The proposed drawings of knives with dimensions show that each product is individual, it is unique, and good “in its own way.”
We decide on the shape of the product.The knife manufacturing technology is the same for any of the selected options.
This?
Or this one?
Or more?
Selection of material:
- steel, R6M5 (tool steel) has sufficient hardness and holds an edge well. Can use 65G ( carbon steel) or a piece of spring steel (necessarily a clean plate without corrosion, from a used one car spring worth refusing). Select the plate in such a way that after roughing the intended contour of the finished product is preserved
- We recommend using wood (oak, walnut, pear, birch, beech, mahogany and other species) to make the handle
- rivets with a diameter of four or six millimeters
- brass or bronze plate three or four millimeters thick
Tools, accessories:
- set of drills
- set of files (flat, round)
- sandpaper (number one hundred twenty and two hundred forty)
- sandpaper and electric drill
- clamp
- workbench and vice
Manufacturing technology.
- We transfer the drawing of the knife from paper to a metal plate, strictly maintaining all dimensions.
- We grind the workpiece along the selected contour. We make holes for rivets.
- We draw out the slopes of the cutting edge of the blade. We fix the resulting workpiece to the workbench (you can use screws in the holes for the rivets). Using a flat file or emery, we grind the metal at the desired angle (each side) to the center of the workpiece (the future edge of the blade). After finishing the rough processing, we proceed to finishing processing using sandpaper.
- Hardening. We make a fire in the yard. When a good heat has formed, place the knife blank in the coals of the fire. The heating process lasts about fifteen minutes. Every two or three minutes we take out the workpiece for a few seconds. The steel should heat up to a cherry red color. Check the readiness of heating using a magnet. If the steel is no longer attracted to the magnet, heating must be stopped. We lower the slowly heated workpiece into the oil (cutting edge down) by two-thirds of the width of the blade and hold for about a minute, the oil should go out. Then we completely immerse the rest. If the smoke stops coming out, remove the workpiece. You need to do this without rushing.
- We bake in a preheated oven. The heating temperature is four hundred degrees. We stand for forty-five minutes.
- Finishing. We grind and polish the blade. We cut out an oval from a brass plate and make a hole for the shank of the blade. We make a handle from the selected type of wood, in which we drill holes for rivets. We collect all the details. IN assembled form grind and polish the handle.
Drawings of knives with other sizes can be found in the article
Many people know that the tanto is a Japanese knife, although the version that most people know is the so-called “American tanto”, that is, an American replica of a Japanese knife. A real Japanese tanto knife is distinguished by a rounded tip of the blade, while the Americans simplified their version of the Japanese knife by cutting the tip at 45 degrees.
Japanese Samurai Set
The Japanese tanto knife (or short tanto sword) is included in a set of three samurai swords:
- Daito (long sword);
- Seto (wakizashi or medium sword);
- Tanto (short sword or knife).
Since only representatives of the samurai class could carry a long sword, it was wakizashi and tanto that were the main weapons of merchants and artisans who used them for self-defense.
Although to the US the tanto is just a stylish traditional knife, the Japanese have never seen it that way. A real tanto is a bladed weapon; moreover, it was forbidden to use it for any economic purposes. By the way, wearing a tanto is illegal in Japan and is punishable by a high fine. For residents of Japan who really want to carry a knife that looks like a tanto, American companies have come up with folding models with tanto-like blades. Their size does not fall under the definition of edged weapons in Japan.
The appearance of tanto knives in Japan
The first tanto knives appeared during the Heian period from 794 to 1185. These knives did not differ in quality. During the Kamakura period, tanto was made using more quality materials, and the knife itself became an invariable attribute of the samurai’s weapons.
Besides the samurai, the tanto knife was the favorite weapon of the yakuza. Ninjas also loved to use it, since this knife was worn by various social groups population, and he did not arouse any suspicion. The sheath for the tanto was also richly decorated. All tanto blades made according to traditional technology, are the cultural heritage of the country.
