Why people hate on tantos?

[badmatt]

American style Tanto's arnt really my thing...

Now a proper Japanese tanto on the other hand.... gimme!

 

[Alberta Ed]

I've used my CS tanto to process big game. The nice sweeping curve makes it an excellent slicer, and the strong tip makes it easy to shear through knee joints and gristle.

 

[Terry M.]

Love me some tanto blades.

 

[chevyrulez1]

There is a group think thing, where people "in the know" have read up about what is "the best" for this or that, and anytime someone does something different they try to invalidate and educate them with their wisdom. I understand most of the time they are trying to be helpful, but I say use what you like. People do temd to hate on tanto blades, but they are very useful and effective. I like how easy they are to sharpen and find they do really well for utility work, as well as having a strong tip. People also hate on certain brands, country of origin, etc. As I progress through life I find myself more and more doing what I enjoy and not worrying how others feel about it. I am the one trying to enjoy what I do, and I will never make everyone else happy anyway because someone is always there to point out perceived faults.

 

[Blues]

Most of my knives are not tantos, but I like (and carry) the handful that I have.

Hating on a pattern or refusing to acknowledge its uses just seems pointless to me. (No pun intended, for maybe the second time in my life.)

 

[Smaug]

I think they’re ugly and since their strength is stabbing armor and I don’t do any stabbing of armor I don’t have any use for them.

A lot of what I do need a continuous edge, either with belly or straight, but a sharp-angled interruption in the edge is no good.

Imagine whittling down a stick and partway through the cut, it jumps. No thanks.

 

[Knives&Lint]

I don't hate on tantos, just YouTubers that pronounce it like"Tan-toes"

 

[Therom]

I like tanto blades
IMO they are very utilitarian.
I like having 2 edges and 2 points

 

[shinyedges]

People who don't like tantos don't eat bananas. Banana tanto exists for a reason.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I like them when they are well done. Yeah, they have a kinda tacticool vibe, but when a knife can walk the walk like something along the lines of a Tops Steel Eagle, I dig it.

I also like the tanto point on one of my ultratechs. It looks kinda cool with a bit of flair and the hard angle of the two edges makes for a great Xacto knife when I want to slice paper a certain way.

For me, my level of survival skills will run out long before the type of knife I'm carrying will. I can make a fire and build a shelter and maybe craft a fishing pole or set a snare with just about any blade. I don't think I'll need to carve any spoons or whatever.

I think the major issue with the tanto is that they are more often that not found on crappy knives.

 

[ferider]

I hate my mother in law, I don't hate tools. I like tan-toes on my wife

I only have a couple .... the additional corner on the edge can be useful for cutting boxes and stuff.

 

[91bravo]

I don’t hate tantos, I just don’t prefer them. I can see the benefits of having one though. Piercing chores, scraping, thick tip, etc. I just get more use out of a drop point or a wharncliffe shaped blade.

 

[hhmoore]

I'm not a big tanto fan...but I love my Reate K2 & found myself wanting a tanto 'Zaan. My only question after reading the original post is why anybody would want a SRK

 

[Cobalt]

I like tantos especially in folders. Piercing point is excellent and tip strength is very high

 

[ShaiHulud]

I've never seen this "hate" you speak of, mabe a general disinterest --- pretty different

 

[LostCause]

For me, my level of survival skills will run out long before the type of knife I'm carrying will. I can make a fire and build a shelter and maybe craft a fishing pole or set a snare with just about any blade. I don't think I'll need to carve any spoons or whatever.

Same here. I'm neither survivalist or bushcrafter. I can do about as much as you. I can't see the need for carving spoons and other things arising.

Also, if I ever do find myself in survival situation - it'll mean I severely messed up already. And it's unlikely that tip or grind of my knife will make any difference.

 

[whereismyknife]

One vote from me for Tanto. I love tanto, but when people think of tanto, they think of the American tanto made famous by Cold Steel (or by anyone else, I don't know. I also love this type of tanto). I think traditional tanto is as good as the others in many respects. When I say traditional tanto, I'm talking about these photos. The photos do not belong to me.

 

[BlindMouse2of3]

I am a fan, I carried a CRKT M16-14LE for 6+ years at work as an oilfield mechanic. Half serrated tanto in Aus8. Fully abused as a gasket scraper when needed. It cut up to 10 gauge wire very well. After about a year I stopped sharpening it properly and just did full passes (Spyderco sharpmaker). The transition rounded quite nicely and because a very usable shape for most all things. It's in my toolbox at work so I don't have a picture but I used it as needed and never once worried about breaking it. Not because it was cheap but because it was a tough knife. I know aus 8 sees about as much love as tantos do but it was a great pairing for a do what's needed knife.

I have no issues carrying one into the field and have done so in the form of a recon 1. Also a no mercy knife that has not broken yet.

 

[hhmoore]

I've never seen this "hate" you speak of

I used to hate on tantos...because a person I thought was important did so. A few decades later and I've chosen to let the knives convince me. I have two tantos - mentioned in my earlier post, one I carried almost every day for about 2 years...the other I never gave a fair chance

 

[Booba1000]

Main reason I don’t like is more work to sharpen. I have a backlog of knives that need sharpening as is lol