Tanto blade design for edc +,- ?

[ulua]

does anyone know where or if this has been discussed before?
i was considering a tanto for a new every day carry. i'd like to hear your likes and dislikes. thanks

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I don't like them at all. They serve no purpose.
Bill

 

[Laceration]

I like them alot. They serve my purposes.
Chris

 

[Dog of War]

I've owned a few tantos and never could see any advantage. But there are several disadvantages IMO:

- no belly, which I use a lot with other blade designs ..... particularly for heavy (semi-)push cuts with a rocking motion which gives you some slicing action

- especially with slicing cuts, the junction between the edge sections can be an annoyance

- more awkward for me to sharpen on a Sharpmaker

- tip not as useful for finer work

A friend tried to convince me you could sharpen the back part of a tanto more acutely and then make the front more obtuse for strength when stabbing or using like a chisel. Unless you plan to stab a lot of car doors or use it like a cold chisel and needed a REALLY obtuse edge, doing that IMO would just further diminish its general usefulness.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I forgot- they look cool!
Personally, I feel that many of the knife designs that are popular are only fads.
After all, there are only so many good designs. Not to say that there aren't purposes for a lot of these designs-they are just specialized purposes.
Bill

 

[tradja]

I have a BM722 in my regular EDC rotation. Like you, I was worried that the tanto blade would be of limited utility after reading the forums.

However, I have found that for my EDC chores, it is fine. It cuts things.

Perhaps you could get yourself an El Cheapo Tanto (like a $10 S&W at Big 5) and EDC it for a week or so to test drive the blade shape. If you like it, get a nice one. If you don't, give the cheap tanto to a friend or put it in your toolbox.

 

[powernoodle]

I recently bought a Griptilian with black tanto blade. After a good bit of EDC-ing it, I wish I had gone with a regular drop point blade profile instead. While there is nothing wrong with the tanto, a drop point would probably be a little better for self-defense and is a little easier to use for regularly daily task like opening boxes and envelopes. The tanto tip just doesn't work its way into those little spaces as readily as a drop point. The tanto looks sorta cool, but isn't as practical for my purposes.

cheers

 

[ulua]

thanks !!! the $10 test drive sounds like a likely approach.