I had a political science professor who was demonstrating "reason vs perception" to illustrate how so many stupid laws are generated by fear and perception. He told the class, "I am going to cut this apple with one of two knives that are in my pocket. After my demonstration by a show of hands I'm going to ask you which one is the more dangerous one. He takes the first one out of his pocket, slowly removed it and places two hands on the knife and opens the knife with two hands slowly until it locks. He then slices a piece of the apple. Cleans the knife with a napkin closes the knife with two hands and puts it back in his pocket. He then says "knife number 2" and he whips the knife out of his pocket flicks it open immediately, slices the apple, wipes the blade on his pant closes the knife and it drops shut. Overwhelmingly the class says the second knife was the most dangerous and many students said they are pretty sure it's illegal. Both knives were Spyderco Tenacious's. One was a standard satin finish the other the black coating. He then demonstrated that they are exactly the same knives with exactly the same features but the first one was not perceived as threatening at all because the process appeared to be slow and safe and the other was faster and "deadlier" 😂😂😂.
Thats how it starts. And then you'll start adding an extra knife to your order so you can cash out a $50 gift card on your next order...pretty soon you'll find yourself trembling on Thursday mornings waiting for the New Knives video to drop...
@@mikehalfmoonmullins404 I can't believe how much knowledge about knives has changed. I used to just buy knives that I thought looked good. Now I have to know the blade steel and handle materials and everything else before I purchase one
@@arrowheadguys7637 don't forget the lock up , flipper style and we don't have to spend 500 bucks on 1 knife when you can buy 8 - 10 really great budget knives 🤣
@@mikehalfmoonmullins404 in about a year you'll be saying "I'd rather have 8-10 $500 knives than 100 budget knives" lol. Its the natural progression. Once you step up to your first really nice knife there's no going back
I live in El Salvador, home of the condor knives and imacasa machetes... I asked a lawyer the same question, so here the law is: as long as the blade is "covered" and not perceived as a threat, you are good, so you can see farmers, gardeners, etc... sometimes walking around with a 20 inch machete wrapped in a newspaper so they abide the law 😅
In Texas where I live in the states my free state decriminalized all knives. I could carry a Katana if I choose, I carry a double edged OTF and a smaller drop point automatic knife. You don’t see very many people carrying fixed blades but if you do it is not a big deal.
@@Chainsaw2373 Be careful, you can still get in trouble for a classic switchblade since that's banned nationally by the federal government, but pretty much everything else goes as far as I know in Texas.
That’s funny, in Jamaica you see people carrying machetes everywhere, even in the city. You’ll see vendors using huge machetes to cut pineapples or sugar cane, to chop meat.. etc. if you’re scared of knives, never go to Jamaica because there’s someone swinging a machete every few meters. Hahaha
Even in countries where it's illegal to carry knives, you can walk around with a full roll of chef knives as long as you're wearing the right clothes. "These are not weapons, they are the tools of my profession."
@@the_inquisitive_inquisitor well, nice thing around here is, you don't have to justify anything, as long as you don't represent a threat to another person
I found a well-used cheap-assed "zombie killer" tanto bladed knife at the local skate park. I used it to scrape gum off the floors during my janitorial job at a small medical facility. At least I did until my supervisor forbade me to use it. It was too scary for her taste.
This. I use the chisel end of my CQC-6 to scrape scotch tape off counter surfaces where I work. (I’m sure there Seals shaking their heads ruefully at this admission)
I use the tip frequently to cut things by pressing the leading edge into the item I want cut, particularly if the thing being cut cannot be lifted off the horizontal surface far enough for the long edge to be used.
The purpose of the tanto and indeed the shape of the tips of Katanas is tip cutting at maximum range. That is what they were meant for. It's that simple. Tip cuts can do serious cutting because the tip of the blade is always the fastest moving part. The shape of the tip aids in the slicing action. It also keeps you the furthest away from a threat and is more likely to penetrate common heavy clothing. You don't need a tanto style blade to do this but it certainly aides the technique.
Tanto is great for construction (front edge needs to be straight, not Japanese style). Works as an angled chisel or angled razor, great for paint prep, removing plaster, paint drips, cleaning corners, delicate wood work.
I have never heard someone say they use their american tanto blade for "delicate woodwork", damn ist must look shit after you mangled it with the tip of a tanto. But that's just me trying to imagine.
@ahh thats just grand Just acting like I don't know what an american tanto looks like doesn't help. A Tanto was originally a combat knife, and the blade shape still is that of a combat knife. A -regular- Japanese tanto shape won't be any better at "delicate woodwork" than an american tanto shape by the way. But hey, you are not the comment opener, so wtf is this? No offense.
@ahh thats just grand You should read up on it, instead of trying to indoctrinate false information upon me. And I will not discuss anything with strangers like that, because it is useless back and forth of trying to convince the other person. Just read up on it and stop messaging me again, thank you very much in advance. Just because you have an opinion, doesn't make your opinion fact. Or maybe you are just wording what you mean very badly, but probably it's not the latter.
@ahhthatsjustgrand6502 "thats because an American tanto isn't a tanto, because its not part of a set of swords that are part of a cultural art." You need to stop talking like you know anything when you clearly don't. The "American/Western Tanto" blade profile was used in Japan. Look up the "Kiriha Zukuri" blade shape. It is, exactly and literally, what is called an "American tanto" today. A chisel is a chisel, a knife is not a chisel. A "chisel grind" is a knife with only one bevel. You can stop. Nope, no. Just stop. I know you don't want to stop, but stop. You have to stop.
Tantos are perfect for EDC. 99% of the time you just cut boxes and envelopes. Straight edges make that easier and more precise. The corner is perfect for cutting tape on boxes without plunging too deep. If you want to get more crafty, it can be used as a chisel. The straight front edge if well sharpened is great for skiving leather. The list just goes on.
The secondary point, transition between angles, is viciously effective for whip-like, slap cuts. Used in this fashion it is almost like a more beak shaped knife, piercing as well as slicing.
Makes me happy each time you mention the Rambler. Victorinox likes to keep that model a secret and I worry it may get discontinued. That Philips is the size I use the most. Plus you can make a compass out of it if your plane crashes in the wilderness of Alaska, which the characters in the movie The Edge could've used.
FAQ #118 and still going strong!! Love these vids. I've been into knives 30+ years and still enjoy and learn stuff from the guru DCA. I also really enjoy the comments these vids create - great sources of information and discussion. Sharp blades all.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I will say it anyway, he called the corkscrew a screwdriver. Surprised that wasn't noted in the editing but I'm just being a nitpick. Great video DCA, Tom and crew.
I find that blade shape is extremely useful for opening boxes without accidentally stabbing the contents. Hold the knife parallel to the top of the box, just tilting your wrist down enough to puncture the tape with the obtuse point, then draw the knife toward you. Much more stable and pretty much impossible to cut any deeper than you intend.
Thanks, as always, Mr. Andersen and Thomas. On the Tanto for Survival, thing - I've long agreed with the notion that a 12-14" machete is a fantastic survivial knife. And although I've never been an American Tanto fan, I recently got ahold of a Cold Steel Tanto Machete and have been blown away by its utility and versatility in the outdoors.
The "perception" criteria for legal knives is actually very important. There are areas whose laws make a distinction between "unmodified tool knives", "pocket knives", or "weapon knives", sometimes with a size restriction. These definitions are intentionally vague, so that a cop who's searching you can determine if you're trying to carry a weapon or just cardboard cutter. That's good for stopping obvious criminals from getting away with technicalities, however it's terrible if you're innocent and just happened to get on his bad side while he's making the decision. So having a knife that LOOKS like it is designed to NOT be a weapon can be a big help. Sometimes they have explicit carveouts to ignore a knife blade that is part of a larger toolset or gadget, which is a classic example for permitting a SAK or Leatherman.
I always carry a Rambler with a small Olight attached to it and have for many years. Anytime I need to cut something when people are around, it's my primary choice. The flashlight gives it a full grip.
