Tanto...Good,bad, or just ugly?

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Dutch1911

Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
6
Hey guys, is there a benefit to a tanto blade over a typical hunters edge? Still trying to make the right choice for a knife and have it narrowed down to two, this could help.
 
I like tanto blades, I have no problems using them (even the chisel ground variety).
 
Tanto blades are best for piercing and thrust cutting, but can be used for general tasks. Not sure what you'd call a "typical hunter's edge" so I can't comment there, but I know many hunting knives use blade shapes with more belly for slicing and skinning. A tanto would work for that, but there are other styles out there that would be better-designed for it.

Personally? I used to hate tantos, but they've grown on me as of late. Still not my favorite blade shape, or the most versatile IMO, but can come in handy and not impossible to use for utility in addition to the tactical duty intended.
 
Scott Neelan said:
Tanto blades are best for piercing and thrust cutting, but can be used for general tasks. Not sure what you'd call a "typical hunter's edge" so I can't comment there, but I know many hunting knives use blade shapes with more belly for slicing and skinning. A tanto would work for that, but there are other styles out there that would be better-designed for it.

Personally? I used to hate tantos, but they've grown on me as of late. Still not my favorite blade shape, or the most versatile IMO, but can come in handy and not impossible to use for utility in addition to the tactical duty intended.
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I was referring to a more curved edge, sorry for being vague, I was already leaning to a curved edge because I need it for slicing and chopping, just wanted to see what the general consensus was on the subject
:)
 
Well as far as I*m concerned, a tanto is as good (or bad) as any other blade,all other things being equal.
 
I find a drop point or clip point more useful for MY personal needs... I like my knives to be good at everything - and I find the traditional bladeshapes work best to fill those needs... a tanto has no belly (or what is the "belly" is a sharp point)... I dunno.. personal experience and preference...
 
Tanto blades have super strong tips and are great for piercing. I really don't have much need to pierce anything, so my vote is ugly.
 
I'm not really a tanto fan.

I think that a good belly all the way to the tip is a more versatile cutter/slicer and that is the majority of my cutting.
 
I like a traditional Japanese tanto -- especially if it has a convex or zero-bevel chisel grind...
 
I find them to be easier to sharpen, generally, than a lot of curved blades. It's more like sharpening a chisel or a plane iron in some ways.

However, I do find them pretty darn ugly and not generally as useful as a blade with a nice curve to it.
 
Sargent 666 said:
I'm not really a tanto fan.

I think that a good belly all the way to the tip is a more versatile cutter/slicer and that is the majority of my cutting.
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:thumbup: I agree, not a big fan of tanto blades. I'm also not a fan of chisel grinds. The first time I saw a chisel grind I thought it looked cheap.
 
hkpokes_you said:
I like a traditional Japanese tanto -- especially if it has a convex or zero-bevel chisel grind...
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+1 totally different if it is a japanese or lum style tanto... I like those... the Americanized tanto you see so often now isn't for me though.

To the OP, maybe we could be of more assistance if you specified the models you were choosing between?
 
I own an older CRKT model designed by Ed Halligan, the STIFF KISS tanto knife, personally i love it, carry it hunting, fishing and edc. To me it is the most versatile blade there is, so in my opinion, Good.
 
hkpokes_you said:
I like a traditional Japanese tanto -- especially if it has a convex or zero-bevel chisel grind...
Click to expand...

Very true, but it's getting rather hard to find a knife with a traditional tanto tip. Most are the Americanized tanto style, which is kinda a shame.
 
I prefer the modified reverse tanto -- it has the strength of a tanto, but the usefulness of a drop point. To wit:

IMG_6708auto.jpg
 
Only real benefit i see, is being able to scrape surfaces easier.
A ''normal'' tip can be made to be just as strong as an eel cutter.
 
I'm not a big fan but I did choose the Cold Steel Recon 1 with a tanto blade rather than a clip point because a stronger tip seems more in line with the robustness of the overall design.
 
It all depends on your uses. Tantos "generally" have stronger tips vs other blade styles. However, one needs to think about how much stabbing they'll be doing vs cutting/slicing.

Also, there's basically the American style tanto blade & the Japanese style. I find the Japanese style tanto design to be very useful & rivals the overall strengths of a regular blade shape. That being said, an American tanto blade can, over time, start becoming like a Japanese tanto in that the corner starts getting rounded (The part connecting the front & main edge).

Another advantage of a tanto is ease of sharpening vs curved blades. It's kind of like the Wharnclife, but with 2 straight edges. However, it's not like a curved blade is THAT difficult to sharpen.

Oh yeah, welcome to BladeForums.
 
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