No. 45 - Miniature Tanto

Joined
Dec 7, 2000
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5,179
This is a half-scale version of another knife I made, and it's going to a guy who has the original of this and another set of knife and half-size-knife. I enjoy making these. :)

Specs:

Overall Length: 5 1/4"
Blade: 3" O1
Handle: Green Canvas Micarta, Red Fiber Liners, Tapered Tang
Pins: "Bullseye" Mosaic
Bolsters: 416 Stainless

I used L6's contact cement method of gluing up the handle, and it worked like a charm! Solid as a rock, and no wait time. I'm sold. I think I'll try to send one with a user to see how it holds up, but I think it's going to be fine. Thanks, Michael!

This has a leather sheath, I used 4 oz leather so that'd be half-scale too. I sanded the liners down to half their thickness. One of the liners looks thicker in the picture than it is, don't know why but it's an illusion. Flakey photographer!

One thing I didn't think of was I should've used linen Micarta instead of the canvas to get a scale-sized weave too; well, there's always next time. :) I had a half-scale version of my mark made the first time I made one of these, and it's come in handy often.

I know this is a kind of plain knife to show here, but it was fun to make and I'm looking forward to the next one. Believe it or not, this knife (the full sized version) is one of my best selling knives! At least, I've made 4 of them, all orders after the first. That's a lot for me. :)

Well, hope you like it!
 

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Dave you have done it again. Top notch as always. Can I expect to see a copy of those tsuba pics I sent. (with a blade in them naturaly) nothing too easy.
 
very very nice to see tanto still made in the japanese guidelines? or the same design

ok so let me rephrase


very nice to s-ee a tanto still made with the japanese parameters
:P
 
Thanks kind gents. Reg, my mind is aswirl with ideas, but I want Guy to make the tsuba. Maybe we can all get into a collaboration? Guy can make the tsuba, you make the (damascus) blade, I can handle and saya it? Think it's a plan?

Aaron, thanks for getting it. Even my close friend and armor partner doesn't recognize or appreciate the traditional blade shape. Go figure! :(

By the way, I didn't mention it but I think of this handle configuration - tapered tang, green canvas Micarta, red liners, stainless bolsters - as a "Loveless" handle, since he so appreciates and so often uses the combination. I'm just applying one of the great rules, and I like & use it a lot. :D

Dave
 
Great work Dave. Your knives are always joy to see. Great lines and workmanship. There quality is there and it shows. Keep up the good work.

ps-I hope to work on that hawk soon:D
 
Dave! As usual you made a beautiful knife! Your knives have such clean lines and there is nothing plain about this little knife. I like the full size version as well. I have to say I prefer the traditonal tip over the Americanized version. There is however one particular sword tip style that I think would work on a large tanto.

I think a collaboration would be cool! Just don't base the quality of my tsuba on a couple of drawings! I hope they turn out well as you think they will! Of course I couldn't have as many or as large elements on a tanto sized tsuba. Here in a little bit I hope to hit the shop. I have a couple of knives to work on and this first tsuba. I was hoping to do it all by hand but I may have to resort to a dremmel for some small details since I don't have the hand tools I need yet. I may even set up the forge today and work on a tanto blade myself!
 
Nice job Dave, nothing plain about that knife. great job on the grinds too, both handle and blade. :cool:

Bill
 
i lie the traditional point as well. i think the linen micarta looks fine. one question though did you leave it in the dryer to long?:D
 
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