Americans wanted a share of the Japanese-style blades, so they went after the tanto.
Both the Japanese and American tanto blades have been here for a while now, and they have fans of their own across different knife use cases.
Since they are supposed to be the same blade type, what makes them unique and special from one another?
Read on to find out more about both tanto blades in this piece.
Table of Contents
5 Differences Between the American And Japanese Tanto Blades
The American tanto blades are also the modern or western tanto, whereas the Japanese have famously retained their name.
But the name isn’t the only place where they differ.
After spending some time with both blades, I observed these significant differences.
#1 American Tantos Are Shorter
The Japanese tanto was made for swords. Even though most of these were short swords, they were still swords.
That isn’t the same with the modern tanto, primarily used on pocket knives and fixed tactical blades.
I believe the shift in focus is due to American and western knife laws, which won’t allow a random person to strut around with a sword. So that we don’t lose this blade design totally, bringing it to modern pocket and fixed blade knives felt like the right thing to do.
Thus, American tanto blades are usually shorter when compared to older tanto knives.
#2 Japanese Tantos Have Weaker Tip Strength
I don’t blame them since American tantos have the luxury of newer manufacturing practices to refine the blade before.
Japanese tantos are known for their weaker tips due to the shape of the blade. While they are still good for slashing and stabbing, they weren’t the most effective tools for these tasks.
American tantos found that flaw and capitalized on it to make something better.
I also think length plays into the equation here.
Since American tanto blades are much shorter than the mini swords of the Japanese, the knife can pack more mass in that more petite frame. This works out into a more robust tip overall than the longer Japanese tanto.
#3 Overall Design Is Different
The modern tanto blades retain the original Japanese tanto design elements, but there are some differences in the overall design delivery.
You’ll quickly notice the curves on the Japanese tanto, which makes them better for slicing motions. The curves also make getting a big slice done at once.
American tantos favor a straight-edged blade design with no belly instead. That gives it extra reinforcement for cutting and stabbing, making it less effective for slicing.
Note that this isn’t to say the Japanese tanto cannot cut or stab. It’s also not to say the American tanto won’t handle slicing.
All I’m saying is that their designs make them optimized for different tasks.
#4 American Tantos Are Heavier
More quality steel is being used to make knives these days, so I don’t rule out that this adds more weight to the modern tantos.
Steel is also in more significant production than in the past, and you can source more from the USA now than you could from Japan back then.
Those making Japanese tantos have kept to that lightweight style, which I still see on other Japanese knives today.
If weight matters to you, American tantos might not be the way to go. The best part is that the weight issue might be negligible anyway, but it’s worth mentioning.
#5 Sharpening Is Easier with American Tantos
Most American tanto blades prefer the straight edge over the curved tip. Although they also use a block-style tip, the curve isn’t there.
That makes them easier to sharpen on a whetstone than the Japanese tanto blades.
I think this is because of the shift in how we now sharpen knives.
It would be best to sharpen your American tanto on a whetstone, but I doubt the Japanese samurai had access to such a tool many years ago. So, they would sharpen their blades with a stone instead.
They could also choose from other alternative forms of blade sharpening available to them at the time.
If you want something you can sharpen almost as quickly as your other knives, a Japanese tanto might not be the way to go.
Should You Get a Japanese Or American Tanto Knife?
First off, do you want a tanto knife?
Some people swear by them and how good they are for EDC, but I don’t believe that. You can get better everyday carry (EDC) knives that will do you much better than an American tanto.
I also don’t think you can carry a Japanese tanto and not raise a few eyebrows. You might just be calling for law enforcement to harass you or worse.
You can go for the modern tanto pocket knives if you’re not into heavy use of these blades. Their different design makes them stand out, so they’re surely a stunner. You’d like these knives if you’re into such things.
Overall, they aren’t bad blades. You just have to be sure that it’ll do what you ask of it.