I fell in love with tanto blades when opening boxes. The secondary point on the blade itself makes it so you don't go too deep and risk puncturing the package. It's better than a boxcutter in my opinion. At one of my old jobs as a forklift driver, I found it also worked exceptionally well to cut plastic wrap off of boxes. Just pull the plastic wrap a bit off the pallet with one hand, and cut straight down with the secondary tip on the blade of the tanto.
That's what I was thinking about tanto blade cutting very good on boxes since I work at a retail store and most of the time I have to cut big thick bags whenever I have to get rid of bottle cans, plastic bottle, or glass bottles.
Regardless of blade style I always just put my finger on the spine as a sort of depth limiter when opening boxes. Just leave like 1/8" of spine and hold the knife vertically.
I use my spyderco persistence a lot it used to be the lowest priced spyderco it is a smaller tenancious. It is for places that dont allow 3" blades in L.A county some warehouses only allow 2.5" and under blade size.
Serious note - love your channel, love DCA. Please invest more into post-recording compression for the recorded mic tracks. Would make the speeches/voice more present and consistent without any fluctuation of volume, right now it's all over the place. Take care.
Western tanto is really nice for a controlled pierce that can turn into a slice I've noticed. Speared points usually just end up going deeper quicker in a uncontrollable fashion and prone to chipping
My edc pocket knife is an old Kershaw Tanto Style Blur that was one of those "special" higher-end models they come out with occasionally that are made with an upgraded steel variant. This one was made with BDZ1 tool steel. (I really wish more knives were made with this stuff. It is now one of my all-time favorite steels for knives. It's tough as nails and takes and keeps an amazing edge.) At first, I wasn't particularly fond of the blade shape since I generally like more nimble spear-point blades, but it has since really grown on me over the years. I sometimes miss having a long thin nimble point to work with, but I have found I more often run into jobs that my old go-to speartip would never have been able to do rather than the other way around. That front portion of the tanto blade works well as a chisel and even better as a scraper. I do a lot of gardening so it's also nice having a knife that can punch through heavy plastic gardening containers without having to be worried about damaging the tip. The one use I'm surprised wasn't mentioned in this video that I find unique to tantos is using that point where the two cutting edges meet the sort of way you can use an exacto knife. For instance, I can't even count how many times I've ended up having to cut a coupon out of the page it came on while in a drive-through or store parking lot. It's a real pain to do that with a speartip, whereas with a good sharp tanto blade you just lay the paper down on any sort of flat cutting surface like a piece of cardboard or plastic packaging, the side of a tissue box, a cd cover, etc. and you lightly trace along the dotted line with that secondary point at a shallow angle and it just glides through the paper very cleanly with almost no effort. It makes beautifully straight and clean cuts when used as improvised scissors this way.
The woodworking SKEW Chisel is used for cutting dovetail drawer joints, square end grain joints, and can also be done with a tanto knife. But the 2 mechanical design details for a good SKEW Chisel are an angled flat straight edge end blade and a flat but end for repeated mallot hammering on the handle.
I have your SAK Black alox Bantam. Knife center exclusive. I use it daily. I also enjoy the Victorinox SAK Tinker with art design type handle scales, different color toothpick & tweezer. I added a SAK lanyard & a small leather sheath. Very handy.
DCA, thanks for your expertise and teasing us with sharp temptations. I have become a Big fan of the parang particularly the Duku Chandong style. I'm fortunate to have a couple of acres of woodland where I can play and camp. I always carry a My Parang Duku Chandong with a little Mora 511 or Eldris attached. This is my goto survival combo. The parangs convex edge chops and splits and still stays razor sharp. The little Mora can take care of the small stuff. Like to see you and Seth do your fav. survival combos.
Interestingly the Cold Steel Tanto tip shape actually existed in Japanese swords during the period when they moved away from chinese swords but before the curved Katana was invented. This inbetween sword looked like a straight Katana but with the angled tip identical to what people believe Cold Steel invented and use today.
Nope, but I find it interesting that this type blade shape actually existed in ancient Japanese swords pre-dating the curved Katana type swords. Nothing to do with mall ninja crap.
Actually, that sword with the straight blade and chisel tip was called a chokuto. It was there around the 6th century and it preceded the tachi and katana. The ninjato is a Hollywood creation, but chokuto type blades were used by ninja in walking sticks and umbrellas, where stealth and discretion were needed.
The Gerber Obsidian is cool, it has a bottle opener and a screwdriver head. Also the Benchmade Bost 591 is made as a prybar knife for mechanics. So I carry both because one is a tool to open bottles and the other is a prybar for those tasks.
I had a cheap tanto point DeWalt pocket knife that was awesome for the price. I think it was $17. And I got it because I paint a lot and you're right, that little flat spot is great for scraping stuff. But it would be perfect for defense too because the point was just right in my opinion. I'm seriously thinking about ordering another one because I carried it everywhere including my construction job for over a year, no problem. But I forgot it in Central America on vacation so I need a new one. I got another regular blade shape to replace it and I want my tanto point back.
Tanto and bowie knives are my favorite edc belt knives. Where I live it’s legal to open carry any size fixed blade, so i choose depending on what I may be doing for the day. My self defense knife is a Smith and Weason Tanto. Not a bad knife. All of my knives are high carbon steel too.
17:25 - It's probably possible to add an Emerson Wave-style pocket-opener to the Cormorant. It may involve some modification to fit the add-on part to the blade, but it seems possible to install one of the aftermarket Wave openers that're made to attach to the Round Opening Hole™ of Spyderco blades. Of course, a zip-tie, cinched down hard around the spine-side edge of the hole, often works as a serviceable pocket-deploy option, too. As long as the hook is far enough from the blade pivot to only start opening the knife after you've pulled the tip of the blade past the fabric of your pocket, an add-on Wave opener should work.
I put a CRKT Minimalist Bowie on a carabiner with a swivel and it's nice to have it clipped on my shorts, on the inside for incognito but mostly outside pants for quick draw. It's like a 2½ blade, black sheath. Neck knife but you can customize it with a double loop swivel and a carabiner. Clippy clippy.
Love my rambler from victorinox 👍👍 never has anyone freak out when cutting a box or trimming a tag etc.. handy for its size, small light and great mix of tools! Just used the toothpick while watching this video 😂
Hey, DCA! Not a question, but an idea for a topic of discussion. I was thinking about knives the other day (surprise, surprise), and I realized that there is a hierarchy of classifications for outdoor knives. I’ve never seen anyone discuss it this way, but I know that you’d give an excellent treatment of the subject. Outdoor knives could be ranked/categorized by how robust they need to be in order to accomplish their typical tasks: Hiking Knives- Lightweight folders or fixed blades, designed specifically to not weigh you down. They are strong enough to handle light wood carving, or to cut up grassy materials or vines that block your path, plus basic utility like cutting strips of first aid bandaging. Since hiking often begins and ends with a car ride to and from the wilderness, it doesn’t necessarily have to be life-or-death kind of heavy duty. Camp Knives- Since camping is also fairly controlled, camp knives are robust enough for chopping and carving wood, whittling, food prep, plus other typical campsite chores. Bushcraft Knives- Since bushcrafting is all about creating (crafting) your own shelter, fireplaces, traps for food, etc. from the local vegetation around you (bush), these kinds of knives need to be VERY robust. Knife failure under these conditions could potentially be life-threatening, since bushcrafting takes place in a less controlled environment. Folders are strongly recommended against here. Survival Knives- These knives hold the highest standards of robustness. “Survival” could be thought of as “unplanned bushcrafting.” As in, this is the most life-or-death situation. Your bushcrafting skills are the only thing keeping you alive, because you are lost in the wilderness for one reason or another, and separated from society entirely. This could include military operations, in which case your knife needs to serve both as a bushcrafting tool and as a weapon. Hunting Knives- These could be classified as a cousin of Camp Knives. They are designed specifically to cleanly slice through the soft material of animal tissue, so you wouldn’t expect it to be able to carve or split wood. What are your thoughts?
