Tanto shape blade... Why?

S

Stiletto Raggio

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Jan 29, 2000
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546
Tanto blades are pretty popular for "utility knives" these days, and I have no idea why. They are being touted as "Tactical this" and "surival that.". As Jerry Hossom points out on his web site, the tanto blade was designed to penetrate wooden armor (pretty rare these days). Tantos are still pretty good as fighting knives go, but I think we have established that "combat" knives are used more for utility. The tanto design doesn't lend itself to most utility purposes, and although prying seems to be a good use, a prybar is still better.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Gunsite and a CS Recon tanto, but I wouldn't call either of them utility knves. Why is the tanto so popular despite these shortcomings?
 
It looks cool. This is probably the biggest reason if we aren't kidding ourselves. That said, I like a good tanto. If they are ground regular rather than chisel they can work fine for utility. My first real knife was a BM 910HS and it puts up with all sorts of everyday tasks.
 
Sorry for the quick post,

Yeah, they look cool. Tanto tips are still a fresh change to clips and spears and such. Also, they are great utility pieces. The secondary point is AWESOME for certain cutting/scoring chores. Plus, you have 2 edges. Use the thick tip edge for prying or heavier cutting/scraping. The main dge is your main cutting edge. Plus you can pry with it moreso than with other designs. Tantos are great utility pieces fid you learn to sue themliek tantos, and not try to sue them liek a dropped point.
 
Also, typical tanto blade profiles put more spine closer to the tip, as opposed to a clip, spear or drop point, where the backbone tends to taper off sooner as you get near the point of the blade.
 
Just as a by the by the modern "tanto" point has nothing to do with the tantos that were used in ancient Japan against lacquered armor. If you look at a historical tanto the point is completely different. Having said that I have a recon tanto as well and I like the point. It's sturdy and it looks cool.
 
Triton said it right...the modern squared-off American modified tanto point is nothing at all like the actual Japanese tantos, which tended to appear more like upswept points and had a convex (appleseed) edge grind.
Jim
 
We have established that the modern "tanto" is really more of a chisel point than anythind to do with the true tanto design. When did the westernized tanto appear, and why? Did mister CS Lynn Thompson invent it?
 
It gained popularity long before Emerson's production days. It was his fixed blades such as the CF7 Trivector that got the chisel ground tanto going in popularity with the Spec Ops community. Then His CQC7 came out through BM and that got all the rest of us.
 
Lynn Tompson/Cold Steel and Bob Lum are traditionally cited as those who really popularized the "American Tanto" design. Lum in the custom scene, and Lynn in the production scene. Cold steel is something like 20+ years old, I think. I'm not sure when E. Emerson came ontot he scene making tantos.

By the way, I think it is unfair to dismiss the American Tanto design as just a chisel tip, and not a REAL tanto. Japanese tanto tips curve, while American Tanto tips don't. The main common thing about tanto tips, as far as I can see, is thay they are MUCH thicker at the tip than other designs. I see tantos as a tip strengthening design. Both the American and Japanese appriaches leave thick, strong tips. Does the straight tip of the American design mak eit inferior because it isn't rounded? Well, I bet it is tougher to skin with a straight tip than a round one. Then again, any Samurai wouldn't use his tanto to skin dinner now would he. I have heard of people using tantos to skin with though. Also, that secondary point is VERY useful in utility chores. The angled tip makes for a GREAT scraper. In addition, a straight edged/tipped tanto would be easier to sharpen than a rounded tanto. I think this was one of the design features Bo Randall had in mind when he went with a straight clip point on his Model #1. Not only does it work well, but a straight clip is easier to sharpen than a concave clip. Straight edges are also easier to sharpen than convex edges.

One other point I'd liek to make is about the name tanto. Often on the forums we get peopel asking about tantos and then someone always posts that these aren't tantos, that tantos have rounded tips. I think the literal translation of tanto is a knife with a guard on it, and this doesn't really refer to the tip! But more to my point, I think EVERYONE here knows that tantos are Japanese, and some crazy Americans decided to go with, and stick with, the straight tip. Tanto in the knife world now refers to two things, Japanese guarded, curved tip blades, and american "chisel" or angled tip blades. I don't think anyone mixes these up. I'm not saying not to post on tanto threads and insert the info about round versus angled tips, I just want such inserters to know that I think people are, for the most part, aware of the distinction.

***IMPORTANT NOTE*** I am in a very analytical mode right now. If this thread seems cold or [insert synonym here], I apologize. My mind is just elsewhere right now. Please be charitable in your reading of my post(s). Thanks :cool:
 
Crayola, I agree. I think most know about Japanese traditional tantos and American tantos. Depending on what kind of mood I am in I sometimes find it insulting when someone tells me or a thread in general that we are not talking about tantos at all, but some Western bastardization thereof.
 
Well it certainly wasn't my intention to be insulting to anyone. I saw that there was some incorrect data apparently being propagated by Jerry's? website (and I don't know that it is true just what the post above said) and I just wanted make sure the record was straight.
 
They're popular b/c people think they look cool...They sort of do in a crazy uselss way but, I know they arn't practical. I guess if you need a scraper, a tanto would be a good choice.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by not practical...I use mine all the time. It's my primary carry blade and it's the one I reach for. Mine just went to the desert with me and will be going again in a couple of months. I have no complaints as yet. It's a CS Voyager with a 4" blade 50/50. I wouldn't skin a deer with it, but I have a knife for that and didn't buy this one for that anyway. It's a pure work knife and it works beautifully for that.
 
Triton, I was not referring to you, please don't think you oddended me. I was merely making a statement depending on the type of mood I am in that sometimes I take it as a know it all thing to prove how smart someone is. Sometimes it probably is and I do not take it that way, sometimes it probably isn't and I do. Yesterday was not one of those times. Peace.
 
tater72 - By "not practical", I meant that it's probably not the most efficient design for the daily tasks most often encountered. I'm sure a tanto will do the majority of tasks you subject it to. Acutually, I used to carry a tanto blade myself. Since then, my tastes have changed and I don't really like them as much. Still, every now and then I see a tanto that I'll really like. To me, one of the best looking tantos ever is the Lum Tanto folder by Spyderco. I've seriously thought about getting that one. Sorry for the confusion.
 
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