The meaning of tanto for Japanese culture
In the USA, tanto knives are produced by many weapons companies; a real Japanese tanto knife can be made only after obtaining a special license from a master gunsmith. There are no more than 300 such masters throughout Japan. Each tanto created by their hands has the mark of the master on the blade.
Although now at auction various countries You can find many tantos from the Second World War on sale; you should not try to get them into your collection. These knives were not produced using technology, using low quality steel. The Japanese government systematically disposes of such blades, since they are low-quality consumer goods that have nothing in common with real short swords.
Most often, tanto blades are sharpened on one side, although blades with a regular double-sided sharpening have been found.
Since tanto knives are very popular among martial arts sections, the industry produces many plastic or rubber copies of these knives, which are used to practice knife fighting techniques with a real opponent. The traditional educational tanto is wooden dummies that were used back in the Middle Ages. The material for training wooden weapons is very carefully selected, so they can last for years.
Often you come across combat specimens of tanto, designed to pierce armor. They are distinguished by a thick and faceted blade. Tantos without a protective guard were called aikutti, and small tantos called kaiken were used by women for self-defense.
Different varieties of Japanese tanto knives
Although it is believed that tanto knives are divided into only two categories (Japanese and American tanto), there are several varieties of the traditional Japanese tanto knife:
- The Aikutti knife differs from the usual tanto in the absence of a guard. These knives were of various sizes, although short blades were most often used. Knives in battle of this type were used to finish off the enemy, since the code of honor of a warrior prohibited killing a lying enemy with a sword. Since aikutti (unlike tanto) was not considered a sword, finishing off with it was not prohibited;
- The kubikiri knife has a more curved blade. A knife of this type may not have a blade tip and was intended to cut off the enemy’s heads. According to one version, knives of this type were worn by samurai servants who collected unique trophies for their master. Because this knife devoid of a blade edge, it was used only for specific tasks. Some believe that this knife was used for chopping wood or for gardening work. It is noteworthy that knives of this type were made by Japanese blacksmiths at a time when traditional swords were practically not ordered. It is possible that this is how Japanese gunsmiths made utility knives based on military knives;
- The tanto fan was a type of concealed bladed weapon and, along with the battle fan, was a fairly popular Japanese weapon. Most often, low-quality steel was used for these knives, although professional assassins and ninjas made their tanto fans from high-quality steel, since the life of their owner often depended on the quality of the weapon. In addition to professional spies, such knives were used by women, retired military personnel, monks and other people who needed concealed weapons to protect their lives. At the end of the 19th century, the tanto fan was sold as a souvenir for tourists. Naturally, the souvenir weapon was completely unsuitable for self-defense due to the low quality of the materials used;
- Tanto-ken is one of the oldest tanto-shaped knives. The first knives of this type appeared in the 7th century. The tanto-ken has a double-edged dagger-type blade. This is a ritual knife that is used in Buddhist ceremonies. Since blades of this type are real works of blacksmithing, they came to monasteries as gifts;
- The real military weapon is the yari tanto. This blade was used to pierce armor. The blade of this knife almost completely copied the blade of the yari spear. There were examples with a hollow handle that could be put on a shaft and used as a spear. Like any military weapon, some Yari-tanto blades had rich inlay. Some examples of these weapons were used as off-hand weapons;
- Tanto pistols, although quite interesting types of weapons, were quite rare. After the Portuguese introduced matchlocks to Japan in the 16th century, firearms within a fairly short time it gained enormous popularity, although real samurai treated it with contempt. Tanto pistols appeared in the 17th and 18th centuries and gained popularity not only as a weapon of self-defense, but also as a thing that emphasized the status of its owner. In appearance it was an ordinary tanto knife, but when removed from its sheath, it turned out to be a single-shot pistol. Although the quality of execution often left much to be desired, such a concealed firearm in the world of swords was a significant advantage in the event of a dangerous situation;
- Another weapon intended exclusively for war was the hasiwari knife. This weapon was intended to capture the enemy's blade using a hook. The Hashiwari blade was strong enough to pierce helmets and armor. The length of the hasiwari blade varied from 30 to 40 centimeters, which was quite enough to deliver a fatal blow;
- One of the most unusual species tanto was tanto-saw. Many experts still cannot understand what it was intended for. Although if we remember that Japanese ninjas often penetrated homes by cutting holes in the walls, we can assume that the tanto saw is a specific tool for shadow warriors.
