Whaddya think of tanto blades?

Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

Joined
Dec 3, 2000
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I hadn't been real warm on them overall, and considered them of limited use for quite some time. Then I picked up a Rob Criswell Tanto with a seven inch blade this weekend, and DAMN IT'S NICE!!!

Heavy, sharp, and utterly bulletproof, and the tanto grind is fairly large and rounded, which seems to make it more usable, and easy to sharpen. Thinkin' I may tinker with a few more folders also. I'm wondering if I can find a place in the outdoors for such a blade. Granted, the design isn't great for skinning critters, but that's not something I do frequently, anyways, and could always use my SAK for in a pinch...

What's the difference between an American Tanto and an Asian Tanto?

What makes the "Hamiguri" grind on the Spyderco Lum Tanto special?

What is it you personally like or dislike about tantos blades?
 
I like'em as they have that "samurai
flaire" about them ;) Strange bit of history behind the tanto as well : They were used to behead a vanquished opponent ;) I have a Junglee "Yakuza" ( means : "21" in
Japanese, an unlucky gambling number, STRANGE how it's the opposite in our "blackjack";)) Shootin' for the Spyderco Lum tanto
next. Just like'em, that's all.


AET ;) (ATE on the Spyderco.com "home" forum ;))
 
I'm fine withe original, more rounded tanto.
I hate most American Tanto with a passion... they're really a pain in the butt to sharpen and some of them just look plain ugly.
 
My fave tantos are my Clark Mini Aikuchi,M16, and the Emerson CQC-7. I think that tantos are a really versatile blade shape that is vastly underappreciated.
Matt
 
They look really cool. But, a pain to sharpen. I have not owned one with a more rounded shape - I might give it a try.
 
"What's the difference between an American Tanto and an Asian Tanto?"

Asian tantos are more curved. American tantos are very angular.

"What makes the "Hamiguri" grind on the Spyderco Lum Tanto special?"

I believe it's the way the blade tapers to a point in a very short amount of space without being angular. Basically curving into a point in a small area like an appleseed.

"What is it you personally like or dislike about tantos blades?"

I'm not a heavy-duty user, but I like tantos mainly due to style. That's not say they can't be used for serious tasks, but they still look very nice to me. Course, I can say that about a lot of knives :D
 
I don't care for my CS Recon Tanto anymore, but I love the modified reverse tanto (or something) on my BM 940!
 
I really like the look of "some" tantos. I like the look of the Bm47 model over the older model (44? 45? not sure). The blade just looks really beafy and when you fling that thing in the air its scary watching that blade coming down, you almost dont want to catch it! But all-in-all I like the profile of the tanto, a nice one indeed!
 
I have had a 5 3/4" Cold Steel Tanto for 15 years, love it, it's by far my favorite knife.:D
 
They're great for puncturing, lousy for utility. I like utility type blades.

Some of the Elishewitz reverse tantos are interesting. Haven't owned one though.
 
I thought the reverse tanto was butt ugly the first time I saw one (think it was a Dalton Waco I saw it on) But now the more I think about the design, the more it makes sense. Kinda a good blade design, with a long, easy to sharpen cutting edge, without any compromised penetration ability. One of those things that made more sense once I thought about it. I'm one of the guys that's chompin' at the bit to get one of the Spydie Ronins, so I guess I'll be finding out more about 'em eventually...
 
Picked these up from Dan Pfanenstiel when I met him at the 01' BAKCA
top one purchased off his table
sweet-16.jpg

these 2 I bought at a later time
sweet-13.jpg

and this one at the 02" BAKCA
sweet-184.jpg
 
I really dig the Tanto on the Emerson CQC7 for utility. It's like haveing two seperate knives with the long cutting edge, then the short tanto part for hard use scraping . also the sweet spot where they meet is great for detail work or a place to direct the pressure when pull cutting. The chisel edge is easy to sharpen as well and how can you go wrong sharpening two flat edges. first sharpen the long edge then sharpen the short tanto part seperately. I'm not sure that it would be the best blade for hunting or for a woodsman but as an edc on the job a tanto is a very usable blade.

Brandon
 
Altough they look great I don´t like tanto blades because they are not easy to sharpen and you can't make a perfectlly homegeneous edge because of that abrupt angle. I´m thinking of turning one of my tanto blades into a sort of scandinavian blade by turning that vertice into a curve.
 
I don't care at all for the Americanized Tanto, but the traditional style is one of my favorites. I have not found the Americanized version to have a very useful tip profile at all. It reminds me too much of a box cutter.
 
A few words on tantos. The tanto is the japanese word for a knife/sword with a blade about 12" or less. What we refer to as tanto in the States is a modern interpretation, and has been referred to as "American tanto." The American tanto is usually a chisel grind (many are double ground) and it has an abrupt secondary edge to the tip. Most historical japanese tantos have what is called a hira-zukuri blade style, which does not have the abrupt angle. I beleive that the American was something popularized by the likes pf custom maker Phill Hartfield and the Cold-Steel company. For folders, custom maker Bob Lum is considered the first to use his interpretation of the style.

What are the advantages of the tanto? For the American version, the tips are can be ground in such a way that they have tremondous tip strength and they may have better penetration ability. But it depends on the grind.

Also, there is one distinction that may come into play in certain tanto knives. Traditional Japanese tantos were "zero-ground" and some modern makers (Hartsfield, Emerson, RJ Martin, etc...) have zero-ground edges, which by the way, can be made VERY SHARP!

As far as sharpening goes, it depends on the knife. I personally don't think the modern tanto knives that have secondary bevels are any more difficult to sharped then non-tanto knives. You just have to sharpen the secondary bevel. But on the zero-ground blades, yes, they can be difficult. Traditional Japanese blades were not sharpened they way we sharped modern knives. They were "polished" with special stones. When you sharpen a zeroground blade with modern methods, you risk giving the edge a secondary bevel.

I really like tantos, both modern and traditional.
 
who the hell needs them?? And for what?

Sorry, I know that I am very provocant, but,...... hm,.........
the one and only reason to have a need of such a blade type is to kill someone,........and therefore I'd prefer my Glock!
 
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