Watanabe (modern) Tanto

U

UnknownVT

Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
2,575
I looked for traditional looking tantos made with more modern materials.

Seeing the photos of some of Wayne Watanabe's Japanese styled knives (in Knives 'xx books) seemed to fit what I was looking for:

fc337d58.jpg


6.25" blade of ATS-34, convex zero-bevel edge, overall length 10.75", traditional wrap over real ray skin. Kydex sheath.

The back "spine" is actually a secondary bevel (but unsharpened) which lightens the blade - the balance point is where my index finger naturally falls when gripping the knife (about where the first cross-over wrap is at the blade end on the photo) so makes this knife feel really quick.

JFYI - I did ask Wayne Watanabe about differential tempering the steel to get the attractive temperline - he said it would be possible but not that desirable on ATS-34 stainless steel - as the temperline would not be that visible, and there would not be as much benefit as in plain carbon steels.

Logo and edge detail:
fc337d54.jpg


Wrap and ray-skin detail:
fc337d4f.jpg


To see a Japanese styled blade with more traditional temperline -

(late) Bob Engnath finished Tanto
 
I don't particularly care for the non-traditional tip shape, but the knife as a whole looks pretty good and sharp :)
 
Unless the pic is deceiving, it looks like that blade's tip angle is different from the remainder of the belly. It isn't as prominent as on many of the "Americanized" tanto we see, but it still looks to be there.

The vast majority of tanto had no such thing. Here is an example I commonly post:

smbrum4.jpg


This style (hira zukuri) is the most common, likely well above 90% of all tanto were done in this shape. No angled tip, no secondary bevel, no ridgeline.

If you would like to see a few different styles, I would suggest this page: http://www.meiboku.demon.co.uk/guide/form/zukuri/index.htm

Hope that helps a bit.

Addendum: Also, if you like the tip shape, there is nothing terribly wrong with that. Especially since the mountings and stuff are very non-traditional, "correcting" tip shapes is sorta pointless. I just prefer more traditional tip shapes stylistically :)
 
many thanks for the explanation and the reference web page.

The blade grind profile is close to the one described as:
"U no Kubi Zukuri" (known as 'Cormorant's Neck') - with, as you pointed out, a more pronounced tip angle.

I do realize that the knife is modern and not "traditional" -
but it kind of looks more traditonal than the typical "Americanized Tantos" with their squared cut-off angular tips -
which can also be attractive in its own way. :)
 
The hira zukuri blade shape is basically the same concept as the full height flat grind - thus it is very efficient in slicing, more so than the other blade shapes. I guess many are comparable with what western makers would call a sabre grind - stronger but doesn't slice as sweet. The hira zukuri style is what I choose to make, but my knives aren't exaclt traditioal either anyhow... Whatever turns you on. Jason. ;)
 
Originally posted by Jason Cutter
The hira zukuri blade shape is basically the same concept as the full height flat grind
Click to expand...

Weren't old traditional (Hira Zukuri) tantos forged to shape, then ground and polished?

Also didn't most of them have convex profiles with zero-bevel edges?

Thanks,
 
Yes the initial shaping is done by forging. By grind, we are just referring to the cross section :)

And yeah, traditional tanto are convex to some extent, though the level of "meat" in them varies dramatically with period, style, individual smith, polishers, and so on. Some look quite flat, others look quite rounded. Also yes on "zero-bevel edges." I call these secondary bevels because they are added after the knife is already profiled with primary bevels (the "grind"). They make sharpening of conventional knives a lot more convenient and easy, but Japanese swords did not possess them :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top