In addition to traditional Japanese species tanto, there are many more tanto-like blades produced by various knife manufacturers. Due to the great popularity of folding knives, many models with tanto-type blades have appeared. Their advantage over other types of blades is the high strength of the blade tip.
There are many tanto-shaped knives on sale now. When purchasing such a product, you need to remember that most of the models sold have a blade in the shape of an American tanto, which even in appearance is very different from the classic Japanese tanto.
The differences between them are in form and purpose.
What are Tanto combat knives?
The original tanto (短刀= tan "short" + toh "sword") is a traditional Japanese short knife available to civilians (as opposed to the long katana). National treasure of Japan. Tanto combat knives are considered edged weapons in all countries. In a safe form (made of plastic, wood, rubber, etc.) it is used in oriental martial arts.
Traditional samurai set - tanto, wakizashi and katana In the European tanto classification:
- in size - a dagger;
- for sharpening - a knife.
In the classical sense, Tanto knives are exactly a sword.
Tanto knife in Japanese is hamono (刃 “blade, blade” + 物 “product, thing”). Despite the fact that both “jamono” and “tanto” have two hieroglyphs, the first is perceived as one word “knife”, the second - as a phrase with the keyword “sword”.
The second meaning of tanto is a special blade shape for modern knives:
- combat;
- tactical;
- folding, etc.
The thick tip of the tanto is the key to the strength of the knife even with inappropriate use This form has little in common with the classic tanto, but is popular and widely used due to its strength.
Description of the Japanese Tanto sword
The classic tanto should be done like this:
| Parameter | Meaning | Japanese designation |
| Blade shape | slightly curved tip |
 The correct shape of a tanto blade is flat with a slight curve |
| flat | ||
| Sharpening | one-sided | |
| Blade length | no more than 30.3 cm, otherwise it will turn out to be wakizashi |
A standard school 30 cm ruler is exactly 1 exemplary Japanese shaku |
| total length | 35-50 cm | |
| Material | Japanese steel from sponge iron ingots |
 Tanto is made from “diamond steel” - tamahagane |
| Handle | Removable | |
| Bamboo pin |
 If you make a mekugi from metal or horn, the sword will be decorative, not combat |
|
| Garda* | Round |
 You can recognize the owner of the blade by the tsuba. The samurai code prohibited them from decorating, so they decorated tsuba. Simple “guards” are the lot of commoners |
*Tsuba was never used by the Japanese to block weapons - only to rest the hand during a piercing blow.
Parameters of a short Tanto knife
Modern tanto knives differ from the canon in almost all respects:
| Parameter | Traditional tanto sword
|
Modern tanto knife
This type of American tanto resembles kitchen knife, but costs 10 times more |
| Blade shape | slightly curved tip | Straight bevel at 45° |
| flat | With stiffening rib | |
| Type of sharpening | one-sided | Single or double sided |
| blade length | 17-30.3 cm | 10-30 cm |
| total length | 35-50 cm | 22-50 cm |
| thickness | 5-7 mm | 2,5-7 |
| material | sponge iron steel | The most different steels, including Damascus |
| Handle | Removable | non-removable |
| Attaching the handle to the shank | Bamboo pin | There are no bamboo pins in sight |
| Garda* | Round | Flat, round or none |
The sketch is so detailed that you can even make a real Tanto sword yourself
The American tanto adopted the sharpening from the katana and added chopped shapes In pursuit of spectacular appearance modern knives acquired serious shortcomings:
However, the tip strength of modern tantoids is very high, so sticking them into something hard is much safer - and it will turn out much better than with other knives.
