Tanto (translated as "short sword") is a samurai dagger. Initially, in Japan, such knives were used to pierce armor. Classic tantos had a blade up to 30 cm long and were worn as an addition to a katana or wakizashi. In addition to being used in close combat, as is known, tantos were also used in Japan as ritual weapons. Few people know, but tantos were worn not only by samurai, but also by merchants, as a weapon of self-defense. And Japanese high society women hid small tantos (kaiken) in their kimono belts.
Historical tantos had a sharp raised tip and one-sided sharpening. The modern form of the tanto blade with a beveled tip is not authentic. It is an Americanized version of the classic Japanese blade. The design of the tanto blade was developed by Bob Lum, and this idea was picked up by Linn Thompson and Ernst Emerson - they were the ones who popularized the American tanto style knives for knife fighting.
Modern brands such as Cold Steel, Böker, Extrema Ratio, Kershaw produce tanto knives with a high-strength blade for tactical use.