That's one of the things I love about AL. I can conceal carry a. 50 if I want with a machete or long sword on my belt all legal with no need for even a gun permit.
Here's an idea for a segment: old-time knife users' reactions to more modern folders. I've got an example. My grandfather, who was born in Louisiana in the 1930s, usually carried a traditional clip-point plus pen-knife folder. Several years ago, I was proud of a recently acquired Boker Plus Penguin (VG-10, compact, framelock, titanium scales). He took a look, handed it back, and said: "It's amazing what you can get for a dollar."
Who was doing Western Tanto knives before Cold Steel? The very first I ever saw were Cold Steel's fixed blade tantos in Soldier of Fortune back in the 1970's. I'd love to see earlier examples than those.
Day two of my metallurgy question! DCA and Thomas sirs, steel question for you: I got a base model Para3 lightweight from you guys that I love, I'm thinking about giving it to my dad and upgrading myself to one of the fancier versions, but I'm lost in the alphabet soup of CTS-BD1N vs CPM-SPY27 vs S45VN vs S110V vs Maxamet, can you please help shed some light on the pro cons (instead of me assuming the more expensive one must be better :D) or even an overall breakdown of commonish steels might be nice! Thanks and always looking forward to your videos, they are both informative and very soothing / calming to listen to!
First two are more of an entry level steel, S45VN is a mid-tier steel, and the last two are ultra-high edge retention steels that are going to be difficult to sharpen without the right stones and experience. Personally I would recommend the S45VN as a good all around steel out of those options. Cruwear is my favorite for performance vs. maintainability, not sure if they have a PM3 in it, I know there's a Cruwear PM2.
The BD1N and Spy27 steels are only available with the lightweight plastic handle and wire pocket clip. The other steels usually come with G10 handles and standard clip. For regular EDC use, the S45VN and Spy27 are probably going to be the best since they both have good corrosion resistance, pretty decent edge retention, and are both pretty responsive to stropping. S110V has great corrosion resistance and very good edge retention but is maligned for its lack of toughness and can be difficult to sharpen for beginners. Maxamet is at the very top tier for edge retention but it also has a reputation for being a bear to sharpen and it is actually not a stainless steel. If you like the lightweight plastic handle, the Spy27 model is a nice step up from the base model. It comes in a cool blue color and Spy27 is a particle steel. In my experience, particle steels can usually take a really keen edge.
He forgot to mention what I'd consider one of the most useful aspects of a tanto when it comes to an EDC blade and that's the false tip, they're perfect for someone who opens boxes and packages frequently as you can use the false tip at a very shallow angle.
It depends on what you've been cutting. Usually denatured or isopropyl alcohol will clean tape residue just fune. Other times you need something more powerful like acetone or Goo Gone. I don't have a single cleaner I use because it always depends on the situation.
There are many options. It depends on what you are trying to remove from your blade. I have used Goo Gone, isopropanol, Ballistol, Zippo fluid, nail polish remover and even hand sanitizer.
I was going to mention the difference between actual Tanto style blades and the American interpretation of Tanto styled blades, but this channel has already got it covered, nice.
They may not be best quality but because of their low price I have a few of them around the place so they can be grabbed and used when needed. Can deal with most routine little jobs that pop up. Have a great day.
Now show me an Italian knife with a good consistent heat treat. 😂 DCA for your front flipper issue, one of my favorite knife-tubers, Beez Blades, has a great take. Don't 'flip' the front flipper. Roll it. Roll it with the top of the handles shape. You can roll it fast or slow depending on the knife and situation. Just roll it. Btw that MSQotD, chef's kiss!
I was not at all partial to tanto blades, but all the edc knives I have w/ a glass-breaker (my desired feature) happen to be tantos; so I have come to appreciate the functionality for daily tasks. With regard to blade restrictions, MA Lowe's / Home depots sell Gerber, Dewalt, Milwaukee pocket knives every day, that are about (just over?) 3". If your behavior is otherwise 'appropriate' I can't see getting into real legal trouble w something so ubiquitous. That said, The Knife Center's knives are obviously so much cooler!
As far as I know every type of knife you can imagine is legal here in the free state of Indiana. That being said I still always carry some kind of slipjoint (usually a Victorinox) for situations where my primary might make folks uncomfortable, seems to have served me well thus far!
Hey, you did a video of my favorite edc blade! I use my shootout as my daily carry bc of its second edge on the front. It’s super slicey, and I use the edge at the tip for scraping as well as precision cuts. And the second point below is used for a bunch of things. Thanks for the video.
I use a buck intrepid tanto for my camp knife. It's thick blade and size is perfect for camp needs. I baton with it, carve bushcraft items as needed. It has served well for smaller chores where my jungless isn't needed.
Cold steel proved to me the merits of tantos.i bought my first recon tanto and i was sold on tantos.if the leading edge is sharp you can defend yourself with it.ive never heard about a western style tantos point breaking.having them professionally sharpened helps quite a bit.
Your right,that perceived word is tricky.where i live in Pennsylvania if a single edge knife isn't longer than your palm is wide the policeman will generally consider it a leagal carry unless its concealed.
I took tanto-no-jistu as part of my training for 7 years, which was fun, but lemme say that as a survival knife it really outperformed my traditional survival knife in outdoor uses. The technique is slightly different, but the flatter blade is much, much better for skinning and tanning and the second point for gutting fish, or dealing with wood in any form. I have a more modern style from cold steel, that replaced all my various survival knifes. Also, the shape of the blade stands up to far, far more abuse and is a dream to sharpen. So if you're outdoorsy, I'd highly recommend them. Just buy quality.
I have a lot more dexterity using the secondary tip than most other knife styles. I have a cold steel oyabun I've used for Bush craft and everyday handyman tasks. It's almost always on my hip. Even skinning and dressing animals. I prefer it over about anything else I've used.
Tanto advantage for bushcrafting: you can build shelters that require creating a square hole to hold a pole with a squared point. Less cord lashing required. You don't want to go drilling too many holes in wood with a pointed knife: you risk the point. A tanto tip I can use like a chisel.
Tantos advantage bushcrafting is two strait edges most of the time are easy to field sharpen and the tend to have stronger tips. A good American Tanto folder with a solid fixed blade and you’re set. I’d do a Leatherman too haha.
Used to use my cold steel kobun as my utility knife. Was a good combination of utility and expendability. Could also use it to poke a pilot hole in aluminum ductwork for the holesaw or shears. Cons did have it confinscated once and had to point out to a judge that its blade length was under 6 inches and thus didn't constitute a concealed weapon especially since was buried in the bottom of my bag with fishing tackle and various tools of frequent use (+ a couple extra 10mm sockets 👍) was obnoxious to say the least.
I've come to feel naked without my Kizer Yorkie riding in my right hand pants pocket. Regardless of anything else I might be carrying, my Yorkie is always there. Super handy, sub 3", sharp M390, love it!
Hey dca I have a cold steel tuff lite that I love for edc at my job the warncliffe blade and size is perfect only problem is I have to sharpen the aus 8 steel alot what r some alternatives? Similar size and shape just a better steel.
Dca! You seem like exactly the type of fella to ask this question to! So here goes. - I am into bushcraft and survival, personally my current set up I’m experimenting with is a bow saw and a large belt knife for processing wood, im using the cold steel srk and like the length and ability to batton wood over 5 inches, but im looking for something a bit more premium in either a kephart or a drop point as the only part I dont like about my srk is the clip point.
It's important to note there are numerous kinds of tanto styles in Japan. The American tanto isn't really American. It stems from the Japanese Shinogi style tanto which Lynn Thompson basically took credit for when Cold Steel adopted it.
I have carried my Cold Steel Voyager Tanto for many years. I first got mines at Ft. Lewis PX in 2002, I have used it for many things from cleaning weapons, cutting open MREs, ropes, strings, and cutting steaks. During combat in Iraq from 2006-08 I have used it to cut through mattress, canvas, pry doors, and cut clothing to search enemy combatants a.k.a. Insurgents. I still carry mines today as an EDC Every Day Carry item as a civilian. To me it's the perfect knife.
