Tatanka updates, anyone??

D

dogrunner

Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
1,524
Very little discussion of the big one. I'm guessing not too many have them??
If you do, have you used it much? For what? Does it live up to your expectations?
What do you think of the lock?
I know this is a bigger knife than most of us would carry or be looking for in a folder. But I am intrigued by the possibilities of a 5" blade, particularly because when I moved from the Delica/PM2 to Endura/Military I found the longer blade was really useful, much more than I anticipated. Now I tend to always carry an Endura or Mili along with a smaller blade.
That led me back to the Tatanka, longer than most folders, but still more compact to carry than a 5" fixed blade.
 
It looks interesting to me and I have every faith in Spyderco's design, but it is hard to get a feel for the length and the handle from photos. I would like to have one for occasional carry because it is approaching the maximum length for carry here. I carry a Military and Manix 2 XL to work in my office but I don't flaunt them. I think the Tatanka would be crossing the line for carry to my office but I would carry it on weekends.
 
It's a bruiser. I have not carried mine. I too EDC a Millitary, I have several. After some practice I can actually open and close it with one hand. Good work out for thumb strength! Mine locks up like a vault. I'm sure it would take a lot of abuse if you chose to beat the hell out of it. I must admit, it is mostly just an addition to a large Spyderco collection.
 
I should have bought one before the price increase. But I wasn't as interested in edc xl blades. I have a rajah in my pocket now so the tatanka shouldn't be a problem to carry.
 
Top to bottom
C142 Resilience
C95 Manix XL
C180 Tantanka
C36 Military
C10 Endura



You know how they call some Spyderco knives “little big knives”. When you first get them they seem tiny, but the way they fit in the hand and how their performance exceeds their size. Your perception of their size changes.

Well it is bit like that with the Tatanka. First impression is that is a massive knife, almost to big for practical uses. The Resilience has all steel liners also, but it is a light weight in hand compared to the Tatanka and it feels as big as it looks.

This is one serious folder.

I have average size hands, when I take in a standard grip there is a lot of handle sticking out the back. It feels to be a very solid grip, well balanced, total control. Choking up on the blade, trigger finger in the choil, (Yep I’m a shooter) again total control. I feel confident I could do fine cutting like that.

Getting back on the handle gives you a lot of extra reach with the blade. Good to get a bit swing in those small machete like jobs. Warning! Don’t get tempted to rest your thump in the lock release when you have you hand back there. It may not end well and you may come away with fewer fingers than when you started.

Opening the Tatanka one handed is easy. Closing the Tatanka with one hand can be done but should be done with due care. Don’t have your mind somewhere else when you are doing it or you may be picking up fingers from the ground. Two handed closing is easy.

:D Don’t let all this potential lose of fingers put you off the Tatanka. As I said it is serious folder capable of doing serious things and should be treated with respect. If this knife is opened when there are people are around and they all take a step backwards.

If you want a folder to carry when you can’t take your heavy duty fixed blade; then this is the folder for you.
 
thanks!
great photo
really useful review
the big T is high on my list (& I don't mean temperance :) )
 
The Military is a large knife. And yet, in that above picture, it looks puny! LOL

I typically have at least one Military on me always, currently a left hand model. And some other large knife on my right side as well.

May have to look into one of these, pretty awesome knife. With Oklahoma having recently preempted all knife laws, eliminating the silly city and town laws, there is no length mentioned any longer. How nice. Also autos were removed from the banned weapons law. Exceptionally nice. ;-)
 
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