Making a tanto

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Michael_Schaap

Joined
Aug 23, 2000
Messages
107
Well my first knife is finished
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THANKS FOR ALL WHO GAVE SUGGESTIONS AND ENCOURAGMENTS
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Looks real good and I will post it when I get some pictures. Waiting for sheath material now for it.

My next project is going to be a tanto. I am getting real frustrated with finding ANY MATERIAL on it. Trying to get a feel for what a traditional tanto is supposed to look like. Also tring to find out how the handle is wraped.... would this be in a sword book? Anybody out there know of places I can go to do some research on this particular knife/sword???

Michael
 
Michael, come to the blade forums chat room and talk to a gentleman named Rieki. Thats his screen name. He is extremely knowledgable about traditional Japanese edged weapons.

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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
Reiki is the man for japanese stuff. I am working on 2 traditional's now of 1075 steel. I think i will have Howard CLark clay HT them and have them mounted in shirasaya by someone Reiki knows.
 
Mr. Schaap:
I am the one whom was referred to as Reiki in the chats. No big deal, but I thank the fellas who suggested you talk to me. I suggest it too
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Anyways, if you wanna do traditional, yer gonna be in for a lil work. You can anticipate a few stumbles here and there, but the final product is well worth the effort. As far as shaping and design goes, please email me, and I will provide you with as much information as you like.

Material-wise, to be traditional I would suggest a simple steel, 10xx series. Traditional would be 1065 to 1075, and from what I recall 1075 has a lower amount of Mn in it (good thing for this kind of blade). I would suggest 1075 or so. Remember that extremely high carbon does not necessarily mean good, or even desirable necessarily.

I think you should email me any and all questions you have, as I am confident I can help you, and I would like to. Not enough people seeking the semi-traditional route.

Shinryû.
rcmarotz@eot.com
 
I don't wanna be rude or anything, and my eyes may just be deceiving me, but it looks like you got sort of a "belly" on that blade. I encountered it when I was first doing a tanto and got some friendly advice on it since I didn't notice. Always make sure the machi is the widest part of the blade, and it should taper smoothly along the length.

If it is just my eyes, sorry about that. If ya have any questions or anything let me know, I can help.

Shinryû.
 
Right at the moment I am not able to forge, so using the "right" steel will be hard. TX knifemaking supply has a hidden tang blade though that I was thinking of using. That way I can continue to improve my skills(I am trying to remember that this is only my second one...). I found a book on Amazon called, The Craft of the Japanese Sword. Looks pretty good...have anyone seen this book?

Hey Phillip is that article on the wraping of the handle, Knives Illistrated Spring 1990 or 1996...? Cant make it out.... starts on page 44 from what I make out right...

Hey Robert
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Thanks for responding here
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Do you have photos on the net of your work
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Love to see some of it
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Michael
 
I'm not a full-time maker or anything of the sorts, just a connoisseur of the genre.

As far as blades go, you don't need a forge. You could do it like I did, with files, or you could grind it, or something.

Yoshihara/Kapp's book is a good book on general concepts, it's not really all that in-depth, but a good overview of a lot of the tasks that are done in the making of a sword. I would suggest it.

Good luck, call on me whenever you need...I don't frequent this forum very often so you may have to contact me through the Sword Discussions Forum or through email.

Shinryû.
 
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