I had a pocket knife that wasn't a "Tanto" but was a very similar chisel tip. Thing was very easy to sharpen and was strong enough to abuse. Was a great knife, should buy another.
That tip design, was meant to punch through body armor, and was popularized by Cold Steel. I think I was in high school when Cold Steel came out with the Magnum Tanto series, back in the late 70's, early 80's. I have the Cold Steel Recon Tanto, and a Hannwie traditional tactical tanto, with the traditional point.
Body armor? You don’t mean like bullet proof plates? Like level IIIA or level 4? Because I can promise you you aren’t going to penetrate those with any knife.
@@chrisjosekuehl ninjas in the past was able to kill samurai covered in steel armor plating. No armor will guarantee 100% protection. Even Ironman got his as beat by Captain America
I switched to the "tanto" tip working as a bartender. I got tired of busting the tips of my EDCs popping open the various large cans of juices, olives and whatnot on slammed nights when you can't find the damn opener. After I switched, never broke another tip.
I prefer Cold Steel Tanto vs Clip Point simply because the blade isn’t as tall and thus it saves about .5 ounce in weight and also saves 6:49 some width in the pocket.
Yes, I was very sad when Leatherman had that short run ((which I think was just NOS)) of the Juice for so cheap and missed it. On a plus note however, I've nearly got my Custom Victorinox Cadet X Electrician with original 84mm scissors finished. Just working on some brass liners and then I'll adjust the length of the pivot barrels to secure it properly.
For the "most deployments" knife, also take a look to the vosteed thunderbird! Same designer as the cormorant, has all same opening methods and adds fullers on both sides. Adding also an aftermarket thumb stud would sadly make it illegal since it would be possible to open it faster than sound speed, kicking off your opponent even before getting near him with the blade
The Swiss Army knives from the Wenger factory also have sub-2.5 inch blades, and some of those have scissors. My area of Cleveland, Akron, and the suburbs all have 2.5 inch limits. So annoying. Same with Chicago. I find it hard to believe they'd actually charge someone with a standard Swiss Army knife, but I guess they might if they're really out to get you.
I see (and use) the tanto as a combination of sheepsfoot and straightback blade. You can handle more cutting tasks without the need to adjust your grip and the angle of the knife. Of course, having no belly is a downside, but oh well, we can't have it all 😄
Hi David et al, I love this series. As I get deeper into the knife hobby, I’m becoming more interested in knife history, especially with regards to folders. In your learned opinion, which knives changed the course of the knife industry, by either introducing a new innovation or popularizing a new set of features or aesthetics? Also, is there a knife that you predict will chart a new course over the coming months or years? Thanks very much for your insights!
I have a question for you all. I often open packages with my knife. In doing so, it gets sticky tape reside on the blade. What's the best way to clean it?
The advantage of the tanto is this: When the tanto is stabbed deep enough to reach the first intersection of the two blade edges, how far would you have to stab the drop point to reach that same wound size? Further. The tanto does more damage sooner than the drop point does for the same blade length.
I grew up and live just outside of Boston and the laws make no sense, I'm not out there doing anything stupid or illegal so I just carry whatever I want and I like bigger knives, most times I don't usually carry any thing smaller than a 3.5 inch blade
As long as you're behaving well, you're probably good. The odds on actually having to use the knife to defend yourself, to the point that cops get involved, are pretty tiny.
@@batteredwarrior Does it matter how it’s said ? Not got better things to be doing in your life then failing miserably correcting people ? 🙄 What do you gain by your comment ? 😑
I'm sure this has been answered in various videos in the past... I'm a knife knoob and pre-ordered the Elementum II Flipper Knife, but since I live in California, I'm confused if this is considered a gravity knife, and/or will be generally frowned upon for EDC because of the switchblade laws. I see a lot of conflicting Reddit posts and legal reinterpretations of the CA knife law that usually ends with someone saying "it depends on the attitude of the cop that has a problem with your knife". Is there a breakdown of what is generally considered a switchblade and what is a button lock folding knife? Are they the same thing? I'm confused about what is "one-hand opened assist" which sounds like a switchblade, but in my eyes, it's just a flipper knife. It's all enough to make me want to just break down boxes with a pair of scissors. It should be noted that I know you are not a lawyer.
So, I live in PA, I have owned a CCW permit for almost 2 decades. This affords me the ability to have (19),9mm hollow points ready to rip without reloading. At the same time, It's strictly forbidden to carry a knife that opens with the push of a button. Do you think someday automatic knives will be legal at the federal level?
I have a wide variety of flaxes as do most. I am also prone to just grabbing some gear and running out the door to go fishing. More than once I ended up with my fixed blade tango and it worked out just fine. Was able to start a fire and clean fish without a hitch. Would it be my first choice, not for fishing but it will do the job if needed.
🔥🎸🔥 I have a tanto blade on my Benchmade Barricade auto. This is my only dedicated self defense knife and I use it for quick dog walks and short trips to the store. I hope I never have to use it but if I do, I know it's a beast of a knife with a real bite. Thanks for the review!
I had a political science professor who was demonstrating "reason vs perception" to illustrate how so many stupid laws are generated by fear and perception.
He told the class, "I am going to cut this apple with one of two knives that are in my pocket. After my demonstration by a show of hands I'm going to ask you which one is the more dangerous one.
He takes the first one out of his pocket, slowly removed it and places two hands on the knife and opens the knife with two hands slowly until it locks. He then slices a piece of the apple. Cleans the knife with a napkin closes the knife with two hands and puts it back in his pocket.
He then says "knife number 2" and he whips the knife out of his pocket flicks it open immediately, slices the apple, wipes the blade on his pant closes the knife and it drops shut.
Overwhelmingly the class says the second knife was the most dangerous and many students said they are pretty sure it's illegal.
Both knives were Spyderco Tenacious's. One was a standard satin finish the other the black coating.
He then demonstrated that they are exactly the same knives with exactly the same features but the first one was not perceived as threatening at all because the process appeared to be slow and safe and the other was faster and "deadlier" 😂😂😂.
Respect to the teacher for opening their eyes, for sure. That's a man I would love to be taught by!
That completely checks out, and it's absolutely frustrating.
That’s a great story. Mind if I share that with a couple friends in my FB groups?
That’s brilliant!!!
Demonstrate to our dumb ass politicians!
@@devin2355 Well, I did not do the demo he did, so share away haha
All I was looking for was camp knives when I found this channel , I am now 5 sweet knives deep in less than 30 days 🥴
Thats how it starts. And then you'll start adding an extra knife to your order so you can cash out a $50 gift card on your next order...pretty soon you'll find yourself trembling on Thursday mornings waiting for the New Knives video to drop...
@@arrowheadguys7637 too late , I can't believe how far knives have changed since I was a kid carrying an old case xx stockman
@@mikehalfmoonmullins404 I can't believe how much knowledge about knives has changed. I used to just buy knives that I thought looked good. Now I have to know the blade steel and handle materials and everything else before I purchase one
@@arrowheadguys7637 don't forget the lock up , flipper style and we don't have to spend 500 bucks on 1 knife when you can buy 8 - 10 really great budget knives 🤣
@@mikehalfmoonmullins404 in about a year you'll be saying "I'd rather have 8-10 $500 knives than 100 budget knives" lol. Its the natural progression. Once you step up to your first really nice knife there's no going back
I live in El Salvador, home of the condor knives and imacasa machetes... I asked a lawyer the same question, so here the law is: as long as the blade is "covered" and not perceived as a threat, you are good, so you can see farmers, gardeners, etc... sometimes walking around with a 20 inch machete wrapped in a newspaper so they abide the law 😅
In Texas where I live in the states my free state decriminalized all knives. I could carry a Katana if I choose, I carry a double edged OTF and a smaller drop point automatic knife. You don’t see very many people carrying fixed blades but if you do it is not a big deal.
