The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
It's primarily for martial use - the secondary point makes for a highly effective snap cut, pierces while cutting during a slashing stroke, and the primary tip is very strong due to spinal reinforcement. It's also very good at piercing.
Here's a test video from Andrew Demko and friend, employees of Cold Steel, who popularized and arguably invented the American Tanto. It's a three-parter, and is very extensive.
[video=youtube;bYozOCQM7CI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYozOCQM7CI[/video]
Knowing what I know now, I feel that most tanto tips that aren't from Cold Steel are pretty pointless since they often have swedges and weird tacticool crap to appeal to the uneducated. I won't buy a tanto point knife that isn't from Cold Steel.
I get the impression you like tanto blades. Very nice.
All right. It is either the new Code 4 tanto or the Voyager large tanto. Leaning towards the Code 4 because of slimness and overall looks. Any points for Voyager that I should take into consideration before I pull the trigger? Voyager is larger and therefore less pocketable, but slightly cheaper.
Got the Code 4 Tanto. First impressions are very positive. The handle is slick, but the finger grooves give a good grip. The blade is more massive than I thought it would be, but the hollow grind lightens it. Overall it is light for its size and well finished. This is the first Cold Steel knife I have experienced that I have no troubles with the clip. I carried it inside my waistband for a while and soon I barely noticed it, no doupt because of the slim handle. Drawing is easier than other CS knives. The color of the handle and the shiny blade give it a touch of class. Blade is very sharp out of box.
Lock-up is of course very solid, nothing else could be expected of Triad-lock. Closing the knife requires a firm push on the lever. I did some slight cutting with the blade and personally I find it just as good as any knife with more belly. It is easy to use the secondary point to make effortless, precise cuts. And the secondary point gives a devastating snap cut.
The jimping could be more pronounced, these dont give much more traction. And of course the metal handle will be hot or cold in extreme temperatures. These are minor things for me, at least now.
I will strop the blade slightly and then do some more cutting when I have the time.