Reason for the tanto blade shape?

[MikeV]

In another post I showed the knives I just bought and someone said they disliked the Tanto blade style which made me remember something that I was discussing with my brother a few days back.
What is the reason for the Tanto style blade?
My brother thought it was designed that way to give the tip more strength.
Does the shape have a purpose or is it more of just a traditional design like the Japanese katana?

Thanks

 

[STR]

I thought it was to stab car hoods!

Seriously, it is a stronger tip for prying, or withstanding lateral forces and in tactical knives it is also a good digger and scraper which is why some are not sharpened like the rest of the blade is but instead are left with a thick working type edge usually seen on a bigger chopper type blade.

The other factor involved in choosing the shape for both tactical and self defense is the fact that they have very good penetration ability when stabbing during forward thrust type manuevers. On the chisel grind ones the edges are a bit weaker but the cross sectional mass of the blade is actually thicker making the blade stronger and able to hold up better to lateral forces also.

STR

 

[MikeV]

Thanks STR, that makes sense.

 

[Danbo]

It was invented by a Mall Ninja, a long time ago.

 

[DRM]

My kenjitsu instructor told me that it wasn't uncommon for swords to break in combat, yet a samurai had to continue fighting with what was left of his sword. Thus, a whole new set of techniques was developed specific to fighting with a broken sword.

 

[Triton]

In another post I showed the knives I just bought and someone said they disliked the Tanto blade style which made me remember something that I was discussing with my brother a few days back.
What is the reason for the Tanto style blade?
My brother thought it was designed that way to give the tip more strength.
Does the shape have a purpose or is it more of just a traditional design like the Japanese katana?

Thanks

Just as a nit picky aside the "tanto style" blade has NOTHING to do with the point on a traditional tanto. It's just a marketing gimmick someone came up with.

 

[linzoy]

My kenjitsu instructor told me that it wasn't uncommon for swords to break in combat, yet a samurai had to continue fighting with what was left of his sword. Thus, a whole new set of techniques was developed specific to fighting with a broken sword.

Any type of sword is likely to break in combat, no matter what kind of sword it is.

The samurai carried 3 swords into battle.

 

[grobe]

the 'tanto style tip' is actually called a yori toshi tip, and was designed to penetrate armor. the term 'tanto' traditionally refers to a knife style with a blade length of about 9-12" IIRC.

 

[SIFU1A]

triton is correct there is an americanised tanto and a std japanese tanto, which are diff.

 

[nozh2002]

Here some clearification:

http://www.swordforum.com/sfu/japanese/americanized.html

And for armor penetration you need triangular blade or chisel will do the work also.

Katanas is very bad for fencing - too easy to break. American solders during occupation time break many of them. And honestly samurais was not warriors - in Japan there was no to many wars at least at extent that Europe has. Samurai are more like bodyguard which had to cut peasant heads if they acidently cross their master way or something.

Japanese know this very well and this is why they do not respect samurais there as everybody in the West. Tanto is actually banned in Japan - my friend warned me if I want my ZDP189 blade to be heat treated in Japan - they can not be tanto.

Thanks, Vassili.

 

[Artfully Martial]

I've studied history as well as Japanese swordsmanship, and really, I'm not buying it. Maybe for relatively short eras...

 

[Quiet Storm]

• "How about the tanto???"
  
  
• "Is there somthing wrong with Tanto"
  
  
• "Tanto Blades"
  
  
• "OK convince me on a Tanto"
  
  
• "Has the tanto style blade grown on you?"
  
  
• "Tanto style blade vs Standard point"
  
  
• "Tanto VS "traditional" style blades."
  
  
• "Blade styles; Tanto vs other"
  
  
• "Tanto Vs. Hunter Point"
  
  
• "Tantos - not good for what?"
  
  
• "Whaddya think of tanto blades?"
  
  
• "So What's Wrong With a Tanto?"
  
  
• "Tanto shape blade... Why?"
  
  
• "purpose of tanto tip?"
  
  
• "Pros & Cons of Tantos?"
  
  
• "To Tanto or not to Tanto??"
  
  
• "Tanto point - pretty but useless?"
  
  
• "Tanto Penetration"
  
  
• "Tanto vs. drop point"
  
  
• "Why tanto?"
  
  
• "Tanto Blades"

Search engine FAQ

 

[MikeV]

• "How about the tanto???"
  
  
• "Is there somthing wrong with Tanto"
  
  
• "Tanto Blades"
  
  
• "OK convince me on a Tanto"
  
  
• "Has the tanto style blade grown on you?"
  
  
• "Tanto style blade vs Standard point"
  
  
• "Tanto VS "traditional" style blades."
  
  
• "Blade styles; Tanto vs other"
  
  
• "Tanto Vs. Hunter Point"
  
  
• "Tantos - not good for what?"
  
  
• "Whaddya think of tanto blades?"
  
  
• "So What's Wrong With a Tanto?"
  
  
• "Tanto shape blade... Why?"
  
  
• "purpose of tanto tip?"
  
  
• "Pros & Cons of Tantos?"
  
  
• "To Tanto or not to Tanto??"
  
  
• "Tanto point - pretty but useless?"
  
  
• "Tanto Penetration"
  
  
• "Tanto vs. drop point"
  
  
• "Why tanto?"
  
  
• "Tanto Blades"

Search engine FAQ

Thanks Quiet Strom.

I put in "Tanto" in my search and hit multitudes of posts with nothing specific and didn't want to look through 20 pages to see if I could find an answer.

 

[Quiet Storm]

That's because the keyword is too common. Go to the advanced search and choose the handy "search titles only" option.

 

[MikeV]

Thanks Quiet Storm.
I appreciate the help.