When shopping for a tactical knife, most pick one with a tanto blade, according to knife-maker Allen Elishewitz, whose designs have been produced by companies like CRKT and Hogue: “I'll admit, a tanto looks sexier. It looks like it could do some damage.”
It's not hard to see why. In slashing, the blade shape excels. The tip edge may be ground at a steeper angle, making a beast that can punch through chain mail. The tanto got its start in feudal Japan, where it served as the backup knife to the backup sword of the samurai. This genre experienced an explosion in popularity stateside in the 1980s when its historically smooth lines gave way to straighter, more angular blades.
But there are disadvantages. Sharpening takes longer. And when it comes to stabbing, notes Elishewitz (a former U.S. Recon Marine), the tip is often off center. If there isn't enough momentum, the heavy tip can be bogged down when cutting through, say, a leather jacket. As an everyday carry, the tanto wastes valuable real estate where a clip-point or drop-point blade utilizes every inch of the blade. “My personal carry? Very rarely will it be a tanto,” says Elishewitz, an accomplished martial artist. “I want to use 100 percent of that blade.”
That being said, choosing between tanto blades requires weighing all the pros and cons of the profile. We reviewed seven to help you on your way.
OAL: 7.88 inches
Blade Length: 3.5 inches
Blade Material: VG-10 stainless steel
Weight: 3.1 ounces
MSRP: $140
URL: www.sogknives.com
Cons:
OAL: 7.9 inches
Blade Length: 3.5 inches
Blade Material: 4Cr14 stainless steel
Weight: 5.7 ounces
MSRP: $30
URL: kershaw.kaiusaltd.com
After a simple press of the flipper, Kershaw's Lifter decisively springs into position thanks to its assisted-opening mechanism. Kershaw describes this blade with the stonewash finish as a modified tanto, with the concave curve of the main edge and a shallow belly. It's a frame-lock knife with clip to carry the knife deep within the pocket. It's made in China.
Cons:
OAL: 7.94 inches
Blade Length: 3.32 inches
Blade Material: 8Cr13Mov stainless steel
Weight: 3.4 ounces
MSRP: $60
URL: www.crkt.com
At the 2016 Blade Show in Atlanta, the Tighe Tac Two won the Best Buy of the Year Award. Brian Tighe designed the two-knife series, one a clip-point and the other this tanto. Opened with a thumb-stud or flipper, the blade rides on a ball-bearing pivot. Press a button lock and the knife falls closed into the glass-reinforced nylon handle.
Cons:
OAL: 8 inches
Blade Length: 3.3 inches
Blade Material: S35VN stainless steel
Weight: 5 ounces
MSRP: $260
URL: www.emersonknives.com
Cons:
OAL: 8.5 inches
Blade Length: 3.6 inches
Blade Material: 154CM stainless steel
Weight: 3.6 ounces
MSRP: $80
URL: www.gerbergear.com
Gerber said it designed the Edict specifically for military and law enforcement in mind. A push on a thumb-stud opens the 154CM blade away from the rubberized handle. It snaps into place thanks to its lock-back mechanism. The edge, tilted forward from the handle, gleams from the black ceramic-coated blade. The Edict is made in USA.
Cons:
OAL: 9.61 inches
Blade Length: 4.13 inches
Blade Material: S35VN stainless steel
Weight: 6.35 ounces
MSRP: $175
URL: steelwillknives.com
Cons:
OAL: 9.88 inches
Blade Length: 5.13 inches
Blade Material: 440A stainless steel
Weight: 7 ounces
MSRP: $70
URL: www.boker.de/us
With its swept-back blade, the Sierra Delta Tanto features a modern take on a traditional tanto. Its blade is hollow ground and dark, seemingly left that way from the heat-treating process. The handle is made from G-10 and machined into a design that resembles tsukamaki, the Japanese art of handle wrapping. It comes with a Kydex sheath and is made in Taiwan and China.
Cons:
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