Tanto Tanto Walter A. Burleigh (Tantō)

Category="Japanese swords"Category="Knives"[image] [image] A Tantō (短刀) is a Japanese Knife or Dagger with a blade length of about 15 - 30 cm (6" - 12"). There is a disputed saying about the tantō, Wakizashi, and Katana stating they are "the same sword in different lengths." The Tantō differs from the others as it was designed primarily as a Stabbing instrument, but the edge can be used to Slash as well.

Tantō are forged generally in hira-zukuri, meaning that they have no ridge-line, unlike the shinogi-zukuri shape of a katana. They were generally very thin and therefore would cut soft targets extremely well.

It was sometimes worn as the shōto in place of a Wakizashi in a Daisho

See also