# Why Tanto?



## BBQ BOY (Oct 5, 2009)

I don't understand the blade design of the Tanto. i was given a Camillus knife with a Tanto and I do not understand its function.


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## jdkno (Oct 5, 2009)

Its design lends itself to a few advantages. It still has a point so it works in stabbing. The front edge being elongated makes it better for slashing than a more traditionally shaped blade. Also since it gives you two distinct edges you can use the main part of the blade for your every day in and out cutting and leave the front edge for more precision work or when you need something razor sharp.

For instance I usually will freshen up the main part of the blade 3 times before I ever have to worry about the short part loosing its edge on my tantos.


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## Sgt. LED (Oct 5, 2009)

Penetration. (Without damaging the tip)

The urge to elaborate on the fun of that word is being resisted.


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## brucec (Oct 6, 2009)

They're for opening up a can of beefaroni, ninja style.

Seriously, I think the tanto shape is good for reinforcing the tip of a samurai sword which is optimized for slashing in one direction with the upper ~8" of the blade and actually not stabbing or penetration. I don't know where these chisel type of tanto knives came from, but I would think one of those symmetrical sharp pointy double-edged army or marine knives would be better suited for stabbing someone through their breast plate. That is, if one even had the need for that sort of thing... Personally, I find tantos less than ideal for most of the basic tasks I use pocket knives for. They sure look cool though.


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## nbp (Oct 6, 2009)

Yeah, they tend to be very strong blades, and stand up better to abuse that would likely damage other types of blades. At least IMO that's the case. :shrug:


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## Patriot (Oct 6, 2009)

Sgt. LED said:


> Penetration. (Without damaging the tip)




That's about it. Penetration without destruction. They hold up well when the tip is plunged a media like wood and is then twisted. The think spine basically runs all the way to the tip. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42jCRJl_43Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2VFk4kMjLQ


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## Gatsby (Oct 7, 2009)

Opinions vary obviously but I tried one very briefly and found that, for most EDC tasks, the blade design isn't particularly useful.

They do look good, but I much prefer modified sheepsfoot, drop point and leaf style blades.


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## PhantomPhoton (Oct 8, 2009)

For myself I find Tanto blades much better for the cutting tasks I perform as opposed to the traditional blade design. 

I do a lot of maintenance work in my workplace and that involved cutting all sorts of materials, including high and low density resi foam, carpet, etc. At times I need to plunge the tip down into several inches of foam with varying layers and densities as well as fibrous and plastic covers and liners. That has destroyed a couple high quality spear point and drop point blades, but hasn't even slowed down a couple various tantos that I now use there. (Although I have a SAK One hand trekker with a forward serrated blade which also seems to work very well for some tasks like shallow cuts.)

I find the nice edge where the blade angle changes up to be a much better and controllable cutting surface when making long (8-10' long 4" deep into carpet bonded double layered closed-cell foam) as opposed to the tip of a traditionally shaped blade.

Now on the other hand, I wouldn't use a tanto blade if I were to go hunting or fishing. Use the right tool for the right job.

In addition, the "american tanto" design has very little to to with true traditional Japanese swords/ Nihonto. It is an extreme and stylized adaptation. Furthermore there are many different varieties of traditional Japanese swords so it's not a valid point to compare a blade to them as a group. The Japanese blade evolved over time ( a period of ~1000+ years) mostly depending upon what sort of armor the current enemy was wearing.


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## Essexman (Oct 9, 2009)

PhantomPhoton said:


> Now on the other hand, I wouldn't use a tanto blade if I were to go hunting or fishing. Use the right tool for the right job.


 
And there is the main point, it really depends on what you are doing with it. One mans EDC is not going to suit anothers dependiing on the job in hand. 




Gatsby said:


> They do look good, but I much prefer *modified sheepsfoot*, drop point and leaf style blades.


 
Another fan here, For some reason I find myself drawn to the lambsfoot/sheepsfoot/farmers style blades, maybe because here in the UK they are made as slipjoints/penknives.

But like the Tanto blade, others hate the sheepsfoot style blade and can't get on with it.


