What's the benefit of a tanto?

B

bill_duoduo

Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
8
Greeting, everyone! And sorry if my english is poor. :p

I've been curious about the tanto blade, since I never handled one myself. Some people in the forum don't really enjoy this design. I think the tanto blade looks more like a weapon than a tool. So, I would like to hear your opinions on the tanto blade, and maybe help me with a few of my questions below:

Is it easier to sharpen(due to its straightness) than a curved blade?(on a small stone)

Is it more of a weapon, or a tool? If it's a tool, is it only for penetrating doors?
Or is it capable of handling anything that a drop point does?

Did anyone have the same doubt before he/she bought one?

Am I making too many spelling/grammar mistakes in my post? :)

Thank you for your patience!
 
bill_duoduo said:
Greeting, everyone! And sorry if my english is poor. :p

I've been curious about the tanto blade, since I never handled one myself. Some people in the forum don't really enjoy this design. I think the tanto blade looks more like a weapon than a tool. So, I would like to hear your opinions on the tanto blade, and maybe help me with a few of my questions below:

Is it easier to sharpen(due to its straightness) than a curved blade?(on a small stone)

Is it more of a weapon, or a tool? If it's a tool, is it only for penetrating doors?
Or is it capable of handling anything that a drop point does?

Did anyone have the same doubt before he/she bought one?

Am I making too many spelling/grammar mistakes in my post? :)

Thank you for your patience!
Click to expand...

I guess you mean "americanized tanto", since Japanese tanto doesn't have the straight lines you mentioned.

Only benefit of that thing is in marketing, where it's "deadly weapon of true ninja master of East forged by dwarves in the Elven woods" title seems to sell well :D :thumbup:
 
I feel that a Tanto is a more of a weapon that can be used as a tool.A friend used his mainly as a hunting "tool" for "Dealing" to animals that he hunted.I even used his big Tanto to cut my wedding cake.I still have bad dreams about the lady who used it to cut the cake - the thing was so scary sharp!The straight Tanto were OK to sharpen.Tanto come in all sizes - Cold Steel even apparently make a folding one.A good Tanto is a good sturdy knife.
Just my two cents worth - hope that helps.
 
The main advantage with a tanto tip is strength and penetration. I do not see an advantage in cutting chores though and sharpening a tanto can be tougher because you have to treat the tip like another blade itself


bill_duoduo said:
Greeting, everyone! And sorry if my english is poor. :p

I've been curious about the tanto blade, since I never handled one myself. Some people in the forum don't really enjoy this design. I think the tanto blade looks more like a weapon than a tool. So, I would like to hear your opinions on the tanto blade, and maybe help me with a few of my questions below:

Is it easier to sharpen(due to its straightness) than a curved blade?(on a small stone)

Is it more of a weapon, or a tool? If it's a tool, is it only for penetrating doors?
Or is it capable of handling anything that a drop point does?

The main advantages is tip strength and penetration but they are harder to sharpen imho because you have to treat the tanto tip like a seperate knife blade.

:D

Did anyone have the same doubt before he/she bought one?

Am I making too many spelling/grammar mistakes in my post? :)

Thank you for your patience!
Click to expand...
 
Penetration; that's it. You'd be really hard pressed to dress-out and skin anything with them.:thumbdn:
 
I agree with the tip strength, but I haven't found a tanto that penatrated better than my old native.

If you are really unsure if you like it or not, just buy a decent quality one, use it for a few years, then you'll know if it fits you or not.
 
i have 2 custom made tanto knives that i have used for cutting up deer. they work good for slicing steaks and the big one chops through deer bone like it was a toothpick without any damage to the edge. and like partialserrations said, the tip does have to be treated like another knife but with the right sharpening system they arent that hard to sharpen. other than that, they are just neat to have.
 
The thicker edge thickness and wider edge angle on the front (secondary) edge makes it ding / chip / roll less when hitting hard objects.

I have found that Americanized tantos do particularly well when digging in dirt/mud with rocks in it.

Yes, I've been helping the Mrs. with the gardening, why do you ask????

:D

-j
 
I have a heavy sub-hilt tanto (yipes! 2 features folks love to hate in one knife) that my wife gave me a little over 20 years ago. It has performed well as a camp knife, not my favorite (khuks are king for the woods, IMO), but it works. I have tried lighter tantos, like the CS Recon, and don't like the way they perform. However, I have never had occasion to stab anyone, especially through armor, so I may be missing one of the tanto's main features. I think a "fierce" appearance is the main selling point, not that there is anything wrong with that!
 