@@Chainsaw2373 Be careful, you can still get in trouble for a classic switchblade since that's banned nationally by the federal government, but pretty much everything else goes as far as I know in Texas.
That’s funny, in Jamaica you see people carrying machetes everywhere, even in the city.
You’ll see vendors using huge machetes to cut pineapples or sugar cane, to chop meat.. etc. if you’re scared of knives, never go to Jamaica because there’s someone swinging a machete every few meters. Hahaha
Even in countries where it's illegal to carry knives, you can walk around with a full roll of chef knives as long as you're wearing the right clothes.
"These are not weapons, they are the tools of my profession."
@@the_inquisitive_inquisitor well, nice thing around here is, you don't have to justify anything, as long as you don't represent a threat to another person
Another advantage of the tanto is the ability to use it as a chisel, scraper, and to pry things. To me it's the most handy-man ish blade shape.
I found a well-used cheap-assed "zombie killer" tanto bladed knife at the local skate park. I used it to scrape gum off the floors during my janitorial job at a small medical facility. At least I did until my supervisor forbade me to use it. It was too scary for her taste.
He says that in the video, around four minutes in.
i love me a partially serrated tanto
This. I use the chisel end of my CQC-6 to scrape scotch tape off counter surfaces where I work. (I’m sure there Seals shaking their heads ruefully at this admission)
I use the tip frequently to cut things by pressing the leading edge into the item I want cut, particularly if the thing being cut cannot be lifted off the horizontal surface far enough for the long edge to be used.
The purpose of the tanto and indeed the shape of the tips of Katanas is tip cutting at maximum range. That is what they were meant for. It's that simple. Tip cuts can do serious cutting because the tip of the blade is always the fastest moving part. The shape of the tip aids in the slicing action. It also keeps you the furthest away from a threat and is more likely to penetrate common heavy clothing. You don't need a tanto style blade to do this but it certainly aides the technique.
Tanto is great for construction (front edge needs to be straight, not Japanese style). Works as an angled chisel or angled razor, great for paint prep, removing plaster, paint drips, cleaning corners, delicate wood work.
@ahh thats just grand short barreled 30-06😂
I have never heard someone say they use their american tanto blade for "delicate woodwork", damn ist must look shit after you mangled it with the tip of a tanto. But that's just me trying to imagine.
@ahh thats just grand Just acting like I don't know what an american tanto looks like doesn't help.
A Tanto was originally a combat knife, and the blade shape still is that of a combat knife. A -regular- Japanese tanto shape won't be any better at "delicate woodwork" than an american tanto shape by the way. But hey, you are not the comment opener, so wtf is this?
No offense.
@ahh thats just grand You should read up on it, instead of trying to indoctrinate false information upon me. And I will not discuss anything with strangers like that, because it is useless back and forth of trying to convince the other person. Just read up on it and stop messaging me again, thank you very much in advance.
Just because you have an opinion, doesn't make your opinion fact. Or maybe you are just wording what you mean very badly, but probably it's not the latter.
@ahhthatsjustgrand6502
"thats because an American tanto isn't a tanto, because its not part of a set of swords that are part of a cultural art."
You need to stop talking like you know anything when you clearly don't. The "American/Western Tanto" blade profile was used in Japan. Look up the "Kiriha Zukuri" blade shape. It is, exactly and literally, what is called an "American tanto" today. A chisel is a chisel, a knife is not a chisel. A "chisel grind" is a knife with only one bevel. You can stop. Nope, no. Just stop. I know you don't want to stop, but stop. You have to stop.
Tantos are perfect for EDC. 99% of the time you just cut boxes and envelopes. Straight edges make that easier and more precise. The corner is perfect for cutting tape on boxes without plunging too deep.
If you want to get more crafty, it can be used as a chisel. The straight front edge if well sharpened is great for skiving leather. The list just goes on.
The secondary point, transition between angles, is viciously effective for whip-like, slap cuts. Used in this fashion it is almost like a more beak shaped knife, piercing as well as slicing.
Makes me happy each time you mention the Rambler. Victorinox likes to keep that model a secret and I worry it may get discontinued. That Philips is the size I use the most. Plus you can make a compass out of it if your plane crashes in the wilderness of Alaska, which the characters in the movie The Edge could've used.
I thought tanto is what you did after you break the tip of your knife off. 😀
Cool
FAQ #118 and still going strong!! Love these vids. I've been into knives 30+ years and still enjoy and learn stuff from the guru DCA. I also really enjoy the comments these vids create - great sources of information and discussion. Sharp blades all.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I will say it anyway, he called the corkscrew a screwdriver. Surprised that wasn't noted in the editing but I'm just being a nitpick. Great video DCA, Tom and crew.
I find that blade shape is extremely useful for opening boxes without accidentally stabbing the contents. Hold the knife parallel to the top of the box, just tilting your wrist down enough to puncture the tape with the obtuse point, then draw the knife toward you. Much more stable and pretty much impossible to cut any deeper than you intend.
Exactly why I use them!
Thanks, as always, Mr. Andersen and Thomas. On the Tanto for Survival, thing - I've long agreed with the notion that a 12-14" machete is a fantastic survivial knife. And although I've never been an American Tanto fan, I recently got ahold of a Cold Steel Tanto Machete and have been blown away by its utility and versatility in the outdoors.
The "perception" criteria for legal knives is actually very important. There are areas whose laws make a distinction between "unmodified tool knives", "pocket knives", or "weapon knives", sometimes with a size restriction.
These definitions are intentionally vague, so that a cop who's searching you can determine if you're trying to carry a weapon or just cardboard cutter. That's good for stopping obvious criminals from getting away with technicalities, however it's terrible if you're innocent and just happened to get on his bad side while he's making the decision. So having a knife that LOOKS like it is designed to NOT be a weapon can be a big help.
Sometimes they have explicit carveouts to ignore a knife blade that is part of a larger toolset or gadget, which is a classic example for permitting a SAK or Leatherman.
no knives in Philadelphia unless you can prove one is needed for your job and you are working. a handgun with permit is okay though.
I always carry a Rambler with a small Olight attached to it and have for many years. Anytime I need to cut something when people are around, it's my primary choice. The flashlight gives it a full grip.
I fell in love with tanto blades when opening boxes. The secondary point on the blade itself makes it so you don't go too deep and risk puncturing the package. It's better than a boxcutter in my opinion. At one of my old jobs as a forklift driver, I found it also worked exceptionally well to cut plastic wrap off of boxes. Just pull the plastic wrap a bit off the pallet with one hand, and cut straight down with the secondary tip on the blade of the tanto.
That's what I was thinking about tanto blade cutting very good on boxes since I work at a retail store and most of the time I have to cut big thick bags whenever I have to get rid of bottle cans, plastic bottle, or glass bottles.
Regardless of blade style I always just put my finger on the spine as a sort of depth limiter when opening boxes. Just leave like 1/8" of spine and hold the knife vertically.
Spyderco, is the second to none, MASTER, of the art of, the “little big” knife!
I use my spyderco persistence a lot it used to be the lowest priced spyderco it is a smaller tenancious. It is for places that dont allow 3" blades in L.A county some warehouses only allow 2.5" and under blade size.
Serious note - love your channel, love DCA. Please invest more into post-recording compression for the recorded mic tracks. Would make the speeches/voice more present and consistent without any fluctuation of volume, right now it's all over the place. Take care.
Western tanto is really nice for a controlled pierce that can turn into a slice I've noticed. Speared points usually just end up going deeper quicker in a uncontrollable fashion and prone to chipping
My edc pocket knife is an old Kershaw Tanto Style Blur that was one of those "special" higher-end models they come out with occasionally that are made with an upgraded steel variant. This one was made with BDZ1 tool steel. (I really wish more knives were made with this stuff. It is now one of my all-time favorite steels for knives. It's tough as nails and takes and keeps an amazing edge.)
