I notice a lot of people don't seem to like tantos because they're not that great for slicing food or skinning but outside of a kitchen knife I really don't use my knives for any of that kind of thing unless I'm in a real pinch, then the tanto still gets the job done. My knives get used mostly for work and utility and as an electrician and HVAC tech, I find the tanto excels at those tasks.
And there you have it. Many here don't think of knives as tools. Some think of them of art objects, some toys, some fidgety gizmos, some like them just because they like them. ALL FAIR! Although I only purchase the tool end of the knife world, I do indeed admire a great piece craftsmanship and design.
Like you, my tantos are relegated to work status. I use them constantly, my end being more carpentry and fine woodworking oriented, from sharpening my pencils to get a hair thickness trim mark to changing a mortise on a hinge. They scrape, cut, chisel and adjust things. Sometimes things I don't want to cut, but when real utility knife with a disposable blade isn't at hand and duty calls...
I have NO IDEA why someone would think a tanto would be good in the kitchen. I cook constantly, all fresh prep, and have just a few favorite knives. I run the diamond rod (1200 gr) over any knife I use before I use it, every time. Yes, every time. It is sharp enough to me for one meal session, then washed, stored, ready for service again. When I am showing off I like to get about 10 slices out of a grape tomato and slice cucumbers thin enough to see light through. No tantos in the kitchen.
Skinning an animal, breaking it down, or even home butchering? A tanto? Buy the right tool for the job. Reading that folks find the tanto style difficult to use when cutting up or dressing out game... wow...
I wouldn't use a pen knife to trim a bad cut on a 2X4, cut up a head of cabbage, or break down the packing boxes that hold equipment. I wouldn't use a tanto to cut up onions, tomatoes or to chiffonade the cooking herbs I grow.
I am not one of the "if you were in the apocalypse and you only had one knife" guys. I buy the correct knife for the job and use it as intended and all seems to work well with little or no disappointment.
Robert