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## yellow (Oct 9, 2009)

compared with _traditional style _bad for everything, especially cutting, stabbing, penetration, ...
the only thing it is better, is: break prone
(as it is like a blade, that is already broken) 
--> armchair hero gadget 
(in lights, that were spikes and similar edges)



PS, as has already been mentionned: japanese Tantos (the smaller swords) do feature normal edges in reality
PPS: and who breaks a knife has not understood that kind of tool he/she is using


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## Sgt. LED (Oct 9, 2009)

? Language barrier maybe.


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## fyrstormer (Oct 9, 2009)

As yellow pointed out (or tried to), the shape of a Tanto blade is very similar to the shape of a blade with a broken tip, which was re-sharpened instead of thrown away. It stands to reason that blades break in that shape because that shape concentrates the shear force within the part of the blade that broke off, meaning that the remaining part was able to effectively distribute the force in a way that prevented further damage. That means a Tanto-style blade is much stronger in situations that would break a traditional blade.


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## Sgt. LED (Oct 9, 2009)

:thumbsup: Thank you for that.


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## nathan310 (Oct 10, 2009)

I'm wondering why you posted this and a few other threads in EVERY online knife forum.


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## Frankiarmz (Oct 20, 2009)

CMN-900 Coleman linerlock with tanto blade, my EDC. On my budget I can't afford collector, custom made knives. I have found the above mentioned knife to be very strong, very fast to open and very durable considering the $5.50 price. I like the Tanto design because it will hold up to a plunge in hard materials without the tip breaking. Got one of these knives with a black finish on the blade as a gift and finally found them in plain finish at Bladematrix.com.


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## Patriot (Oct 21, 2009)

nathan310 said:


> I'm wondering why you posted this and a few other threads in EVERY online knife forum.




He didn't double post it here at CPF so I'm not sure why it really matters. My guess to the answer of the question would be, "because he wanted to know" and was looking for as many opinions as he could get. 









That's a good point that fyrstormer made about penetration. Tantos are known for their penetration not because they out penetrate a spear point or narrow angle clip point, but because of their ability to penetrate repeatedly without breakage or significant deformation. Once the other styles break, they're at a huge disadvantage for further penetration tasks. Not only does a broken tip shorten the cutting edge but the penetrating leading edge is now blunt. With a Tanto the tip is initially stronger but as it deforms or wears through repeated stabbing theres always a fresh cutting edge just below tip or damaged tip. This effectively acts as a chissle which is still far better than a snapped off blunt.


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## Frankiarmz (Oct 21, 2009)

I'm glad I checked out this Forum, and appreciate the technical explanations in support of the Tanto blade. I would like to point out that while I'm sure most of you here work with or collect well made knives, design and stability of the locking mechanism is very important when "plunging" even a Tanto blade. A couple of years ago I purchased a CRKT, Ed Halligan Sampson's K.I.S.S. engineered folding Tanto knife. The Tanto blade is only sharpened on one side and flat on the other, unfortunately the locking mechanism lends itself to unexpectedly closing if the handle is depressed. I find the liner lock of the coleman CMN-900 and similar knives much safer and dependable. Thanks for the useful information.


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## Search (Oct 21, 2009)

I read from a lot of places that a Tanto blade didn't hold an edge very well. I'm not sure how true but that is the only reason why I didn't buy one.

If it actually does hold an edge then I would feel bad because I would have preferred it's design personally.


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## kaichu dento (Oct 21, 2009)

It's also worth noting that what we are referring to as the tanto point is actually not found on a Japanese tanto, but rather on swords. Traditional tantos generally have a long sweep towards the point.


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## Patriot (Oct 21, 2009)

Search said:


> I read from a lot of places that a Tanto blade didn't hold an edge very well. I'm not sure how true but that is the only reason why I didn't buy one.




That's sort of true actually. I have a Recon Tanto and it always gets dull on the sharp bend of the cutting edge near the tip. It's also a bit difficult to sharpen there too. Regardless, it's hard to find much fault with that knife overall. It's my main fixed blade work knife. Not too expensive but rugged.


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## commodorewheeler (Nov 15, 2009)

BBQ BOY said:


> I don't understand the blade design of the Tanto. i was given a Camillus knife with a Tanto and I do not understand its function.



The main benefit of a tanto blade is the strength of the tip. If your knife tasks include a lot of stabbing or if you want to go off-label and use your knife blade as a screwdriver or pry tool sometimes, the tanto is the profile to do it with.

