Why Doesn't Spyderco Make Tanto Knives?

Why should they? It's not like there is a severe shortage of them.

Edit to add: Sal types faster than I do, at least on my phone.
 
Thanks for your input, Sal. Didn't know a celebrity was in the house! :-) To answer the question of why would one want a tanto, I can think of at least two cases, off the top of my head: (1) Cuts that need scoring first, like drywall, along a pencil line, and (2) (this one i stole from Nick Shabazz) opening packages where you just want to sink a sharp tip into tape so that you don't cut up what's inside the package. You *could* do (2) with a conventional blade, but I think a tanto is a much more elegant, controlled approach. Knives *are* tools!
 
OP
Have ever tried to sell a Double Bevel?

It was lnib... It never sold..
But I eventually traded it for a loss.
 
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Sharperthansticks said:
Thanks for your input, Sal. Didn't know a celebrity was in the house! :) To answer the question of why would one want a tanto, I can think of at least two cases, off the top of my head: (1) Cuts that need scoring first, like drywall, along a pencil line, and (2) (this one i stole from Nick Shabazz) opening packages where you just want to sink a sharp tip into tape so that you don't cut up what's inside the package. You *could* do (2) with a conventional blade, but I think a tanto is a much more elegant, controlled approach. Knives *are* tools!
Click to expand...

If you turn a knife upside down and run the spine along the edge of the box, elevate the handle abit so the blade cuts upwards through the package. You can make very shallow cuts like this.

That said I love tantos. Most of what we call “tantos”
today are actually “American tantos.” At the same time I would like to more from Spyderco. However Spyderco offers lots of blade shapes we don’t see often elsewhere and is the undisputed king of the Leaf and Hawkbill blade shapes. For now if I need a tanto I go elsewhere.
 
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I carried and used tanto knives for years, and learned through experience that the only thing they did better than other blade shapes was scrape gaskets off flat surfaces. A putty chisel does that even better, so I personally have no use for one. YMMV.
 
uxo2 said:
OP
Have ever tried to sell a Double Bevel?

It was lnib... It never sold..
But I eventually traded it for a loss.
Click to expand...

I contend that it wasn't the Double Bevel's tanto blade that was the problem, but the whole double bevel thing. It really had an odd look.
 
yablanowitz said:
I carried and used tanto knives for years, and learned through experience that the only thing they did better than other blade shapes was scrape gaskets off flat surfaces. A putty chisel does that even better, so I personally have no use for one. YMMV.
Click to expand...
Interesting, although that just makes me want the Glesser team to put out their response to the Graham Razel -- a Shaman Razel!
 
"I carried and used tanto knives for years, and learned through experience that the only thing they did better than other blade shapes was scrape gaskets off flat surfaces. A putty chisel does that even better, so I personally have no use for one. YMMV."

I tried using and liking tanto knives as well. I have no use for them now either. They have their fans but there aren't many of them or there would be a lot more on the market. Most large companies made some and then stopped, or cut way back. They used to talk about things like "armor piercing" tips and and other silly stuff.

Joe
 
I love Tantos. The very fact that Spyderco has rarely come out with one, makes me want another Spyderco Tanto even more. I consider my Lum Tanto a work of art.

Although I consider my Tantos as SD tools first, I use my MT Bounty Hunter as a great EDC. It cuts open plastic wrappers precisely with ease. I believe there would be more than enough Tanto lovers to merit, at the least, a Sprint Run.
 
BladeHQ just formally introduced their exclusive Lum Tanto, so they do make them. For me the Tanto is just not useful/practical, I much prefer a drop point or if I want something different a Wharncliffe.
 
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