I suck at tantos, got any tips?

Hawk45

Hawk45

Joined
Jan 28, 2005
Messages
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I've tried a few tanto tips and just can't get them even, I think it's b/c I only have a platen and have a hard time getting the angle with the blade north/south (up/down) as opposed to all the other blades I do going east/west (side to side). Got any tips to doing a good tanto?

Thanks,
Hawk
 
Cut a wooden wedge and clamp it to your rest
Use that to set your angles ?

Lots of examples of nice angled rests for grinding clips, seems like it would work the same to me.
 
Make a lot of Kiridashis!

The tip on an American Style tanto can be trickier than it looks, you have to get used to holding it that tough angle when grinding. I put a lot of thought into the way I hold the knife when grinding the tip, even after quite a few of them I feel it isn't quite natural to grab them at the right point. I like to hold the blade where it is balanced as opposed to on each end, it gives me more control.

Here's my current batch, .315" D2! Pre heat treat...


031-8.jpg
 
The trick is treating the tip as an entirely different section of the blade.... because it is! I find that if I completely ignore the tip until the rest is done, it is much easier to line things up. Use a file for the first few you do and note the angles you are working them.

Grind the main cutting bevels right off the tip without turning it up. Get them nice, straight and even. Then, slowly work the tip up.

Stacy will probably chime in with the proper Japanese terminology.
 
Determine what angle you want your Tanto grind to be. You can use a tool rest set at that angle or a bubble jig to help maintain that grind angle.

What I do is hold the profile edge of the tip perpendicular to the belt (or parallel to the floor) set the angle of grind and grind your flat. Do both sides exactly the same, alternating side moving the grinds equally until you get it where you want.

Here is my EDC with a tanto tip

Redtanto2052.jpg
 
I agree with Rick. Grind and sand the Ji ( main edge bevel). Then carefully add the Kissaki (tip). Make the yokote ( line where the tip meets the edge bevel) as crisp as possible.

A trick is to tape a thin piece of wood ( tongue depressor) along the ji when doing the final sanding. Use a hard and flat block to hold the sandpaper, and make smooth straight strokes off the kissaki. This keeps you from accidentally going on the ha and ji ( edge and bevel) and makes a dead straight yokote.

The point where the shinogi ( ridge line), the ko-shinogi ( line from tip to shinogi), and the yokote meet is called the mitsu-kado ( three corners).
 
Great advice guys. I've not had a chance to do any grinding in the last month and am all out of smaller steel. I'm going to order some this week and give it another shot.

Cheers!
 
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