Tanto for utility?

G

Gideons

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Hey guys, I was wondering on what are your thoughts for tanto blades being uses in utility tasks? I was looking at my ZT 0620 which does have a slight curve, not completely straight like your traditional american tanto. But, I wasn't sure how I felt about using it for utility tasks.

- Gideon
 
I like American tantos for lots of utility tasks, though I generally like mine to have a more obtuse angle at the tip. The secondary tip grabs material that bunches, which a more conventional blade shape may slide off. It's also good for scoring material that you may not want to cut all the way through. The secondary edge also offers some interesting options for push cuts in in tight spaces as well as scraping and even light chisel work.

I'll be honest, I look at the 0620 and see an SD or fighting folder much more than a utility tanto, but, yeah, they can definitely be very handy for utility tasks.
 
The 0620 has a nice tanto shape imo.

My Rockstead Chi (on the right) has a slightly similar shape, except the entire blade has a bit of belly to it. I wish more knives had tanto shapes like this, and not the more common "broken tip" shape. I find the latter to be completely useless, but that's just me.

Blades like the 0620 and Chi are great usable shapes for daily tasks.

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Insipid Moniker said:
I like American tantos for lots of utility tasks, though I generally like mine to have a more obtuse angle at the tip. The secondary tip grabs material that bunches, which a more conventional blade shape may slide off. It's also good for scoring material that you may not want to cut all the way through. The secondary edge also offers some interesting options for push cuts in in tight spaces as well as scraping and even light chisel work.

I'll be honest, I look at the 0620 and see an SD or fighting folder much more than a utility tanto, but, yeah, they can definitely be very handy for utility tasks.
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Yeah. I just get tired of switching knives up haha :P I like sticking with what works.
 
Blues Bender said:
The 0620 has a nice tanto shape imo.

My Rockstead Chi (on the right) has a slightly similar shape, except the entire blade has a bit of belly to it. I wish more knives had tanto shapes like this, and not the more common "broken tip" shape. I find the latter to be completely useless, but that's just me.

Blades like the 0620 and Chi are great usable shapes for daily tasks.
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Hmm, good point. Thank you for your opinion.
 
My roadhouse has been my edc for awhile now. It has the belly as well . I actually prefer the slight belly to the straight edges on a tanto . Both are good now I just prefer the belly

As far as tanto for utility it is awesome. I use the tip for 90% of edc tasks . If I need to cut a box or whatever then I have the longer edge with a nice edge on it too. I've been singing the praises of the tanto for utility awhile now.

It may be my favorite blade shape just because of what all you can do with it .
 
115Italian said:
A tanto point comes in handy for so many random tasks.
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It really does its like a chisel/scraper snd a knife . For detailed stuff I'll put the blade between my fingers snd choke up to the tip. That method is really good for splinters when you haft to be really careful.
 
I post frequently about EDC'ing tantos and how much I like them. I've never run into any task with one where I say, "Dang, wish I had 'so-and-so' blade shape here"....or run into concerns about having any kind of belly, especially for general 'utility' use. But then I'm not a carrot slicer....maybe I'd feel differently if I were.

Personally, I like the Emerson tanto style grinds the best (as opposed to, say, the Cold Steels and similar which, IMO, are just plain "boxy"), but I have several with a bit of belly on the second (forward) edge. I find for utility though, the straight lines are far superior....using a bellied edge for scraping sucks. Also I think the straighter edge gives a better 'point' at the tip... as well as providing a more defined secondary tip where leaves the primary edge and starts to go up to the point.

Your answer: I think they work great for general utility--it's like having two blades for different tasks.
 
Eh, I don't scrape with my knives that I expect to cut things with, but I do carry a little kiridashi specifically for scraping things.
 
People will be in to trash tantos shortly but......

People love recurves. The trick is that with a recurve you have a more focused cutting edge. It's simple physics. The smaller the area applying cutting force, the more pressure (PSI) you apply in the cut. Tantos are like recurves in this aspect, but ACTUALLY better since the American tanto has such a defined secondary grind.

Take multiple knives and apply them with an even pound for pound force, then drag them across a phone book. At a sweeping angle, nothing will cut deeper than an American tanto. I think they're underestimated greatly.
 
I expected more bashing tbh lol. Great to know that people like it and use it for edc tasks.
 
I think most newbies and maybe even some experienced knife types get tantos & have a hard time sharpening them. I used to have a cold steel tanto & the front was very difficult to re-sharpen when dull without marring the blade finish. I need to get a higher quality one someday & see if it was just that knife. Could have been that time that a buddy punched it through the bottom of an almost empty pony keg when my back was turned. :eek: :mad:
 
I had been carrying a Kershaw cryo tanto as an beater EDC for two years now, it is excellent at EDC tasks, especially at slicing tapes and stuff due to the secondary tip, the only problem I have encountered is it might be hard to do precise slicing since the tanto tip will also pierce random stuff that you are not intending to cut! Hope that helps

-Kevin
 
Speaking from personal experience....

Almost any blade shape works wonders for utility as long as the knife is of acceptable quality.

I will never understand the strong bias against tantos in the knife world.
 
DPC said:
Speaking from personal experience....

Almost any blade shape works wonders for utility as long as the knife is of acceptable quality.

I will never understand the strong bias against tantos in the knife world.
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Well, the company that popularized them was Cold Steel and, as with almost all their products, that meant they marketed them as ninja-zombie-bear-holding-a-shark slaying tools of mass death.

That thinking kind of took hold and most people decided the American tanto was a tactical thing and, thus, largely the purview of mall ninjas and high drag low speed operators.

As is, I think they work really well for more urban utility tasks, but have some failings as outdoors knives.
 
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