"Tanto" point

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wlf

Joined
Apr 27, 2002
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This subject has probably been discussed to death, but what's everyone's view of the so-called tanto style point. I still think it's a sales gimmick and fad. I don't think that it's supposed benefits outweigh the fact that it takes away from the general utility of a knife. Then there is also the fact that real Jap tantos didn't really have this style point and only a few swords did. Leigh
 
The true advantage for myself is strength. I have had tip breakage from fine points. The Tanto point would not have failed in the same circumstances.
 
I like it personally. I was originally drawn to the western tanto point for looks. Afterwards I realized it was stronger closer to the point than many other blade shapes. Recently I have discovered what Mick Strider calls the "triangle of death", the confluence of both cutting edges. Currently my SD blade is an Emerson SOCFK B. My first quality knife was a BM 910HS. Yeah, I like the tanto. It is actually better for some utility work like scoring. With a double ground tanto, the real world user gives up little if any noticible efficiency and usefulness to a drop point.
 
There is no doubt(at least in my mind) that the tanto shines when it comes to penetrating a "hard" target. It may take a bit more "umpf" than a needle-like point, but odds are it will be withdrawn intact.

As for utility, I have been ability to make the design work for every day cutting chores. To be honest, even chisel ground (flat ground)tantos have never posed a problem, not even when it came to sharpening.

One2gofst mentioned Mick Strider's take on the "triangle of death". It sure seems logical to me. In CQB, deep cuts via slashing can still be made if one chooses not to close to the distance requiring the length of the blade to be drawn through the intended target.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating the tanto's superiority over other blade styles. I just contend that it has its place and is functional.
 
I'll keep this short.

Read Mick's post, it is in this forum somewhere.

If you use a tanto like a clip point, you will hate them. You have to have an open mind and learn to use a tanto, as opposed to try to use a tanto like some other knife. If after you learn to use a tanto properly that you still don't like it, then you have done yourself a great service. Then again, after testing you may find you like it! Either way, you have to learn to use a tanto like a tanto to be fair.
 
Thanks for the replies. You guys are probably right. The only tanto style knife I have is one of those Emerson CQC7 folders by Benchmade. The two tests I put this baby to were cleaning my nails and sharpening my pencils, which led to my thumbs down rating. Of course this model also has the chisel grind which takes away even more utility. I've no doubt that this style makes a good weapon, but I find myself doing a lot more fingernail cleaning than bad-guy killing these days. Leigh
 
I get a kick out of some people who think the tanto is a bad design.
In the 1980's I used to see the Cold Steel Tantos and others in
catalogs, and think "What can you do with that? With that curve it
could only be good for slashing." Then, I decided to buy a tanto. I
bought an import tanto from Atlanta Cutlery in the early 90's, it
cost around $30 or so. It wasn't the ultimate, but it took and held a
decently sharp edge. I got some cardboard and decided to see how it
would perform. Excellent on the slash, and as for the stabbing motion?
Excellent. A needlepoint dagger would do much better, but let's just
say I would not want to get stabbed by a Tanto blade anymore than with
any other design. A Tanto blade is awesome all the way around. No tip
breakage, and you can even use the tip on down to the curve as a scraper! Overall, I would take a Tanto blade over any other for over-
all utility. The only major problem I've seen with the tanto design
is that unless you actually handle one, and use one, it seems to be useless for anything but slashing. But get one, and see for yourself.
 
I prefer "chisel point" to "tanto point" because Japanese tantos had other tip designs and not everything with a chisel point is a tanto(technically). So now we have "Chisel grind" which, to me, means the blade's main grind is one sided. "Chisel edge" for an edge ground on one side only (but everyone calls it a chisel grind anyway) and now the "chisel point" just to make things confusing.:)

My beef with Tanto/chisel points is how some manf's build them. If it has the curve, it is good at BOTH slashing and stabbing. But I see so many knives with crazy ideas like "drop-point tantos" where the tip is centered but the upper half is a swedge. The POINT (no pun) of a tanto tip is to have a full profile SHARP edge as you stab. Having half the stabbing profile blunt is worst then useless (read: counterproductive). And if the tip is ground thin like a cheap dagger's is, then the chisel design losses its main advantage of strength. If it is thin enough at the tip, then a curved point actually has more strength due to more metal reinforcement in the vertical plane.

If the tip is not level to the spine, or preferably above it, I'd say leave it alone. Add a slight curve to the blade and one has a truly useful weapon and tool. This was the great thing about CS's original tantos. But even they, who had it right in the FIRST place let the idea become perverted. The chisel point on their Recon 1 folders is no more than a faceted spear point.

So to close, chisel tips are good if you find one that is built right. Think before you buy and avoid the nonsense like a long, thin chisel tip with the tooth (second edge) a third of the way down from the tip.

Man, even trying to end this on a good note, I can't avoid thinking of all the bad designs out there.
 
I don't like tantos much. They attempt to do everything well, but nothing stellar. It's like my old anology with Enduro motorcycles, they suck both on and offroad.
 
I like the tanto point,myself.If your a person who uses his knife for whatever comes along,you can't beat the strengh of the tanto.One time ona trauma call I had to pry,the only tool I had on me was my folder.At the time I carried either a AFCK or a CS tanto Voyager.Now either may have worked,but the Afck would have been minus its tip.

Chisel edge,I don't like that name either for a one side grind.WOOD chisels are ground like that,but I have many metal and masonary chisels and they have a double bevel and edge.
 
Wasn't the purpose of the 'tanto' point on the Japanese swords to provide a stronger point which wouldn't break while hacking, not stabbing?
 
There is a tanto point in both katanas and wakizashis. The traditional Japanese knife called tanto had NO such tanto edge as we are referring to here. We are talking about the American tanto here, which, in a more traditional shape, was a blade shap ued only in swords.
 
out of curiosity -- has anyone yet made a rifle bayonet off a tanto design? would it offer a worthwhile advantage over the spear/bowie types we use now?


-K
 
ordinary knives have a triangular cross-section at the tip which facilitates penetration in soft targets. however, this kind of tip is often frail and weak for hard stabbing. double/false-edged blades have a cruciform cross-section that really stand up to hard stabbing. unfortunately, these blades lose some of their utility functions (too much drag during slashing and skinning, among other things). a tanto point offers the facility of penetration given by triangular blades but without the usual weakness. as for utility functions, a near-direct bevel grind against the direction of stabbing sometimes gives one an advantage, whether for woodworking or rope-cutting.
 
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