Why a Tanto?

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commygun

commygun

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I'm curious as to what the advantages and disadvantages of a tanto-style
blade are. What things does this blade type do especially well? What are
it's weaknesses? Thanks for any info or opinions.
 
Yup. Some claim that even the Japanese are unlikely to use this style blade on tanto's.

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These are historical pieces. Point out any chisel tips you see on the knives...

John
 
I think it is easiest to just agree with El Tejon.

But the chisel ground blade is also often thicker than standard knife blades, so it can be stronger.

Nah, I just like how they look! :D
 
Yep, they're cool but they also have the strongest tips as has been evidenced by all the videos of car doors & 55 gal drums being pierced.
Good slashers too.
 
Bigchoad, have these videos compared other knives to them? In the same price range? How does (for instance) a Busse Combat Battle Mistress or a Cold Steel Trailmaster compare?

I agree with El Tejon. Looks. Marketing. I am certain I will be attached by no rabid cars today, but if I was, I would not want an effete little "tanto" to fend them off. A nice large bowie or kukri would work nicely, thanks.

John
 
Yep, they're cool but they also have the strongest tips as has been evidenced by all the videos of car doors & 55 gal drums being pierced.
Click to expand...

Tantos have more (thicker) metal in the tip than other blade shapes. This certainly makes the tip stronger, expecially when stabbing something. On the other hand, all that extra thickness serves to make it less efficient when stabbing. Thus, any advantage gained by the extra strength is cancelled out by the extra thickness.

A tanto would certainly be a better choice for stabbing through car doors. But then, a chisell would be better than a tanto knife, and a crowbar would be better still. If you wanna cut through car doors you shouldn't be using a knife.

Use the right tool for the job. Don't concern yourself with whether your knife can punch through a car door.

-John
 
I seriously doubt that a tanto's extra thickness is that much of an impediment to its stabbing ability. Nor would I use a knife to do a crowbar's job, unless of course a crowbar is unavailable. Therefore, if the unlikely event of my needing to open up a car should occur, I feel safe in the knowledge that my tanto will be up to the task.
In short, since I don't know what task I'm going to face I'll want the strongest blade I can carry easily. Would I want to filet a fish with a tanto? Heck no, but it could be done. Conversely, though, I don't think a dagger or filet knife would handle the prying and puncturing a tanto can.
Sometimes you can't choose the best tool for the job, I am unwilling to carry the dozen or so tools I would need to face 90% of the tasks a knife can face, so I'll just carry the one that does most, best. For me thats a tanto.
And I still say they look cool, too.:D
 
Tantos excell at enriching cutlery manufacturers. Lynn "Tanto" Thompson at the top of the list. I just love Cold Steel hype. Their knives are just so much more knifey than everybody else's knives. If you believe their ad copy, anyway.

Re: Stabbing car doors. I'm willing to concede that a tanto may be the best car door stabber there is. The real question is, in what situation is it necessary to stab a car door and have minimal point damage afterward? The typical tanto has a blade short enough that little or none of it will be protruding from the other side of the door. So, you made a hole in the sheet metal. How has that saved your life or otherwise been worthwhile? BTW, experience with junk cars and old bayonets in my yoot proved to my satisfaction that car doors are easily pierced with old fashioned spear-point bayonets that come through undamaged.
 
I'd bet that some of those CAD inspired spear points are just as strong or stronger than a chisel point.
 
Skunk,
Years back, you were probably in primary school at the time, Cold Steel ran a whole advertising campaign around car-stabbing. Since then, Lynn Thompson has moved on to rope cutting and other stunts for his ads. I remember Cold Steel from their infancy. Part of the humor that company generates is that whatever it is they are selling is the-be-and-end-all. When the tanto was the only knife they sold, according to Lynn, there was no reason to own any other knife. The tanto not only did it all, it did it all better than any clip or spear point knife. Of course, once Cold Steel started marketing clip and spear point knives...
 
Skunk, back in the '80s when all this was orchard and I was selling guns, knives, archery and fishing gear, Cold Steel used to have a goofy video called "Proof" (IIRC) that would demonstrate their car door defense technique. We played it in a continuous loop near the knife cases. What was most telling is that people told me that they wanted to knives to skin game animals or for utility purposes, but once they saw this ubertuff knife, it magically made THEM tough.

It's the magic totem thang: "Because this thing is cool, I am cool." Lots of other examples, P7s, e.g.
 
On the one hand, it's absolutely indisputable that Cold Steel's advertising (like its president) is overblown, hype-driven, bombastic, and sometimes skirts the edge of dishonesty (like when they introduced their new bowie that looks suspiciously like a Hell's Belle, with advertising implying that they developed the coffin-handled bowie!)