Tanto blades in Japanese culture
Historically, Tanto blades are not a knife, but a sword, so they were most often worn in a sheath:
- for warriors - behind the belt, on the right;
- for women - in the sleeve, fan or behind the obi belt.
Samurai until the 14th century. armed with a pair of swords - daisho (“big-small”):
- Daito (“big tanto sword”) - the main one, more than 66 cm.
- Shoto (" small sword") - additional, 33-66 cm.
Sometimes the Japanese tanto sword was used instead of the shoto.
A couple of things that distinguished a samurai from ordinary people- large and small sword. Guess which tanto came from In the 14th century The samurai's weapons have changed:
- instead of daito - tachi, then - katana;
- instead of shoto - wakizashi, sometimes - tanto.
The difference between a tati and a katana is that the first was worn tied to a belt, and the second was tucked into the belt Over time, the tanto became part of the military set on a permanent basis, as the third item. It was regarded precisely as a military weapon, and therefore was used accordingly:
- to finish off the enemy;
- for battle in close quarters;
- for cutting off heads;
- for suicide (warriors-men, women, children);
- for self-defense (traders, artisans, monks and other travelers).
Now tanto is a cultural heritage.
The only permitted uses are:
- wedding ceremonies of the imperial family;
- oriental martial arts.
Types of tanto
In addition to the tanto itself, the short sword has different time There were dozens of varieties:
| Title and photo | Difference and purpose |
 The tanto fan has a well-camouflaged scabbard |
Sheath for tanto in the form of a folded fan. Concealed Carry:
|
 The tanto most despised by samurai is the firearm |
In the sheath it looks like a regular tanto. Outside the sheath is a single-shot pistol. In the 17-18 centuries - as a weapon of self-defense;
|
 Looks like a spear - but no, yari-tanto |
The blade is exactly like a yari spear:
For piercing armor. It could be put on a shaft like a spear. As a second hand weapon |
 Perhaps hashiwari is a prototype of the Japanese weapon sai |
|
 The tanto saw not only cuts, but also saws |
On the concave part there are saw teeth. Supposedly the ninjas made holes in the walls to get into the house |
 Tanto yoroi doshi looked approximately like this |
|
 Aikuti (“fitted mouth”) was not considered a sword |
Without a guard, without a braided handle, various tanto sizes, most often short. “Civilian version”, for finishing off an enemy (you cannot finish off someone lying down with a sword, but aikutti, unlike tanto, was not considered a sword) |
 Kubikiri literally means “head cutter” |
More curved, sometimes without a point (or with a weakly pronounced one), cutting edge- on inside or on both sides.
|
 Tanto-kens were forged specifically for monasteries |
Double-edged blade like a dagger two parallel cutting edges.
|
 The peculiarity of the hamidashi is in the handle, or rather, in the guard-tsuba of modest size. |
The guard-tsuba has a specific shape - very small, barely protruding beyond the edge.
|
 Kusungobu - a shortened version of the tanto for hara-kiri |
Ritual, the size of the tanto knife is 29.7 cm. Seppuku or hara-kiri |
 Too cramped for a wakizashi? Use kaiken! |
|
 A type of tanto with additional sharpening on the concave part |
Double-edged, curved tanto blade for close combat |
 Unokubi is a refined Japanese tanto in the truest sense, as it becomes thinner along the entire length of the striking part and retains only the tip and base thick |
The back of the blade becomes thinner in the middle, but thickens again towards the tip. Difference in tip:
Perhaps the stronger tip was used for stabbing. Plus, such a weapon is lighter than a conventional one, monolithically thick along its entire length |
 A short Japanese tanto knife with a stiffening rib looks more like an American tanto |
Stiffening rib (approximately in the middle) |
Rarer executions of tanto (as well as wakizashi, katanas and naginata) are presented in the figure below.