However, like several other posters in this thread, I don't find the tanto profile to be extremely versatile, either. For slicing, slashing, chopping, and fine tip work, I find most other types of blade profiles to be much easier to use.

There are some makers who are doing modified versions of the tanto profile that are more versatile in cutting than traditional tantos but maintain the high tip strength of a traditional tanto. Mick Strider, Rick Hinderer, and Sal Manaro are the 3 that most immediately come to mind for me as far as these makers go.


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## nathan310 (Nov 15, 2009)

Why Tanto? Why Not?:nana:


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## PhantomPhoton (Nov 17, 2009)

Search said:


> I read from a lot of places that a Tanto blade didn't hold an edge very well. I'm not sure how true but that is the only reason why I didn't buy one.
> 
> If it actually does hold an edge then I would feel bad because I would have preferred it's design personally.



Has nothing to do with blade _style_. Has everything to do with blade material, and edge shape/ angle... as well as what you do with it. I have a convex ground "american tanto" fixed blade and that thing stays sharp. It's my campsite work knife and with all the abuse I put it through it rarely needs sharpening. (which is a good thing as maintaining a convex edge is much more time consuming and tedious than keeping a simple bevel ground blade sharp)


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## stockae92 (Nov 18, 2009)

Gatsby said:


> Opinions vary obviously but I tried one very briefly and found that, for most EDC tasks, the blade design isn't particularly useful.
> 
> They do look good, but I much prefer modified sheepsfoot, drop point and leaf style blades.



+1 on that

my first *real* knife was a CRKT M16 tanto, i was drawn to it probably because it looks "cool" and "tactical"

but i have since stayed away from tanto cause i found something like drop point much easier to use in more situation


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## moonfish (Nov 21, 2009)

Patriot said:


> That's sort of true actually. I have a Recon Tanto and it always gets dull on the sharp bend of the cutting edge near the tip. It's also a bit difficult to sharpen there too. Regardless, it's hard to find much fault with that knife overall. It's my main fixed blade work knife. Not too expensive but rugged.



The "corner" on the cutting edge is the coolest feature of that blade style like cold steel uses. It's effectively the tip of the knife for most actual cutting tasks. It ends up being like a warncliff but there's a stout, upturned point for when you decide to stab bullet proof vests or sides of beef or car doors.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 21, 2009)

kaichu dento said:


> It's also worth noting that what we are referring to as the tanto point is actually not found on a Japanese tanto, but rather on swords. Traditional tantos generally have a long sweep towards the point.


I heard a rumor once that "American Tanto"-style blades got their name from a euphemism for Native Americans who, lacking modern metalworking equipment, collected and re-sharpened broken knives that Europeans discarded. Necessity is the mother of (re)invention.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 21, 2009)

Patriot said:


> That's a good point that fyrstormer made about penetration. * Tantos are known for their penetration not because they out penetrate a spear point or narrow angle clip point, but because of their ability to penetrate repeatedly without breakage or significant deformation.* Once the other styles break, they're at a huge disadvantage for further penetration tasks. Not only does a broken tip shorten the cutting edge but the penetrating leading edge is now blunt. With a Tanto the tip is initially stronger but as it deforms or wears through repeated stabbing theres always a fresh cutting edge just below tip or damaged tip. This effectively acts as a chissle which is still far better than a snapped off blunt.


Yes, I discovered this via firsthand experience when I dropped my Kershaw Chive on the floor at work, and the tip of the blade went straight through the high-traffic carpet and snapped off on the concrete beneath it. I ended up re-grinding the tip of the blade into a new drop-point, but if I had it to do again I would've converted it into a tanto.


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## LuxLuthor (Nov 21, 2009)

Because it sounds better than Kemo Sabe.


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## kaichu dento (Nov 21, 2009)

LuxLuthor said:


> Because it sounds better than Kemo Sabe.


:duh2:


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## LuxLuthor (Nov 21, 2009)

kaichu dento said:


> :duh2:



Me glad you find what looking for. One thirty. That good.


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## kaichu dento (Nov 22, 2009)

LuxLuthor said:


> Me glad you find what looking for. One thirty. That good.


I didn't watch it yet, but downloaded it for later!