Main benefit: they look cool.

Having said that, there really isn't that much that an "Americanized" tanto can do that any well made, properly heat treated knife of another design can't do. Punching a knife through a car door really should not be the standard for whether a knife is good or not.

I currently own a CS Kobun, so I can say I know about this design from actually holding the knife, and not just looking a pictures of it.

For all around use, I prefer a spear point.
 
I second the spear point. And it may be a mistake to automatically assume a tanto point is less prone to break at the tip - that is controlled by the amount of material, heat treat, and type of steel. It's just assumed the short taper is less prone.

Tantos as a generalization come with chisel grinds that potentially increase resistance to cutting, and experience has shown that's less helpful in EDC. They aren't necessarily harder to sharpen, but the apex often takes a lot of wear acting as a single blunt serration where the two edges meet, and is hard to restore accurately. It tends to round off sooner. Adding serrations to the base of the blade can be a needed compromise, which effectively moves the looks right into the tactical killer style promoted heavily in the first years.

So it comes down to being a less than best choice, looks are important decision carrying one in jeans. Designed as a hard use fixed blade, it can deliver better use than a double edged stilleto, which is why the professional military continue to acquire them - durability.
 
I've got a cs recon, and I like it, however knives like my dumpster mutt really do perform better as an all around field knife.
Unless you like the looks of one there really is no reason to go out and buy one.
I bought mine just because I wanted a knife of that design and had never owned one. My brother has a smaller one with a 4 inch blade I gave him around 20 years ago and he uses it as a belt knife when camping and as a back up while hunting. If I was to do it again I would probably by the smaller knife. He!! I may yet buy the smaller knife.
 
Many thanks to all of you for all the great informations!

So it looks like the main feature on an americanized tanto is tip strength, and it performs OK in regular cutting. Well, I thought a tanto would offer more...But still, tip strength alone is quite a selling point. Plus, the shape does look cooler than a drop point, IMO.

I really didn't expect the apex's rounding off problem, according to tirod3's post. I thought the apex was ideal for carving or something.

Maybe I'll get a Benchmade 910 stryker to try it out.
 
I purchased a Randy Doucette custom Humpback Tanto to carry here in Iraq along with some other knifes that I carry. I figured that if I was in a situation that required for me to get the job done with a blade that would probably penetrate through anything that gets in front of it. I figure that the Tanto will be the one to do it. My job is different than most others. I protect Client’s and that at hand requires the use of extreme measures when everything else fails. I also carry a Boker Mini-Smatchet/Rex Applegate as a back-up. Back home for hunting and fishing I have had no use for a Tanto. It could get the job done but I prefer a different style blade for those occasions. I will not be cutting through an animal back home that is wearing body armor. If I have to penetrate anything through a car door I will use my shotgun with slugs or .44mag handgun.
 
What confuses me is that the steep-angle Americanized tanto has POORER inherent penetration abilities compared to, say, a sharp and narrow double-edged dagger or spearpoint.

Where did this idea of the "armor-piercing tip" of the tanto come from?

Is a dagger going to actually be deflected or bent by body armor?
 
A blade will not penetrate the body armor through the center where the metal or ceramic plate is. If it will stop an AK round a blade will definitely not be recommended for use there. Underneath it or on the side would be the place to go through. So "armor-piercing tip" is something used as a selling strategy. Metal piercing (like a car door) would be a different story. In that area I think that any spear point would work also. I think that a double-edge dagger which I also carry could be more susceptible to damage or break on the tip. I could be wrong. It would be interesting to know how today's modern blades and steel handle this task compared to the Tanto's?
 
bill_duoduo said:
Maybe I'll get a Benchmade 910 stryker to try it out.
Click to expand...

The blade shape on the 910 is actually different than the style popularized by CS. Yes, it does have the straight lines near the tip, however, the point lines up closer to the centerline of the knife, whereas on my CS kobun tanto it does not. In this respect it's (910) more like a spearpoint with straight lines on the tip. I also own a 905 mini stryker, and between the two designs, I favor the Benchmade.

The blade on the stryker is a thin blade, meant for...cutting. It's a great design, just don't expect to pry with it.
 
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