On the other, hanging rope cut tests and several other components of the proof video are not exactly "stunts" as most people understand the word. The other place you see this sort of thing performed an awful lot is at ABS gatherings, especially when a bladesmith is testing for Journeyman or Master status. Jerry Fisk, Moran, Warenski, Fowler. . . . anyone who is an ABS Master Smith got that way by learning to create a blade that would, as part of its testing, cut hanging rope efficiently, flex far from and then return to true, chop 2x4 and hold an edge. These are not Cold Steel "tricks."

On the third hand, Cold Steel would not likely defend their work in that fashion because it would mean mentioning the fact that others pass the same tests.
 
The chisel point on a cold steel tanto makes quartering an elk short work. Insert point between vertebrae with mild pressure, twist and POP, its a lot easier than trying to chop/saw them up. Also makes for dandy work of chicken, rabbit, etc etc when you realize all of your mom's kitchen knives are dull.

The long curved blade is a good skinner, though the transitional edge , lunong curve to chisel seems to get the most wear when used in this way.

I've been using a Cold Steel tanto as my hunting knife since I was seventeen or so. Call it 19 years.

I was sold on the whole 'car door" thing.. not that i felt the need to cut someone a new sun roof.. but to show that it was a well made, tough knife. It's lasted me where I've seen other knives chip or go dull.

Cold steel makes a good knife, can't tell you much about the other mfg's of tanto chisel-point blades.

One mild complaint.. don't like the grip that much.. prefer the recon tanto style as a more 'useful' tool grip.. but still, 19 years and counting.
 
Well, the only thing I'll add is this
Who is willing to take their Moran or Fisk or any other custom knife out and dig a hole with it, pry open crates or even open a can of beans with it?
Hey, I'm not willing to do it with any of my Randalls. My point is the tanto from Cold Steel can handle that kind of abuse and still hold up and the day it does break, oh well, I'm out the $100-$150 to replace it--Less if I break the recon tanto. I've chewed mine up something fierce but it sharpens easily enough and keeps on cutting and doing what I want it to.
The bottom line is It works and I don't have to worry about it!
ps I'm also feeling this way about Swamp Rats
 
:) Well, what works, is what's important. Just don't think it's neccessarily historical.
 
I agree with El Tejon. Looks. Marketing. I am certain I will be attached by no rabid cars today, but if I was, I would not want an effete little "tanto" to fend them off. A nice large bowie or kukri would work nicely, thanks.
Click to expand...
I'd shoot the tires out. It really worked well for the A-Team (an elite mercenary and philanthropic ex-military unit) even as early as the 1980's. Thus, the effectiveness of this technique has historical veracity as well.

Seriously though, I have no idea why it's called a "tanto" tip because tanto were not made with a tip like that. The tip of a tanto is basically the same as the tip of a katana.

Maybe it was from Cold Steel marketing?
 
It's really cute how this has turned into a CS bashing thread, and that some of you think that because an inllustration is made that that's the sole use of a tool.

Y'all better call the Strider guys and tell them they don't know what they're doing...
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I could go on... but I think you get my point. A tanto point is simply made to be stronger at the tip than the spear tip. All other things being equal (steel quality, blade thickness, etc.) this is the case. It is also easier to sharpen on modern equipment since it is all straight edges. Cold Steel marketing has nothing to do with the proliferation of the tanto point.
 
Nobody said CS or the others "didn't know what they were doing." Guess you must have been thinking of some other thread. They do know what they are doing: Marketing what will sell, regardless of actual historical veracity or real world utility. They're in business to make a buck, making knives is just a means to that end. Speaking of making knives, unless things have changed Cold Steel doesn't actually make anything. Their whoe product line is made by contractors. Lynn & co. are a marketing firm.
 
The first chisel pointed Tanto tip on a blade I ever saw was by a guy named Phil Lum who was/is one heck of a bladesmith/designer. It was interesting looking... different. Max spine thickness all the way to the tip, funky geometry down below. Two straight lines converging into an obtuse angle, hollow grind, angled front tip edge...

Not really cheap since they were custom hand mades. But interesting looking. Kinda oriental which was his thing in an overall sense.

Everybody was looking for something different as Loveless, Randalls and Morans were about the most copied styles back then (70's).

CS took it to a new level. Remember the mysterious Carbon V? Ooooh!
American knife buyers will buy anything obviously. I know I did.

My first "tanto" was a blade by Barry Dawson since I liked his Katanas and Waks but their tip was not guite as prominent or straight then. Its nevr cut anything.

I did finally spring for a Recon Tanto at an SOF show in LV bought from the hands of the man hisself. Its never cut anything, yet. Stays in its box like a good CS. SRK is used more often.

Actually the $29 KaBar I bought years ago gets the most use when out camping. Its beat to hell but stays as sharp as I can get it.

Hope I'm never attacked by car doors tho. :D

Adios
 
The short of it for me was that my Cold Steel Tanto has held up to the same abuse that broke my K-Bar after a year and a half of reserve duty.

Pic can be seen in this thread, towards the bottom.

-Teuf

Oh, and it looks cool. :D
 
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