What’s A Tanto Blade?
By Adelia Ladson
What Does A Tanto Blade Look Like?
A tanto blade has a distinct profile that has an acutely angled tip that kinda looks like a chisel tip. This gives two cutting edges, the edge that extends from the handle and the edge on the angled tip. The tanto profile gives you a broad and sturdy point, which has made it a popular blade profile for tactical knives.
Tanto Swords And Knives
The tanto blade gets its name from the Japanese short sword that was worn by Samurais in Feudal Japan. It was designed to be a stabbing weapon for battle but became more ornate over the years for ceremonies. It was in the 1980s that the term “tanto” was used for the newly designed knives that had a blade similar to the Japanese short sword. And, as I said above, they were used on tactical knives.
Kojiro Brownwood Tanto Sword
The shirasaya-style Kojiro Brownwood Tanto Sword is the simple and classic design that would have made it a practical tool and weapon for a Samurai. The hair-splitting sharp blade is 1045 carbon steel that fits seamlessly into a rich, brown heartwood scabbard. The handle is also genuine heartwood and below it is a matte, black brass habaki. Black brass bands show where the scabbard and handle meet. The tanto sword is 18 1/2” in overall length, easily fitting between your belt and your pants for carry at your side.
Honshu Tanto Knife
United Cutlery’s Honshu line has some of the most sought after tactical weapons on the market. Their Tanto Knife has a premium D2 tool steel blade that features a deep, blood groove that extends from an oval-shaped, stainless steel guard. A Honshu handle is one of the grippiest designs you can find in the industry. The overmolded, rubberized grip is heavily textured and ridged, topped with a hefty stainless steel, pointed pommel with a lanyard hole. The tanto knife is just under 17” overall and it comes with a leather belt sheath.
SHTF Jungle Hunter Tanto Machete
The SHTF Jungle Hunter Tanto Machete fuses the traditional tanto blade and the classic machete blade to create a modern, tactical machete that’s capable of tackling any chore or survival task. Not only does it have the piercing tanto tip, but the spine has a sharp sawback. The non-reflective black, stainless steel blade is heavy-duty enough to chop through wood for kindling for a fire and the sawback will rip through branches. Then, you get the added benefit of the pointed tip for piercing tasks. It has a tough, rubberized polymer handle, assuring you of a secure grip even in wet conditions and the machete’s weight distribution makes it comfortable even with vigorous use in the thickest brush jungles. It also comes with a belt sheath so that it can be conveniently carried at your side.
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Tanto Pocket Knives
With the popularity of the tanto blade, of course, they were eventually included in the design of pocket knives, too. The advantage of the blade in this form is that the broad point that was used for stabbing in battle can be used for adding an extra hole in a buckle strap, getting into plastic clamshell packaging or any number of tasks that requires stabbing power. It fits conveniently in your pocket, and it looks good, too.
Gerber 06 Automatic Pocket Knife
To start off this list of tanto blade pocket knives, I’m going with a Gerber. A trusted name in the knife world for decades, they know how to put out an incredible everyday carry. The Gerber 06 Automatic Pocket Knife lets you access your tanto blade at a moment’s notice with just a push of the button. It has a 3 4/5” S30V black, oxide-coated stainless steel tanto point blade that has superior edge-retention and is corrosion-resistant. The automatic pocket knife has an oversized blade release button and a slide lock to secure the blade. This fully-automatic knife is easy to grip and the lightweight G10 handle has a pommel designed as a strike point for emergency egress. There’s also a large lanyard hole that allows for paracord or webbing. With a Gerber, you know that you’re ready for anything.
M48 Lightning Strike OTF Knife
The M48 Lightning Strike OTF Knife has been a consistent customer favorite of ours. It can be quickly and easily deployed and retracted with the ambidextrous sliding button at a moment’s notice and that’s the ultimate appeal. The tactical pocket knife’s blade is two-toned stainless steel with weight-reducing thru-holes and the TPU handle is ridged for a no-slip grip. The OTF fits comfortably in your pocket at 5 3/4” closed and it has a glassbreaker pommel and a low-profile pocket clip.
Kershaw Salvage Pocket Knife
Kershaw’s Salvage Pocket Knife is a great EDC to take with you on your outdoors adventures. It actually has a reverse tanto blade, which just means that the angled edge is on the top instead of the bottom of the blade. Giving it a longer lasting edge and corrosion-resistance, the blade is made of premium 8Cr13MoV with a stone-washed finish, and it features thumb jimping. The handle is also stonewashed stainless steel and it has grippy, glass-filled nylon overlays in an olive color. The framelock pocket knife opens smoothly with the flipper activating the assisted opening mechanism and it has a deep-carry pocket clip.
Bear & Son Silver Vein Tanto Butterfly Knife
This last knife is definitely different from the rest of the knives on this list. However, the tanto blade works just as well and is just as effective on the Bear & Son Silver Vein Butterfly Knife. Its skeletonized-handle design makes it lightweight so that it doesn’t ride heavy in your pocket. The classic butterfly handles are epoxy powder-coated metal alloy and can be locked together when closed. The hollow ground, tanto blade is 4” of stainless steel that rotates around a durable tang pin. One of the best things about this Bear & Son Butterfly knife is that it’s handcrafted in the USA in Jacksonville, Alabama.
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- Gerber 06 Automatic Pocket Knife
- M48 Lightning Strike OTF Knife
- Kershaw’s Salvage Pocket Knife
- Bear & Son Silver Vein Butterfly Knife
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