Photo of tanto. Different geometries of Japanese bladesHistory of the tanto sword
In Japan, tanto long story- to this day:
| Eras of production | Period | Event |
| Koto, "old swords" | Heian (794 - 1185) | The appearance of tanto. Rough, not artistic |
| Gempei war (War of Minamoto and Tairo) |
Tanto was included in the war armament:
|
|
| Kamakura | High quality, very artistic, mainly for samurai. The most famous tanto master is Yoshimitsu. |
|
| Muromachi | Peak production | |
| Mamoyama (1573-1599) | ||
| Shinto, "new swords" | Edo (1600-1868) | At first, production decreased, but Japanese daggers became popular among the people. Then production increased, but quality fell. Gradually they began to fall out of use, becoming a tribute to tradition. |
| Shin-Shinto, "new new swords") | ||
| Meiji Dynasty (1868-1912) | The second birth is among aristocrats, ninjas and yakuza. Weapons are produced industrially |
|
| Gendai, "modern" (1876 - 1945) | Edict of Haitori (1876) | Samurai eliminated Carrying weapons is prohibited. Tanto goes out of use |
| 1940-1945 | Mass production of steel tanta for military purposes | |
| Shinshaku, "Newest" (after 1945 ) | 1950 – Law “On Cultural Heritage” | Tanto is included in the list of traditional weapons that need to be protected and preserved. Exception: steel tantos of the Second World War, forged on a quick fix. They are not considered cultural property and are destroyed so as not to disgrace the national treasure |
| 1954 | The production of weapons using ancient technologies is allowed - but only by licensed blacksmiths. Currently, of the 650+ such manufacturers, about half are working |
After the 1950s, nothing interesting happened regarding tanto in Japan. But thirty years later, the tanto was reincarnated - in America, in the form of a combat knife.
Manufacturing history
In the USA there was just a massive craze for Japanese martial arts, and knife makers took advantage of this.
| Year | Event | Advertising | Image |
| 1978 | American Chinese Bob Lam creates a knife that looks like a miniature samurai sword, with the same Japanese name - tanto. |  |
|
| 1979 | Individual blacksmiths picked up the style. Due to high demand, tanto production has been put into production. | Increase in tanto models on the market. | |
| 1980 | Phil Hutsfield promotes a simplified version of the tanto - with a rough chisel sharpening and a simple handle (sometimes the tang was simply wrapped with long epoxy-impregnated cords). | Swordsman Toshiro Obata cuts rice straw mats (tatami omote). Navy SEALs order tantos from Phil Hutsfield (and get them at half price). |
 |
| 1981 | Ernest Emerson develops and mass-produces folding tantos. | Again for the Navy SEALs. The knife has a lot of trendy attributes, including a lock and a clip. |
 |
| 1982 | Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel is mass-producing tantos, both regular and folding. | It pierces a car door, the skin of an airplane, and metal barrels several times in a row. Experiences lethality on a Mexican pig farm. Forms a myth about special strength and penetration. |
 |
Greetings to knife lovers. In this instruction we will look at how you can simply do small knife tanto. The Japanese came up with this knife design, and initially it was a combat sword. But experience shows that this knife profile is excellent for a regular knife. It is convenient, it is easy for them to plan, cut, and so on.
Making a knife is not difficult, the most difficult thing will be making the bevels, but if you have a belt sander, then this should not pose any problems. The most important thing is to choose high-quality steel for your knife. The author used good steel grade 01. This steel is good because it is very easily hardened, and it can be hardened using a torch and a container of oil. Tempering steel can be done in a household oven. This steel contains as much as 1% carbon, which means that the metal becomes quite strong after hardening. In addition, this steel grade also contains manganese (1.2%), silicon (0.75%), chromium (0.5%), vanadium (0.20%) and tungsten (0.5%).
Thanks to this composition, the steel is hardened to a hardness of 60 HRC. And thanks to the presence of chromium, steel is resistant to rust. So, let's take a closer look at how to make such a knife!
