Wal-Mart & Tantos

anthony cheeseboro

anthony cheeseboro

Joined
Aug 8, 1999
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Have any of you guys or gals ever thought about how many tantos Wal-Mart sells? It seems to me that combo edge tantos are their most popular knives, especially among large one handers. At one level this seems odd, because folks tend to be conservative. On the other hand, my guess is that combo edge tantos, especially ones with black blades, really appeal to "mall ninja" types. Maybe I'm just predjudiced, but tantos have never struck me as really practical edc blades.
 
No, I'd say you just about have it right. Sadly, a very very large portion of knife purchases in our land are of cheap, way over the top tactical designed folders. It's what I started out with, before I knew any better. And its only business sense to stock what sells.

On tantos, they arent my favorite. combo edge and tanto? yikes. They shouldnt follow the old 50/50 rule, more like 80 percent knife blade, 20 percent serrated.
 
I just got a Gerber Remix Tanto with the PS blade at Dick's. It's a nice knife. Since it's my truck knife and a user, the tanto blade works just fine and the serrated blade makes fast work for harder things to cut. All for $30.
 
:D No mall ninja's here. LOL I have a Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto. I like it just fine. It works just fine. It cuts just fine. It punctures just fine. It does everything a "normal blade" does just fine & as well too. I guess it is just personal preference. God i love this country, we have choices, choices are good & if we didn't have choices & had to "take" what someone else thought was good or better or just good enough, how boring would that be. I have numerous tanto blades as well as regular blades, both made in the USA & overseas. They all work just fine. Many are of the mindset that a tanto blade, if done correctly, is stronger at the tip. :D
 
I'm all for freedom of choice. I wouldn't want anyone telling me what to buy either. I just think tantos are a bit oversold. Personally, I think the reverse tanto style blade like those fournd on Kershaw RAMs or BM 940s make more sense because they provide and a reinforced tip and blade that is easier to sharpen.
 
I EDC'd a Benchmade Stryker with a partially serrated blade for years and never found it lacking for whatever task was at hand. I will say though that I agree with you that "tactical" type blades do appeal to a certain segment and to that end retailers will stock what sells.......
 
pbcg said:
I EDC'd a Benchmade Stryker with a partially serrated blade for years and never found it lacking for whatever task was at hand. I will say though that I agree with you that "tactical" type blades do appeal to a certain segment and to that end retailers will stock what sells.......
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I guess you pretty much state what I feel. A tanto will work just fine, but the "tactical" aspect of the tanto draws folks with a certain mindset like flies.
 
There's pretty much nothing I need out of a knife that a drop point or a wharnie can't do as well as, or better than a tanto. But I still kind of dig tanto blades on some knives, and I have a couple of them. No, I don't need a tanto blade shape. However, we humans can be very irrational :rolleyes:
 
Guess it must depend on where you live ; our local Wall-Mart does not carry a preponderance of tantos; mostly hunting types.
 
I have one tanto blade, but it's a full size plain edge, so its functionality is not compromised at all. The only knife I have that I feel has limited use is a Spyderco Harpy, which has a fully serrated hawkbill blade.
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
Have any of you guys or gals ever thought about how many tantos Wal-Mart sells? It seems to me that combo edge tantos are their most popular knives, especially among large one handers. At one level this seems odd, because folks tend to be conservative. On the other hand, my guess is that combo edge tantos, especially ones with black blades, really appeal to "mall ninja" types. Maybe I'm just predjudiced, but tantos have never struck me as really practical edc blades.
Click to expand...

Wal-Mart doesn't carry things that don't sell.
 
I never actually noticed this, then again, I tend to avoid Wal-Mart like the plague. That said, Ankerson is absolutely right: There wouldn't be a supply if there wasn't a demand. I don't think I actually own a knife with a tanto point, not because I avoid them, I just don't think I own one. I'll have to check.
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
I'm all for freedom of choice. I wouldn't want anyone telling me what to buy either. I just think tantos are a bit oversold. Personally, I think the reverse tanto style blade like those fournd on Kershaw RAMs or BM 940s make more sense because they provide and a reinforced tip and blade that is easier to sharpen.
Click to expand...

I think you'll find that "reverse tanto" is a marketing term used to describe what would more traditionally be considered either spey or coping blades when they're on modern "tactical" knives. :p
 
I carried a mini grip tanto for 2 months and couldn't use a tanto as an edc, I just did not like how they cut and sharpen
 
I've never seen a black combo edge Tanto at Walmart.

I do however see a few when I look in my knife drawer.

And I'm not a mall ninja.
 
Well it ain't combo edge, and it didn't come from Wal-mart.
But, in the interests of supper, I'm about to go cut up a bunch of potatos and onions with my Cold Steel Master Tanto.
(our kitchen knives truly suck, and my wife keeps them dull :()
Mall Ninja away! :D
 
Walmart also sells a lot of ammo, and at very good prices.

So what's your point?
 
I find properly executed tantos, both American and Japanese, to be perfectly practical. I quite like American tantos that have a thin primary grind and a much thinker secondary grind. It puts a good deal of steel behind the secondary edge, making it well suited for cutting things like wire that may well damage your primary edge. It also makes a good scraper in a pinch, or even a light use chisel. Many more traditional tantos have most of the same advantages as a trailing point blade, so either one can be quite useful.
 
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