The Cold Steel tantos are usually hollow ground and I love mine. The Spyderco PM2 tanto looks promising too (although my first reaction to that knife was honestly, “why?”).
Maybe but its also two different angles. Im not saying its impossible, and there are certainly those that make it sound like an impossible task which it isnt, but they are more complicated to sharpen because of the dual angles, and the need to watch very closely to how close to get to that second tip.
I don't really have a need for stabbing through hard things where the increases in tip strength are worth the grind complexities. They do look cool though, and they do make good scraping edges if that's useful to you. I avoid them, I own none. I did try a knife with one when I was much younger. I found the additional effort in use and sharpening to not be worth it.
@tueller I don't know what knife you are looking at, but perhaps the MFR offers the same knife in a different blade profile? Sharpening doesn't bother me, mostly because I use the main edge like 99% of the time, so that's the only edge needing sharpened. The tip gets used so little that even if I have to sharpen it, it doesn't take much. @Arathol that Benchmade 970 was a phenomenon. It was far better than the Emerson built CQC7. It's one of those I wish I had back. @Bigfattyt you had the unmitigated gall to cast shadow on Ernie's miracle creations? Yeah... frothing, wailing and gnashing of teeth soon follows. Lately I have found that the lowly, inexpensive Cold Steel Kobun is very fun to have around. I think I'll get some more of them. I feel that any knife afficianado should at least get ahold of a couple examples of tanto blades and give them a chance to show the awesome.
I love them so I'll get the potential cons out of the way first: Blade stock tends to maintain thickness all the way to the point. This can also be a pro depending on your needs. They're not good at all when it comes to things like skinning game or slicing your food. Now if you're like me and don't hunt or give two craps about how well your pocket knife cuts food, pretty much every other aspect of them is a pro. I use my knives pretty abundantly every day and tantos are the easily the best work knife I've ever used. I have completely replaced razor utility knives at work with conventional bladed knives and use them like any other tool in my pouch. I've had a couple larger fixed blade tantos for years but they were more for fiddling around with outside. I was always hesitant to adopt one as a pocket knife for actual everyday use precisely because of the things you read about in threads like this. But then I decided make the jump and try one. After a only few weeks I could safely say they became my favorite blade shape. Something I never saw coming. They are like having two wharncliffe blades, each at two different angles and interfering very little with each other. The point is also far more durable than the rather delicate ones you tend to find on wharncliffes but far more useful that what is on a sheepsfoot. I can make great draw cuts in any direction while holding the knife at whatever angle is most convenient because of the two edges and two points. Difficulty sharpening them is another thing people often throw out there but honestly I don't have that much of a problem with them. It's two almost straight edges. I tape off the forward edge at the secondary point (like in the first picture below) then sharpen the main edge on my Sharpmaker then I take the tape off and freehand the forward edge. It takes a little longer but I wouldn't call it hard. So if you don't use your knife in the kitchen or process animals and slice apples with it and use it more strictly for utility, I dare you to try a tanto. You may be very pleasantly surprised.
No cons, only "prose" here - and every thread needs more than one pretty pic in it, and NOT chisel ground:
BEAUTIFUL KNIFE That is a great piece I’m edcing wharnies these days but as a defensive utility its hard to beat an Americanized tanto , Kwaiken etc and I carried a Hartsfield for decades
Speaking mostly of the Cold Steel "Americanized Tanto " and similar , the extended length of the forward edge and prominent secondary point make for many uses but not best for everything . For fighting / SD , this shape blade is ideal for the "snap cut" . Makes a great scraper , chisel , wedge and pry bar for hard use work / survival situations . Not so great for fine point work like splinter removal , fruit paring , etc . You can see my old Carbon V Recon Tanto vs new CPM 3-V Warcraft , the front edge even more exaggerated :
Well, since that unfairly inserted into that statement is a matter of opinion, you are open to disagreement to which I took my option to disagree. There is no myth. As I replied. it just is more work. You said that I was manufacturing the personal side of your butthurt. This statement absolutely shows how personal it is with you. I am wondering why you are getting insulting here if we're just discussing the pros and cons of sharpening tantos.
TRIAL BY COMBAT!!!! We will let the gods decide which of you is right! Seriously tho, folks - YES, a tanto IS more work to sharpen. That is a not prejudice opinion, it is a matter of physics (i didn't make those laws, I don't even enforce 'em, they generally enforce themselves). and - YES, tantos get some unfair stigma. It is a useful blade style that gets lumped in to the "mall ninja" category and over looked for all its positive attributes. You're both right (wonder what the gods would do, if we went with plan 1)
its just more edges to sharpen is all. 4 vs. 2. I dont care for sharpening tantos myself, but I do like them, and more nowadays than in the past.
I like the Cold Steel tantos. They may not be the best choice for everything, but they really excel at what they are good at, and they can still perform the other tasks passably. I had no problem gutting a deer this past fall with my Master Tanto. Generally I prefer some sort of clip point for most tasks in the outdoors, even though I take my tantos to the woods occasionally. But for a dedicated self-protection knife I prefer the tanto.
