Wal-Mart & Tantos

FortyTwoBlades said:
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
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Yes, you are right! I should have noticed that considering all of the premium stock knives I got from my Dad when I was a kid!
 
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.
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I find the angular qualities of the tanto style to be beautiful and they work just fine for my EDC. But then again I buy knives like Emerson's, I don't get them from wal-mart, and I don't consider a pair of Nike's to be part of my self defense.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
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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I believe you're referring to what would be, in Japanese terminology, the kissaki?
 
As for no combo tantos at some Wal-Marts, they are the nation's biggest retailer. I am speaking for what I see in my area. I know a few years back, Wal-Mart used to sell Spyderco Natives for a great price ($39,) whenever I went South picked one up. I never saw any Spyderco where I live though.
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
Of course that's true. I am just wondering what the appeal of combo edge tantos to the general market.
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They look cool. I mean, not to me, I think they're hideous and impractical. (With a few exceptions.) But Walmart doesn't cater to people like us.
 
Walmarts about cheap and fast everything. People that buy garbage knives that get abused, lost, or forgotten about, end up buying more. You can relate that model to pretty much everything else they sell.. cookware.. tools.. clothing...

I hate combo edges. I think most inexperienced knife buyers figure "Hell!!, it can do two things!!"...
I'm not a big fan of tantos either.. that being said, Ive had a few and really liked em..lol go figure. I actually have an Emerson CQC7 on the way. The seem to make a fine EDC.. most cutting tasks can be done with the tip edge, saving the longer edge for long slicing tasks..
 
13aphomet said:
Walmarts about cheap and fast everything. People that buy garbage knives that get abused, lost, or forgotten about, end up buying more. You can relate that model to pretty much everything else they sell.. cookware.. tools.. clothing...

I hate combo edges. I think most inexperienced knife buyers figure "Hell!!, it can do two things!!"...
I'm not a big fan of tantos either.. that being said, Ive had a few and really liked em..lol go figure. I actually have an Emerson CQC7 on the way. The seem to make a fine EDC.. most cutting tasks can be done with the tip edge, saving the longer edge for long slicing tasks..
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To be honest, Wal-Mart always carries at least some good knives from makers like Kershaw or Buck. In the recent past, they even had Spyderco. The fact that some of their stock is decent is why I look in their knife cases at all.:)
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
Of course that's true. I am just wondering what the appeal of combo edge tantos to the general market.
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People can keep sawing through things when the knife starts getting dull.
Many people suck at sharpening knives.
That's the reason that has been given to me by some who like combo edges.
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
To be honest, Wal-Mart always carries at least some good knives from makers like Kershaw or Buck. In the recent past, they even had Spyderco. The fact that some of their stock is decent is why I look in their knife cases at all.:)
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My first decent knife was a Kershaw Skyline I got from Walmart. It was on clearance for 27 bucks, which I found out later was a good deal. I also found out later it was a hell of a knife!! The only reason I say Walmarts knives suck is because every time I go there nowadays I'm like "junk.. junk... junk.. junk".. haha
They need to start carrying Striders and CRK.. hahahha.. Seriously though, it'd be nice to see some Spyderco's or something.
 
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