At first, I wasn't particularly fond of the blade shape since I generally like more nimble spear-point blades, but it has since really grown on me over the years. I sometimes miss having a long thin nimble point to work with, but I have found I more often run into jobs that my old go-to speartip would never have been able to do rather than the other way around. That front portion of the tanto blade works well as a chisel and even better as a scraper. I do a lot of gardening so it's also nice having a knife that can punch through heavy plastic gardening containers without having to be worried about damaging the tip.
The one use I'm surprised wasn't mentioned in this video that I find unique to tantos is using that point where the two cutting edges meet the sort of way you can use an exacto knife. For instance, I can't even count how many times I've ended up having to cut a coupon out of the page it came on while in a drive-through or store parking lot. It's a real pain to do that with a speartip, whereas with a good sharp tanto blade you just lay the paper down on any sort of flat cutting surface like a piece of cardboard or plastic packaging, the side of a tissue box, a cd cover, etc. and you lightly trace along the dotted line with that secondary point at a shallow angle and it just glides through the paper very cleanly with almost no effort. It makes beautifully straight and clean cuts when used as improvised scissors this way.
The woodworking SKEW Chisel is used for cutting dovetail drawer joints, square end grain joints, and can also be done with a tanto knife. But the 2 mechanical design details for a good SKEW Chisel are an angled flat straight edge end blade and a flat but end for repeated mallot hammering on the handle.
Agreed. And the dogleg version makes the impossible, possible.
First circle of “survival food prep”: The hors d’oeuvre - how presentation is everything
I have your SAK Black alox Bantam. Knife center exclusive. I use it daily. I also enjoy the Victorinox SAK Tinker with art design type handle scales, different color toothpick & tweezer. I added a SAK lanyard & a small leather sheath. Very handy.
I'd personally like to see more Japanese style tanto folders. I know they're out there but don't see them often
Eastern blade tanto blade folderssss
Tantos are excellent for baton wood-splitting. The strength and steep bevel on the edges really separate it from other types of blades.
Been carrying a Rambler on my key ring for years. Good to see you recommend it versus the Compact.
DCA, thanks for your expertise and teasing us with sharp temptations. I have become a Big fan of the parang particularly the Duku Chandong style. I'm fortunate to have a couple of acres of woodland where I can play and camp. I always carry a My Parang Duku Chandong with a little Mora 511 or Eldris attached. This is my goto survival combo. The parangs convex edge chops and splits and still stays razor sharp. The little Mora can take care of the small stuff. Like to see you and Seth do your fav. survival combos.
Interestingly the Cold Steel Tanto tip shape actually existed in Japanese swords during the period when they moved away from chinese swords but before the curved Katana was invented. This inbetween sword looked like a straight Katana but with the angled tip identical to what people believe Cold Steel invented and use today.
Are you a Ninja?
Nope, but I find it interesting that this type blade shape actually existed in ancient Japanese swords pre-dating the curved Katana type swords. Nothing to do with mall ninja crap.
Ah, yes, the infamous and mysterious ninjato, aka. obsolete prototypes that didn't make it to the finals.
Actually, that sword with the straight blade and chisel tip was called a chokuto. It was there around the 6th century and it preceded the tachi and katana. The ninjato is a Hollywood creation, but chokuto type blades were used by ninja in walking sticks and umbrellas, where stealth and discretion were needed.
The Gerber Obsidian is cool, it has a bottle opener and a screwdriver head. Also the Benchmade Bost 591 is made as a prybar knife for mechanics. So I carry both because one is a tool to open bottles and the other is a prybar for those tasks.
I had a cheap tanto point DeWalt pocket knife that was awesome for the price. I think it was $17. And I got it because I paint a lot and you're right, that little flat spot is great for scraping stuff. But it would be perfect for defense too because the point was just right in my opinion. I'm seriously thinking about ordering another one because I carried it everywhere including my construction job for over a year, no problem. But I forgot it in Central America on vacation so I need a new one. I got another regular blade shape to replace it and I want my tanto point back.
Hi David,
What would you choose for best EDC under 300 dollars? Must include a main knife. A flashlight. A pen. A multi-tool.
Tanto and bowie knives are my favorite edc belt knives. Where I live it’s legal to open carry any size fixed blade, so i choose depending on what I may be doing for the day. My self defense knife is a Smith and Weason Tanto. Not a bad knife. All of my knives are high carbon steel too.
17:25 - It's probably possible to add an Emerson Wave-style pocket-opener to the Cormorant. It may involve some modification to fit the add-on part to the blade, but it seems possible to install one of the aftermarket Wave openers that're made to attach to the Round Opening Hole™ of Spyderco blades.
Of course, a zip-tie, cinched down hard around the spine-side edge of the hole, often works as a serviceable pocket-deploy option, too.
As long as the hook is far enough from the blade pivot to only start opening the knife after you've pulled the tip of the blade past the fabric of your pocket, an add-on Wave opener should work.
I put a CRKT Minimalist Bowie on a carabiner with a swivel and it's nice to have it clipped on my shorts, on the inside for incognito but mostly outside pants for quick draw. It's like a 2½ blade, black sheath. Neck knife but you can customize it with a double loop swivel and a carabiner. Clippy clippy.
Love my rambler from victorinox 👍👍 never has anyone freak out when cutting a box or trimming a tag etc.. handy for its size, small light and great mix of tools! Just used the toothpick while watching this video 😂
Hey, DCA! Not a question, but an idea for a topic of discussion. I was thinking about knives the other day (surprise, surprise), and I realized that there is a hierarchy of classifications for outdoor knives. I’ve never seen anyone discuss it this way, but I know that you’d give an excellent treatment of the subject.
Outdoor knives could be ranked/categorized by how robust they need to be in order to accomplish their typical tasks:
Hiking Knives- Lightweight folders or fixed blades, designed specifically to not weigh you down. They are strong enough to handle light wood carving, or to cut up grassy materials or vines that block your path, plus basic utility like cutting strips of first aid bandaging. Since hiking often begins and ends with a car ride to and from the wilderness, it doesn’t necessarily have to be life-or-death kind of heavy duty.
Camp Knives- Since camping is also fairly controlled, camp knives are robust enough for chopping and carving wood, whittling, food prep, plus other typical campsite chores.
Bushcraft Knives- Since bushcrafting is all about creating (crafting) your own shelter, fireplaces, traps for food, etc. from the local vegetation around you (bush), these kinds of knives need to be VERY robust. Knife failure under these conditions could potentially be life-threatening, since bushcrafting takes place in a less controlled environment. Folders are strongly recommended against here.
Survival Knives- These knives hold the highest standards of robustness. “Survival” could be thought of as “unplanned bushcrafting.” As in, this is the most life-or-death situation. Your bushcrafting skills are the only thing keeping you alive, because you are lost in the wilderness for one reason or another, and separated from society entirely. This could include military operations, in which case your knife needs to serve both as a bushcrafting tool and as a weapon.
Hunting Knives- These could be classified as a cousin of Camp Knives. They are designed specifically to cleanly slice through the soft material of animal tissue, so you wouldn’t expect it to be able to carve or split wood.
What are your thoughts?
That's one of the things I love about AL. I can conceal carry a. 50 if I want with a machete or long sword on my belt all legal with no need for even a gun permit.
I love a lot of things about living in California but our knife laws aren't one of them.
Here's an idea for a segment: old-time knife users' reactions to more modern folders. I've got an example. My grandfather, who was born in Louisiana in the 1930s, usually carried a traditional clip-point plus pen-knife folder. Several years ago, I was proud of a recently acquired Boker Plus Penguin (VG-10, compact, framelock, titanium scales). He took a look, handed it back, and said: "It's amazing what you can get for a dollar."
Who was doing Western Tanto knives before Cold Steel? The very first I ever saw were Cold Steel's fixed blade tantos in Soldier of Fortune back in the 1970's. I'd love to see earlier examples than those.
I was under the assumption Cold Steel was really the first, outside maybe some custom makers. Can't think of anyone else doing them before CS.
