Buying guide for the Japanese Tanto And Other FAQs

Sponsored content

Japanese swords have been a topic of much discussion, and really, reverence and fascination, throughout the decades since they first appeared in recordings of history. One of the types of swords that seems to captivate sword enthusiasts is the Tanto blade.

Before going into our buying guide for Tanto swords, here’s a bit of an overview of the Tanto’s history, along with other FAQs about its origins.

History Of The Tanto Blade

The Tanto blade made its entrance into Japanese history somewhere between the 794 to the 1180s. Known as the Heian Period, this was a time when powerful families were at war with each other over influence, position, and power.

To protect themselves and their possessions from enemy clans, said families hired samurai warriors as their guards. Though samurai swords had been proving their might as a weapon unlike any other, the warriors themselves felt the need for a different kind of blade.

Samurai blades were long and lean, and were wielded with great power, and yet, had a refinement about it. It was destructive as it was elegant.

And it’s this Sword that’s immediately and easily associated with the Samurai, being that it represents the warrior’s soul.

In contrast to this, the Samurai, with their desire to continue to elevate their fighting skills, thought that a shorter blade may prove more effective for strikes that are quick as they are lethal. Thus, the idea of the Tanto came into being.

It was for this reason that the Tanto’s overall form is that way that it is even today. This knife became an extremely powerful weapon in close combat and small spaces. As a result, the Samurai were seen brandishing two common weapons (unless the scale of the battle requires them to utilize more)— the Katana and the Tanto.

By the end of the Heian period, the Tanto’s design and craftsmanship saw its fruition when swordsmiths strengthened the blade whilst allowing it to still have lithe. Moreover, they began incorporating designs on its hilt, or the Tuska.

More than bringing a pristine aesthetic to the otherwise deadly blade, these designs were meant to emulate the personality and fighting style of the owner of said blade. At the same time, the swordsmiths had to be careful in not letting these designs be a hindrance to the movements of the Samurai.

By the end of the Heian period, and even more so during the Edo Period’s close, the use of the tanto had faded into legend.

Yet it was written into history as a spectacle of Japanese’s craftsmanship, tactical abilities, and strength.

Parts Of The Tanto Blade: Buying Guide For The Tanto Knife

One thing you can be sure of when it comes to following a buying a guide for this blade is that the blade itself is what needs your focus. Its parts, form, and design will serve as your guide in revealing whether a Tanto blade is authentic or is a bogus imitation of it.

High Point

The highest point of the Tanto is sharp, though in appearance and build, is quite thick. Its flat grind is meant to pierce through think objects with precision without letting the knife-holding need too much force to accomplish so. Look for that flat grind and you’ll be one step closer to authenticating the blade.