tanto vs outdoorsman

Internet search both and select "images" .

They are definitely different . The Cold Steel "American Tanto " is quite distinct and iconic . The Outdoorsman has a more traditional tip as on most regular butcher knives , etc .

I have many of the CS Tanto but not the Outdoorsman , so no side by side from me ! ;)

I believe the main difference is simply the blade shape . :confused:
 
depends on the year of production. blade shape is the main difference. blade length is identical between the two, or approximately so. the outdoorsman has always had stainless fittings from the beginning, even when the tanto had brass ones. the shape of the guard is the same between the two models provided they are of a similar production year. the early tantos and outdoorsmans had more "blocky" guards, the tanto's being brass (except in rare cutlery shoppe versions), and the outdoorsman's being stainless. later versions upgraded to a slimmer, more "ergonomic" guard, and BOTH knives had the exact same guard made of stainless. the pommel between the two knives has always been different. the tanto has the "skull-crusher" slightly pointed pommel with a lanyard hole. it was either stainless or brass, depending on the model year (or whether or not it was a special edition). the outdoorsman has had the same stainless pommel throughout all of time. it doesn't have a lanyard whole, it is flat at the bottom, and it is stainless

throughout production, the knives have been offered in the exact same steels save for a few times

unlike the tanto, the outdoorsman was never available in 3V or AUS-10A. i also believe, but am uncertain, that the san mai outdoorsman was only ever the VG-1 core variety. there was never an AUS-8A core san mai outdoorsman. someone correct me if i am wrong. there also has not yet been an outdoorsman in san mai with a VG-10 core.

early outdoorsman knives don't have the bone breaker "edge" on the spine, while later ones do. if there is any difference in blade length between the older and the newer versions, it is probably similar to the difference in length between the oldest tanto and the new tanto and master tanto. approximately 6 inches is a good way to round them all off and class them

the outdoorsman has always been made in Japan, never anywhere else. and despite a switch to san mai steel later on, it was always called the outdoorsman, unlike the san mai version of the tanto being dubbed "master tanto"
 
The Outdoorsman has been a great field and camp knife....lots of belly and upswept.
...it's far more useful than the tanto and tactically gotta be on par
 
Brad "the butcher" said:
The Outdoorsman has been a great field and camp knife....lots of belly and upswept.
...it's far more useful than the tanto and tactically gotta be on par
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Exactly right about the belly and upswept providing much more utility function than the tanto. Tactically, they should be on par, but the tanto would have two advantages in addition to looking cooler lol. The tip is reinforced by design, which is useful, though the tip of the outdoorsman is in no way weak either. And 2, I’m sure someone could find a use for the tanto pommel like as a more effective glass breaker than the outdoorsman pommel or something. Probably would also be more effective a blunt weapon when compared to the flat outdoorsman pommel, should you use it that way. But other than that, for everyday purposes, the outdoorsman will provide more utility
 
TANTO STYLE

Lynn Thompson himself will talk about the combative advantages to tip strength and the secondary point’s (yokote) use in snap cutting but honestly these benefits are relegated to offensive knife duties
Advantages

  • Great at piercing
  • Stronger tip
  • Unique design & look
Disadvantages

  • Hard to Sharpen
  • Not great slicers
 
nephron said:
TANTO STYLE

Lynn Thompson himself will talk about the combative advantages to tip strength and the secondary point’s (yokote) use in snap cutting but honestly these benefits are relegated to offensive knife duties
Advantages

  • Great at piercing
  • Stronger tip
  • Unique design & look
Disadvantages

  • Hard to Sharpen
  • Not great slicers
Click to expand...

Being as the "best defense is a good offense", once you start defending yourself with a knife, you are on offense until the threat is over. I have no trouble sharpening a tanto. I treat it as two separate edges. I know I changed the quote, but it works both ways.
 
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Mike Sastre said:
Being as the "best defense is a good offense", once you start defending yourself with a knife, you are on offense until the threat is over. I have no trouble sharpening a tanto. I treat it as two separate edges. I know I changed the quote, but it works both ways.
Click to expand...

I think the point was it is harder to sharpen for most people.
I think we are getting hung up on semantics with the offense/defense language. In a military scenario the knife could be used in an offensive manner ie taking out a guard quietly and of course defensively. In my normal day to day it is used defensively(and I will swear that in court)and I hope the other combatant runs off real soon. Offensive/defensive are hard to tell apart sometimes.
 
yoz's friend said:
it seems like the outdoorsman is more like a fighting knife than an outdoor knife.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily . Just depends on what you want to use the knife for . :)

The Trail Master or the shorter Recon Scout are more useful for chopping at wood , etc . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
yoz's friend said:
it seems like the outdoorsman is more like a fighting knife than an outdoor knife.
Click to expand...

i second the above. just depends on what you use it for. true, it has nearly all the potential of a fighting knife that the tanto does, but if you choose to use it for utility purposes like bushcraft or something, it has more potential than the tanto in that respect.
 
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