I’m pretty sure Lynn Thompson is responsible for the “American Tanto” and making it popular. I don’t even think I saw a custom knife maker doing them.
@@FriedPi-mc5yt Bob Lum (custom maker) did them before Cold Steel, Lynn popularized the design.
@@robertsmith3584 interesting. I’ll have to look up his work.
Day two of my metallurgy question! DCA and Thomas sirs, steel question for you: I got a base model Para3 lightweight from you guys that I love, I'm thinking about giving it to my dad and upgrading myself to one of the fancier versions, but I'm lost in the alphabet soup of CTS-BD1N vs CPM-SPY27 vs S45VN vs S110V vs Maxamet, can you please help shed some light on the pro cons (instead of me assuming the more expensive one must be better :D) or even an overall breakdown of commonish steels might be nice! Thanks and always looking forward to your videos, they are both informative and very soothing / calming to listen to!
First two are more of an entry level steel, S45VN is a mid-tier steel, and the last two are ultra-high edge retention steels that are going to be difficult to sharpen without the right stones and experience. Personally I would recommend the S45VN as a good all around steel out of those options. Cruwear is my favorite for performance vs. maintainability, not sure if they have a PM3 in it, I know there's a Cruwear PM2.
The BD1N and Spy27 steels are only available with the lightweight plastic handle and wire pocket clip. The other steels usually come with G10 handles and standard clip.
For regular EDC use, the S45VN and Spy27 are probably going to be the best since they both have good corrosion resistance, pretty decent edge retention, and are both pretty responsive to stropping.
S110V has great corrosion resistance and very good edge retention but is maligned for its lack of toughness and can be difficult to sharpen for beginners. Maxamet is at the very top tier for edge retention but it also has a reputation for being a bear to sharpen and it is actually not a stainless steel.
If you like the lightweight plastic handle, the Spy27 model is a nice step up from the base model. It comes in a cool blue color and Spy27 is a particle steel. In my experience, particle steels can usually take a really keen edge.
He forgot to mention what I'd consider one of the most useful aspects of a tanto when it comes to an EDC blade and that's the false tip, they're perfect for someone who opens boxes and packages frequently as you can use the false tip at a very shallow angle.
What is the best way to clean a blade when soap and water won't cut it?
I use lighter fluid.
I've found 2-stroke premix fuel works pretty well.
It depends on what you've been cutting. Usually denatured or isopropyl alcohol will clean tape residue just fune. Other times you need something more powerful like acetone or Goo Gone. I don't have a single cleaner I use because it always depends on the situation.
There are many options. It depends on what you are trying to remove from your blade. I have used Goo Gone, isopropanol, Ballistol, Zippo fluid, nail polish remover and even hand sanitizer.
I was going to mention the difference between actual Tanto style blades and the American interpretation of Tanto styled blades, but this channel has already got it covered, nice.
As soon as you finish reading the question about legality, I had the shield popping in my mind immediately
We need a video showing some of Thomas's vintage vehicles, maybe as a background!
I picked up that Gerber Dime in January and it's been the one in my bag since I got it. Goes everywhere except TSA.
They may not be best quality but because of their low price I have a few of them around the place so they can be grabbed and used when needed. Can deal with most routine little jobs that pop up. Have a great day.
Now show me an Italian knife with a good consistent heat treat. 😂 DCA for your front flipper issue, one of my favorite knife-tubers, Beez Blades, has a great take. Don't 'flip' the front flipper. Roll it. Roll it with the top of the handles shape. You can roll it fast or slow depending on the knife and situation. Just roll it. Btw that MSQotD, chef's kiss!
I was not at all partial to tanto blades, but all the edc knives I have w/ a glass-breaker (my desired feature) happen to be tantos; so I have come to appreciate the functionality for daily tasks. With regard to blade restrictions, MA Lowe's / Home depots sell Gerber, Dewalt, Milwaukee pocket knives every day, that are about (just over?) 3". If your behavior is otherwise 'appropriate' I can't see getting into real legal trouble w something so ubiquitous. That said, The Knife Center's knives are obviously so much cooler!
As far as I know every type of knife you can imagine is legal here in the free state of Indiana. That being said I still always carry some kind of slipjoint (usually a Victorinox) for situations where my primary might make folks uncomfortable, seems to have served me well thus far!
Hey, you did a video of my favorite edc blade! I use my shootout as my daily carry bc of its second edge on the front. It’s super slicey, and I use the edge at the tip for scraping as well as precision cuts. And the second point below is used for a bunch of things. Thanks for the video.
Are you a Ninja?
I use a buck intrepid tanto for my camp knife. It's thick blade and size is perfect for camp needs. I baton with it, carve bushcraft items as needed. It has served well for smaller chores where my jungless isn't needed.
Thanks for the comprehensive answer, David. Having my quesion featured was a highlight for my week.
Cold steel proved to me the merits of tantos.i bought my first recon tanto and i was sold on tantos.if the leading edge is sharp you can defend yourself with it.ive never heard about a western style tantos point breaking.having them professionally sharpened helps quite a bit.
Your right,that perceived word is tricky.where i live in Pennsylvania if a single edge knife isn't longer than your palm is wide the policeman will generally consider it a leagal carry unless its concealed.
I took tanto-no-jistu as part of my training for 7 years, which was fun, but lemme say that as a survival knife it really outperformed my traditional survival knife in outdoor uses. The technique is slightly different, but the flatter blade is much, much better for skinning and tanning and the second point for gutting fish, or dealing with wood in any form. I have a more modern style from cold steel, that replaced all my various survival knifes.
Also, the shape of the blade stands up to far, far more abuse and is a dream to sharpen.
So if you're outdoorsy, I'd highly recommend them. Just buy quality.
Which Cold Steel version do you have please? The Recon 1, the SR1, the SR1 lite etc etc?
I love Tantos as gift knives. They are easy to sharpen and look cool. Also pretty strong. Can’t go wrong with a $50 CRKT or Cold Steel Tanto.
For deployment methods, the Vosteed Thunderbird must be hard to beat. It wins over the Cormorant by adding fullers - both designed by Yue Dong.
I have a Cormorant and I think the front flipper tab on it kind of sucks. The one on the Thunderbird looks much easier to use.
Hey DCA, what is the best multi-tool for flying? Since we can't take blades on a commercial flight, what do you fly with?
Leatherman Style PS.
I have a lot more dexterity using the secondary tip than most other knife styles. I have a cold steel oyabun I've used for Bush craft and everyday handyman tasks. It's almost always on my hip. Even skinning and dressing animals. I prefer it over about anything else I've used.
Tanto advantage for bushcrafting: you can build shelters that require creating a square hole to hold a pole with a squared point. Less cord lashing required. You don't want to go drilling too many holes in wood with a pointed knife: you risk the point. A tanto tip I can use like a chisel.
Tantos advantage bushcrafting is two strait edges most of the time are easy to field sharpen and the tend to have stronger tips.
A good American Tanto folder with a solid fixed blade and you’re set. I’d do a Leatherman too haha.
Used to use my cold steel kobun as my utility knife. Was a good combination of utility and expendability. Could also use it to poke a pilot hole in aluminum ductwork for the holesaw or shears.
Cons did have it confinscated once and had to point out to a judge that its blade length was under 6 inches and thus didn't constitute a concealed weapon especially since was buried in the bottom of my bag with fishing tackle and various tools of frequent use (+ a couple extra 10mm sockets 👍) was obnoxious to say the least.
I've come to feel naked without my Kizer Yorkie riding in my right hand pants pocket. Regardless of anything else I might be carrying, my Yorkie is always there. Super handy, sub 3", sharp M390, love it!
Hey dca I have a cold steel tuff lite that I love for edc at my job the warncliffe blade and size is perfect only problem is I have to sharpen the aus 8 steel alot what r some alternatives? Similar size and shape just a better steel.
