It can be easy to rock the blade and round off the tip edge which detracts from the style and design of this blade type. To sharpen the tip portion, make sure to keep constant contact with your sharpening stone all the way from corner to tip. Although, as mentioned, some people prefer this edge at a more obtuse angle so keep this in mind when determining your sharpening style. After the main flat edge is sharpened then you can sharpen the tip edge portion. Keeping the blade at the proper angle and perpendicular to the sharpening stone is critical to keeping your edge straight. Also, be sure to stop your stroke as the tip nears the end of the stone to ensure you don't rock the blade and round over the tip. The best way to do this is to sharpen the main long edge first. The main thing to keep in mind when sharpening a tanto blade is to not remove too much material at the tip and change the angle where the two edges meet. In this post about how to sharpen a Tanto blade we go into detail about exactly how to achieve and maintain a razor edge on your Tanto blade. But, as with any knife, good technique and a little bit of practice can achieve a razor edge and keep your knife functioning its best. Many times the aggressive shape and style of these blades is enough to deter inexperienced blade owners from trying to sharpen them. Sharpening a tanto blade can be a tricky endeavor for newer knife owners. Especially among less experienced knife owners and those without a lot of experience sharpening different styles of blades. This two edge design also leads to some issues when sharpening. For tasks such as field dressing large game we may recommend a drop point blade while for dressing small game we may choose a clip point blade. Jobs such as gutting and skinning game, carving wood or other materials, and slicing food can usually be performed more easily with curved blades blades that are designed specifically for these tasks. Not to say it can't be done, but many other blade styles can be more effective in these uses. The usual lack of belly makes it difficult to use a tanto blade for many traditional knife tasks. However, the most common modern day tanto designs have a fairly straight main edge design with the sharply angled triangular tip shape. This is not to say that all tanto knives have a perfectly straight main edge. I have also used a tanto blade style to clean out the edges of a mortise on a door hinge and it worked quite well for this task in a pinch.Īs mentioned earlier, one of the main drawbacks of a tanto blade style is its usual lack of belly or up-sweep on the main cutting edge. The chisel tip style can also be used as a scraper or chisel for things such as scraping stickers or labels off of products. These blades also excel at poking holes in harder materials. This can transfer to the modern tasks of things such as breaking down boxes. Their is no doubt that the blade design lends itself well to poking and puncturing duties. But the overall function of the blade still needs to have a strong purpose. These traditional combat applications don't really carry forward to the modern day so many people may wonder why the Tanto style is so popular? The overall style and look of the blade is definitely one of the factors that leads to its popularity. They were designed to be usable in smaller areas and for puncturing armor as needed. The traditional Tanto blade purpose was for close quarters combat and as a hold out weapon. You can read more about it in this post here about Spey Blade Uses. This hardening process also gave the blade a harder edge while still allowing for a bit of a softer spine and more overall strength to the blade.Ī different blade with western origins and completely different purpose but also has an angled tip is the Spey blade. This hardening process produced a Hamon that gives many Japanese blade edges their characteristic look. Most tanto blades were traditionally differentially hardened. Tanto knives were sometimes carried as a secondary blade to a Katana or longer sword and were often used for thrusting and puncturing duties. Some had detailed grooves running the length of the blade. Some were double sided, Some had more curved or less curved blades. Within the main traditional Tanto blade style were different subsets of designs that each had their own specific details and styles. Instead, they had a slight trailing edge with a classic point. They did not have the sharply angled edges on the tip that a modern Tanto blade has. The Traditional Japanese Tanto was fairly simple with blade lengths usually being between 10 and 12 inches long. Traditional Tanto blade design comes from Japanese inspiration.
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