Funny you mentioning time, as the Lone Ranger taught me how to read a clock! My dad showed me the small hand at 4 and the big hand straight down meant it was time for me to get in front of the tv set!


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## Ilikeshinythings (Nov 22, 2009)

brucec said:


> They're for opening up a can of beefaroni, ninja style.



Exactly what I was gonna say.

I think it's the idea of have two different blades on one knife. Plus the tip is extremely reinforced by the shape of the blade so it is very strong.

I went crab hunting in Mexico with my Ka-bar tanto and the tip was perfect for spearing crab. I think a generic rounded edge knife would have cut the crab in half but the tantos more dramatic angle made it perfect.


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## jbosman1013 (Nov 25, 2009)

While the tanto is good at penetrating that's not the main design purpose. The tanto shape was designed so that when the blade is stabbed through armor it can be withdrawn with little effort. Beyond that, tip strength and having a sharp edge lead the penetration are just + factors to the tanto design.


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## GeneralTao (Jan 19, 2010)

Tanto design is one the best invention from Japanese. It is designed for Japanese gangsters to cut themselves in the stomach if anyone caused damages to the organization more like a self-punishment by giving your own life as a token of payback to the organization. It also provides the strongest tip to puncture out of all other blade styles. Therefore Tanto blade is truly a piece of art in weapon history by Japanese.


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## LUPARA (Jan 19, 2010)

Tanto - I have an old Recon Tanto (Carbon V) by Cold Steel. It's scary razor sharp and the belly of the blade has a long shallow curve for superior slashing. The tip is thick and also razor sharp - think of the tip penetrating flesh and cutting a wide wound path; possible taking out several vessels in the process etc. Better than a point.

I think that we could compare the Recon Tanto with the CRKT Hissatsu; different types of the same thing. Both penetrate equally well; both hold their tip strength; but; the Hissatsu may not yield such a sharp edge because of the steel and because it's specifically for penetrating, but can also slash if spend a few days sharpening it or have one made out of different steel. I've got both and they are definitely NOT camp knives; primarily.

One is tough, heavy and has taken one-too-many ugly pills and the other is tough and lighter and is a little more elegant. They balance each other out quite well !!

There are more useful and equally lethal outdoor knives than these, that can have a wider ranging practical use.

My EDC is a CRKT folding razel carried in a mag pouch on my belt. Very fast access and very fast opening. Tip UP, not recommended, neither is pocket carry using the clip, up or down, 'cos it's too damned easy to open and having a chisel front edge popping out it is extremely dangerous, especially if you have deep pockets...get my drift? Hence the thick leather mag pouch !!! For lightness, concealability, speed of deployment and ease of opening, I carry CS Voyager clipped into my jeans pocket. It's a flat knife, easy to grab and flick open, helped by the position of the clip. I can't imagine anything faster and easier to deploy than this one. See, there are some good things from CS.


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## kaichu dento (Jan 19, 2010)

GeneralTao said:


> Tanto design is one the best invention from Japanese. It is designed for Japanese gangsters to cut themselves in the stomach if anyone caused damages to the organization more like a self-punishment by giving your own life as a token of payback to the organization. It also provides the strongest tip to puncture out of all other blade styles. Therefore Tanto blade is truly a piece of art in weapon history by Japanese.





LUPARA said:


> Tanto - I have an old Recon Tanto (Carbon V) by Cold Steel. It's scary razor sharp and the belly of the blade has a long shallow curve for superior slashing. The tip is thick and also razor sharp - think of the tip penetrating flesh and cutting a wide wound path; possible taking out several vessels in the process etc. Better than a point.





kaichu dento said:


> It's also worth noting that what we are referring to as the tanto point is actually not found on a Japanese tanto, but rather on swords. Traditional tantos generally have a long sweep towards the point.


Thought it was worth bringing this back up again. Also a tanto generally had a blade in the 12" range and anything shorter would have had a completelely different name. For example a 9" blade would have been an aikuchi, and like the tanto they would have had a sweeping point and not the chisel shaped point that has become accepted as the so called tanto point.

The reason for the chisel shaped point on swords was to keep more strength in the tip for the purpose of armor penetration and therefore found wide acceptance for the tips of tachi, katana and wakizashi, but not tanto or aikuchi.


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