Dca! You seem like exactly the type of fella to ask this question to! So here goes. - I am into bushcraft and survival, personally my current set up I’m experimenting with is a bow saw and a large belt knife for processing wood, im using the cold steel srk and like the length and ability to batton wood over 5 inches, but im looking for something a bit more premium in either a kephart or a drop point as the only part I dont like about my srk is the clip point.
Can you put a SOG Powerlock bit adapter on the Swiss Tool Spirit MX Clip and use it for bits with the Swiss Tool Spirit MX Clip?
It's important to note there are numerous kinds of tanto styles in Japan. The American tanto isn't really American. It stems from the Japanese Shinogi style tanto which Lynn Thompson basically took credit for when Cold Steel adopted it.
No One called it American, he said "Western Style".
I have scraped many stickers from differend surfaces with my CRKT Tanto.
I have carried my Cold Steel Voyager Tanto for many years. I first got mines at Ft. Lewis PX in 2002, I have used it for many things from cleaning weapons, cutting open MREs, ropes, strings, and cutting steaks. During combat in Iraq from 2006-08 I have used it to cut through mattress, canvas, pry doors, and cut clothing to search enemy combatants a.k.a. Insurgents. I still carry mines today as an EDC Every Day Carry item as a civilian. To me it's the perfect knife.
I used my tanto to scrape a sticker off my car and now the paint is scratched up - what knife would you recommend to apply a new coat?
I had a pocket knife that wasn't a "Tanto" but was a very similar chisel tip. Thing was very easy to sharpen and was strong enough to abuse. Was a great knife, should buy another.
Clever last Q&A Bravo!
“Like a chisel” yep that’s exactly it-love my tanto folder!
That tip design, was meant to punch through body armor, and was popularized by Cold Steel. I think I was in high school when Cold Steel came out with the Magnum Tanto series, back in the late 70's, early 80's. I have the Cold Steel Recon Tanto, and a Hannwie traditional tactical tanto, with the traditional point.
Body armor? You don’t mean like bullet proof plates? Like level IIIA or level 4? Because I can promise you you aren’t going to penetrate those with any knife.
@@chrisjosekuehl ninjas in the past was able to kill samurai covered in steel armor plating. No armor will guarantee 100% protection. Even Ironman got his as beat by Captain America
@@chrisjosekuehl jorge sprave shows how to use stilleto points to pierce bulletproof vests on his slingshot channel.....
Tantos also have the ability to perform snap cuts, basically using the secondary point to penetrate with a flick of the wrist
I switched to the "tanto" tip working as a bartender. I got tired of busting the tips of my EDCs popping open the various large cans of juices, olives and whatnot on slammed nights when you can't find the damn opener. After I switched, never broke another tip.
I prefer Cold Steel Tanto vs Clip Point simply because the blade isn’t as tall and thus it saves about .5 ounce in weight and also saves 6:49 some width in the pocket.
I absolutely love the look of tanto knives, but they're considerably less convenient to use and sharpen in comparison to regular curved knives.
You can get the Victorinox Classic SD for $15-20 depending. I found a used one in great shape at the pawn shop for $5! You can bet I grabbed that up.
The Native Slipit is a pretty nice option
Yes, I was very sad when Leatherman had that short run ((which I think was just NOS)) of the Juice for so cheap and missed it.
On a plus note however, I've nearly got my Custom Victorinox Cadet X Electrician with original 84mm scissors finished. Just working on some brass liners and then I'll adjust the length of the pivot barrels to secure it properly.
For the "most deployments" knife, also take a look to the vosteed thunderbird! Same designer as the cormorant, has all same opening methods and adds fullers on both sides. Adding also an aftermarket thumb stud would sadly make it illegal since it would be possible to open it faster than sound speed, kicking off your opponent even before getting near him with the blade
The Swiss Army knives from the Wenger factory also have sub-2.5 inch blades, and some of those have scissors. My area of Cleveland, Akron, and the suburbs all have 2.5 inch limits. So annoying. Same with Chicago. I find it hard to believe they'd actually charge someone with a standard Swiss Army knife, but I guess they might if they're really out to get you.
I see (and use) the tanto as a combination of sheepsfoot and straightback blade. You can handle more cutting tasks without the need to adjust your grip and the angle of the knife. Of course, having no belly is a downside, but oh well, we can't have it all 😄
Good call on the Swiss Army knife! I forgot all about those.
Hi David et al, I love this series. As I get deeper into the knife hobby, I’m becoming more interested in knife history, especially with regards to folders. In your learned opinion, which knives changed the course of the knife industry, by either introducing a new innovation or popularizing a new set of features or aesthetics? Also, is there a knife that you predict will chart a new course over the coming months or years? Thanks very much for your insights!
Hi @knifecenter ! Do you know of a good folding tanto-style blade made of Damascus steel for EDC?
Check out the Mcusta Katana folder
My Beretta 101B Tanto blade (serrated) has never failed me after nearly 23 years.
Always my EDC before it was a "thing," always be prepared.
I have a question for you all. I often open packages with my knife. In doing so, it gets sticky tape reside on the blade. What's the best way to clean it?
For tape residue I use either Zippo fluid or Goo Gone.
Blue Cleaner from Benchmade. Works very well for removing the glue residue from carboard tape. ;)
The advantage of the tanto is this: When the tanto is stabbed deep enough to reach the first intersection of the two blade edges, how far would you have to stab the drop point to reach that same wound size? Further. The tanto does more damage sooner than the drop point does for the same blade length.
Had a good chuckle on that last question
Fun fact, any restriction on knife deployment, blade style/length is TECHNICALLY A 2A ENCROACHMENT.
I grew up and live just outside of Boston and the laws make no sense, I'm not out there doing anything stupid or illegal so I just carry whatever I want and I like bigger knives, most times I don't usually carry any thing smaller than a 3.5 inch blade
As long as you're behaving well, you're probably good. The odds on actually having to use the knife to defend yourself, to the point that cops get involved, are pretty tiny.
I remember those old Cold Steel ads for the Recon Tanto showing a tanto punched through a soft ballistic vest and the caption "Tanto proof?"
My compact isn’t totally legal 😅😅 who would of thought
*would have
@Jesse Robinson *incorrect.
@@batteredwarrior Does it matter how it’s said ? Not got better things to be doing in your life then failing miserably correcting people ? 🙄 What do you gain by your comment ? 😑
@@Ericstraordinary I know 😑 totally the same meaning just different words 😂
I'm sure this has been answered in various videos in the past...
I'm a knife knoob and pre-ordered the Elementum II Flipper Knife, but since I live in California, I'm confused if this is considered a gravity knife, and/or will be generally frowned upon for EDC because of the switchblade laws. I see a lot of conflicting Reddit posts and legal reinterpretations of the CA knife law that usually ends with someone saying "it depends on the attitude of the cop that has a problem with your knife".
Is there a breakdown of what is generally considered a switchblade and what is a button lock folding knife? Are they the same thing? I'm confused about what is "one-hand opened assist" which sounds like a switchblade, but in my eyes, it's just a flipper knife. It's all enough to make me want to just break down boxes with a pair of scissors.
It should be noted that I know you are not a lawyer.
So, I live in PA, I have owned a CCW permit for almost 2 decades. This affords me the ability to have (19),9mm hollow points ready to rip without reloading. At the same time, It's strictly forbidden to carry a knife that opens with the push of a button. Do you think someday automatic knives will be legal at the federal level?
I have a wide variety of flaxes as do most. I am also prone to just grabbing some gear and running out the door to go fishing. More than once I ended up with my fixed blade tango and it worked out just fine. Was able to start a fire and clean fish without a hitch. Would it be my first choice, not for fishing but it will do the job if needed.
it was kinda comical when you held up the little swiss usb stick after all the big blades… „this is what you’re allowed to carry“ 🤣
🔥🎸🔥
I have a tanto blade on my Benchmade Barricade auto. This is my only dedicated self defense knife and I use it for quick dog walks and short trips to the store. I hope I never have to use it but if I do, I know it's a beast of a knife with a real bite.
Thanks for the review!