The Tanto Blade Profile

bush-haus

bush-haus

Basic Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2010
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924
This question comes with no bias, just a lack of understanding—I mean no disrespect to those that love and carry tantos. I love the way tantos look, but have never purchased one because i’ve never seen the point (pun not intended) of the American-style tanto.

Other than for self defense, is there is a reason to carry it? The angular part of the blade is where the belly would usually be and seems to offer a poor cutting experience. I am also seeing new customs with different grinds as they meet near the angular part of the blade. Is this for cool factor or am I missing something altogether?

Please let me know your thoughts.
 
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/help-me-understand-the-tanto-blade-shape.1542225/ , maybe that helps. There are some good things about Tantos and some bad, it really comes down to personal preference. You can do everything with a Tanto you can do with Clippoint and vice versa. With a Tanto you can use the point to exert a lot of force in a comfortable position grip for say opening a box but to me, it's 98% aesthetics.
 
People often use them as 2 blades rather then on continuous blade
I still prefer a drop point/ clip point, but it may be solely that is what I am used to.
I don't buy knives as defensive weapons, but I would think they have a bit of intimidation factor.
 
Some has to do with strength required/desired, obviously, but that seems to have taken a back seat over style today.

My old Cold Steel Carbon V Recon Tanto is an immensely strong knife, and the wedged American idea of tanto a very very hard front end to break.

On longer fixed blades, the belly not used much anyhow, and the front tanto corner just as effective a slasher.

This particular knife was never much of a carver, as a shallow thick blade with obtuse grind, helped a lot by a deep secondary.

But its purpose was as a modern combat/utility knife where breaking pallet straps and ammo can wire seals as much a normal use as cutting chores, and, of course, a last resort utterly trustworthy blade, and excellent combat knife it was...
 
I would love if US knife manufacturers started moving closer to the traditional Japanese style of Tanto. While I don't think they'd be a ton more useful, as I'm with the others that Americanized Tanto's are great for breaking down cardboard, they wouldn't be any less useful. And in my opinion they blow the Americaized Tanto out of the water aesthetics wise. Plus they'd be perfect for every other fruit, but bananas of course!
 
I used to question them myself, until I got one. Now it's really all I carry. And I prefer the full chisel edge too (CQC-7)

For me it's used as a utility knife. The tanto tip works as a scraper, pick, punch, etc. Even as a screwdriver. The straight edge of the blade does all the rest that I'd ever need a knife to do. and it's very easy to maintain.

For ex: today it saved the day at work. I used it to unscrew two screws to free up a roller on a photocopier and then I used it to pry up the section of the copier and I extracted a jammed up void check.

I don't need a knife for slicing food so a 'cutting experience' is not what I'm after. I have lots of knives in my kitchen for that.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
People often use them as 2 blades rather then on continuous blade
I still prefer a drop point/ clip point, but it may be solely that is what I am used to.
I don't buy knives as defensive weapons, but I would think they have a bit of intimidation factor.
Click to expand...

If you need pull a knife, generally intimidation is over with, time to dance, and you best be ready if you pull that thing.
 
b00n said:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/help-me-understand-the-tanto-blade-shape.1542225/ , maybe that helps. There are some good things about Tantos and some bad, it really comes down to personal preference. You can do everything with a Tanto you can do with Clippoint and vice versa. With a Tanto you can use the point to exert a lot of force in a comfortable position grip for say opening a box but to me, it's 98% aesthetics.
Click to expand...

There’s the real story. Thank you, b00n b00n
 
Peter Hartwig said:
I think we are in agreement, but my trying to word it better will likely fail
Click to expand...

Having been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, and wouldn't wanna do it again, thanks to the wonderful world of Uncle Sam....plus a rough life as a teen where bartenders had guns...
If a knife is pulled as a deterrant, with no intention to escalate, then an assailant will go grab a chair, tire iron, or baseball bat, and proceed to scatter parts of the knife holder.
 
bush-haus said:
This question comes with no bias, just a lack of understanding—I mean no disrespect to those that love and carry tantos. I love the way tantos look, but have never purchased one because i’ve never seen the point (pun not intended) of the American-style tanto.

Other than for self defense, is there is a reason to carry it? The angular part of the blade is where the belly would usually be and seems to offer a poor cutting experience. I am also seeing new customs with different grinds as they meet near the angular part of the blade. Is this for cool factor or am I missing something altogether?

Please let me know your thoughts.
Click to expand...

The secondary point makes for a pretty powerful cutting implement in a slashing type cut. It cuts skin and flesh well, a little too well in some cases and i do not like them for dressing game when the intention is to keep the hide whole It's doable...just more tedious to do. As far as non self defense reasons go, the ones that are all angle and no curve are pretty simple to maintain the edges on if you use your edc a lot, especially on a chisel grind like the CQC-7 in my pocket. Also the leading edge makes a better scraping tool for flat surfaces than a lot of knives with bellies if you need to clean a surface.
 
bush-haus said:
This question comes with no bias, just a lack of understanding—I mean no disrespect to those that love and carry tantos. I love the way tantos look, but have never purchased one because i’ve never seen the point (pun not intended) of the American-style tanto.

Other than for self defense, is there is a reason to carry it? The angular part of the blade is where the belly would usually be and seems to offer a poor cutting experience. I am also seeing new customs with different grinds as they meet near the angular part of the blade. Is this for cool factor or am I missing something altogether?

Please let me know your thoughts.
Click to expand...

This thread is one of the best serious discussions on tantos.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/tantos-a-serious-discussion.1533219/

I love them for utility use. They are like a kiridashi on the end of a wharncliffe sort of.
 
:) What everybody already said above . Mostly a matter of taste / preference . I associate the tanto with SD and hard use or emergency survival . The Cold Steel versions are very strong in the point and can take some abuse : prying , scraping , chisel work , stabbing into tough material , etc . I'm not recommending it , unless you've got to . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
mt666tm said:
I used to question them myself, until I got one. Now it's really all I carry. And I prefer the full chisel edge too (CQC-7)

For me it's used as a utility knife. The tanto tip works as a scraper, pick, punch, etc. Even as a screwdriver. The straight edge of the blade does all the rest that I'd ever need a knife to do. and it's very easy to maintain.

For ex: today it saved the day at work. I used it to unscrew two screws to free up a roller on a photocopier and then I used it to pry up the section of the copier and I extracted a jammed up void check.

I don't need a knife for slicing food so a 'cutting experience' is not what I'm after. I have lots of knives in my kitchen for that.
Click to expand...

When it comes to knives, the "cutting experience" is all I'm after. Sounds to me like you could get by with a nice screwdriver. They unscrew screws pretty well and even pry stuff.
 
AntDog said:
When it comes to knives, the "cutting experience" is all I'm after. Sounds to me like you could get by with a nice screwdriver. They unscrew screws pretty well and even pry stuff.
Click to expand...

It seems to have become more common for some, to be concerned with everything a knife does besides its ability to cut
 
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