Materials and tools that the author needed:
List of materials:
- steel 01 or other similar;
- plastic or wood for linings;
- steel or brass tubes (for pins);
- epoxy adhesive.
List of tools:
- belt grinder;
- drilling machine;
- polishing agents;
- vices and clamps;
- forge furnace, household oven, hardening oil;
- band cutting saw.
Knife making process:
Step one. Preparing and cutting out the main profile
First you need to come up with or find a ready-made profile for a knife or tanto sword on the Internet. On a computer it can be reduced to required sizes, and then print it on the printer. Cut out the resulting template using scissors and stationery knife. We glue the paper template to the workpiece, in our case it is 01 steel. Immediately mark the places for the holes on the metal so that you can center the template if something happens.
Step two. Grinding
So, we have a rough profile ready, now we need to process it along the contour to get what we need. A belt sander is very suitable for these purposes. We grind the remaining corners and get the finished blade profile.
Step three. Forming bevels
This is the most crucial moment in making a knife. The bevels of these types of knives are quite wide, and the blade gradually gains thickness. Thanks to this profile, the blade is very sharp, like a razor. First we need to mark everything, take a black marker and paint over the place where the blade will be. Next, we take a drill of exactly the same thickness as our workpiece and draw a center line on a flat plane. Now we will have a shiny line in the center, and we need to sand off all the black that remains.
To form bevels, the author has a special clamp that allows you to form the desired profile. First, we work with a coarse-grained belt, remove the base metal, and then go over it with a finer grained belt. Before grinding work the author weighed the workpiece, its weight was 232 grams.
Step four. Preparing the overlays
For overlays you can use various materials, most often this is a tree. But our author prefers to use synthetic materials type of plastic. They are good because they do not require subsequent impregnation, are durable, are not afraid of moisture, and so on. We apply the shank to the material and cut out two overlays.
Step five. Drilling holes
Next, take the blade and drill two holes for the pins. The author's pins are quite large diameter, he used tubes. First we drill holes of small diameter, and then we drill them out to the desired size.
In addition, the author drills another 10 holes of smaller diameter. These holes are needed to make the handle lighter, and this way the linings will stick better. The peculiarity of this knife is that the blade itself should be heavier than the handle, this will allow you to apply the correct force when cutting. Before similar works It is better to wrap the blade with electrical tape to avoid injury.
Step six. Quenching and tempering
When the blade is completely ready, we harden it. To do this we use a forge furnace or gas burner. We bring the blade to a yellowish glow; in this state, a magnet should not be attracted to it. Well, then we cool the blade in oil, this is how 01 steel is hardened. After hardening, the blade should not be taken with a file.
But hardening is only half the battle; after it, the blade will be very strong, but at the same time very fragile. We need to make it a little more elastic so that it springs back. Thanks to these properties, steel will no longer shatter when falling on concrete and so on. For these purposes, put the knife in a household oven for an hour or so. The temperature should be around 200 degrees Celsius. Then turn off the oven and let it cool with the knife closed. Now we have all tempered the steel, and we have a blade of excellent quality.
Step seven. Cleaning and polishing
After hardening, the steel will darken; this coating can be cleaned off and the steel polished. However, steel 01 is resistant to rust, and if you use another steel, then this coating can be left, it will not allow the metal to rust. First we process the blade on a belt grinding machine fine grain belt. And then you can proceed to manual processing. We clamp the shank with a clamp and grind the blade with fine sandpaper using special remedy or plain water. Then we polish the blade until mirror shine if needed. When everything is ready, wrap the blade with electrical tape again so as not to hurt your hands and not scratch the knife itself.
Step eight. Glue the handle
To glue the handle we use epoxy glue. We apply it to the linings, install the pins, and then we compress the whole thing thoroughly in a vice and clamps. We leave the glue to dry for a day, this is usually enough. We immediately wipe off any remaining glue so that there is less sanding to do later.