Why tanto?

Give me tanto blade any day of the week :thumbup:
I love the so called "Americanized tanto" for it's utility edc proprieties, I work with straight or almost straight edge knives all day long,
the most used-ones are my tanto Griptilian, Voyagers and the wharny/reverse tanto Rat1 mod.
Blade geometry gives you easy control of the tip of the blade, because it's either completely or very close aligned with the axis of the handle,
you don't have to look at the blade to know where the tip is.
The "americanized tanto" have more blunt tip angle and it's not that good for penetration as the "tanto" designed for this, designed as a weapon.
Many just generalizing the "tanto" concept without understanding that this or that particular knife is designed as a weapon or as something else, but have elements of a weapon.
I prefer the chiesel grind for number of reasons: easy to maintain, smaller angle, cuts aggressively with the whole length of the blade as well as the secondary tip that rips trough material way better than round belly.
I agree with the gentleman that mentioned the Kwaiken shape and form, but I think novadays the difference between those is very blurred because the new knife makers don't really create tantos/kwikens, following the traditional elements of the old days and there is nothing wrong with this, I think the general term "tanto" carries enough info for one to have an idea what we're talking about...

Threads like this are very common in big forums like this... I bet in the past 2-3 years, there are at least 5-6 threads concerning "tantos"... :D

Here is my neo-clasic:

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A couple of Matt Gregory kwaikens.
Red rayskin.

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So dark a green rayskin, it's black under the wrap. :)
Ultra awesome suede lined sheath.
Matt makes great knives.

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Doug
 
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Many years ago, I posted some type of Usenet thread asking if the Tanto(Americanized) was the best all-around blade shape. Never forgot one of the replies on the thread. They said "When was the last time you were attacked by a car door, or 55 gallon drum?" Gentle ribbing of a specific manufacturer, but very memorable. :D
 
Not a great picture but here is a Tanto mini Barrage in front of a "regular" drop point mini Barrage.



There's not a lot of difference to me.
 
As others may have posted, the "tip" or "Kissaki" is modeled after the Samurai sword (referenced below). There is an old saying, "slash once, cut twice" that is a great reference to the first and second points that you see, that form the tip on the blade that cuts "two times". Some Japanese martial arts like "Aikido", practitioners still trains with tanto knives, both wood (oak) and real metal ones.
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I've always maintained that the "Americanized" tanto point is essentially a combination of a wharncliffe and a kiridashi.

If you find those blade styles useful, you will likely enjoy "Americanized" tantos.
 
JJaggar said:
I love your work CM, and love Tantos...you would part with that one?
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I made that as a personal carry peice but shortly thereafter, I made something I liked even better.
 
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