of a "true well made functional tanto", just as an example of the SHAPE.

And Kwon, I don't trust it just because it came first, I trust it cause the Japanese swordsmiths refined their designs over time, to find the best design for their usage, which was as an actual, combat used weapon...not a company showing off their own products by stabbing cardboard.(if Cold Steel did a test 10 times, and the knife failed the test 5 of them, do you *really* think they'd show all 10 tests, or just the 5 that make them look best?).
 
I know you want a folding tanto but I love my black and polished SOG Tsunami blades. They are light, nimble, sturdy and sharp. Also very affordable. SOG's AUS-8 heat treat is great.
 
Emerson Super 7 is a beast... no f&f issues, no play, no problems... sharpens up easy and, well... sharp.
2sb4fib.jpg
 
evilgreg said:
I'd recommend anything but an Emerson CQC-7B . . . mine was possibly the worst knife I've purchased to date, at least for knives that cost more than $20. For a more traditional tanto blade shape, go Kwaiken, though beware of QC issues and difficulty opening them one-handed with the original version that don't have the improved disc. For the American style tanto, why not go Cold Steel?

If you just want to try out the blade shape, you could always get yourself a ~$10 Bee L01. It locks up better than my CQC-7, and it comes in various handle materials/colors:

zBDjZ5R.jpg
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The knife suggested appears to be a blatant copy of Bob Terzuola's designs.
 
All of those are inexpensive, functional folders (most of them...), you will not go wrong with whichever you pick.

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hsiu.jpg
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DShiflet said:
if Cold Steel did a test 10 times, and the knife failed the test 5 of them, do you *really* think they'd show all 10 tests, or just the 5 that make them look best?
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Personal opinion is great. I will never have a problem with someone saying they prefer one knife over another. Knife collecting (and using!) is an entirely personal experience and it makes sense to go with what you like.
If you prefer a traditional tanto, that's cool! They are mighty fine looking.
I'm a Cold Steel guy, and that's fine with me. If people have other knives in their collection, that's fine with me too. Do I own other knives? Yup, I was a knife fan before I even discovered Cold Steel all those years ago. But Cold Steel are the only ones I trust. And that trust was earned by watching tests firsthand. I've seen what works and what doesn't. I've been there for the testing and I've seen it with my own eyes.
My trust was earned by performance.

Now let's talk about PROOF.
We make our videos to show what our products can do under the most extreme conditions. We also make them to entertain. I think of them as a mixture of two things - tests and feats.

If our guys are doing a feat (drawing and cutting a grape out of mid air or something - a feat that requires a great deal of personal skill or accuracy) then they of course get more than one take. they are only human and they are expected to perform on camera for hours and hours every day. People get tired.
Our tests however are very different. What you see is what happened. Period.
Your comment implies that they are not - and I feel that needs to be commented upon.

In our latest series of videos (Apocalypse Proof and Astounding Sword Proof) we actually left it much more "raw". We used a different editor and did much more post production in-house
You'll see misses, failed attempts and imperfect cuts all there for everyone to see.
It's as real as it gets.

I will never say that the feats shown are in sequential order - for example, the spine whacks, over-strikes and shock tests are all performed last, but they may not be shown last in the running order of the video - but everything else is 100% legit.

This was the third PROOF shoot that I have worked on. I've also been behind the camera on every single in-house test here at our HQ for over 3 years now. I assure you. It's the real deal.
I hope that helps to clarify this....
Thanks

Now, back to the thread :D :D :D
 
I love my old school cold steel tanto. Great blade. Old style blade markings from the first edition released . Feels great in the hand.
I just received those videos in the mail too. Definitely fun to watch.


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Love the tanto blade so much, I just received my first sebenza, tanto style.

abazazan.jpg


I believe the cold steel tanto was made in the 80's according to the blade markings, and is still beautiful. Couldn't imagine selling it.
Paid $75 for it.
 
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"American tantos" are so heavily misunderstood it baffles me.

First, tip strength is not a major selling point. A spear point will kick it's butt in that aspect. It's all about how the knife is actually ground. Just because it's a tanto doesn't make it strong. My Fallen Oak Forge I could plow into concrete and it would be fine, but my Kershaw Zing I'm afraid to look at wrong.

The biggest advantage to American tantos to me is having a precision cutting point in the belly. It's simple math, and it's the same reason recruves are popular. The more focused the pressure is on a smaller spot, the more effective of a cutter it will be. The right tanto grind has a surgical pointy tip, a secondary semi tip in the angle for quick deep cutting, and a long flat belly for parallel processing. Add to that the only grind easier to sharpen is a wharn.

Furthermore, the Japanese originally used jokotos, which is about the epitome of what has been accepted as being an "American tanto". They were quick and easy compared to the evolution of what the tanto came to be, and were created as war swords. Most people also don't realize that some of the later developments of the tanto ground swords were not done from a functional standpoint. Believe it or not, they actually liked their swords to be pretty, much like we do with vehicles.
 
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