Tanto Knife

Fighting Knives: Knife Basics

Fighting knives are a type of knife that are designed to be used for fighting – self defense, military, law enforcement, etc. If you are planning on purchasing a fighting knife, there are a few characteristics that you will want to consider:

Blade Length

Most fighting knives have a blade between 5” and 8″ long. This length is short enough to be easily controlled and handles with one hand, while long enough to be effective and deadly.

Blade Shape

The two primary blade shapes used for fighting knives are Tanto and Clip. The tanto blade has an angled point (instead of a curved one) and is primarily designed for stabbing and piercing. A good clip blade can be used for slashing/cutting or stabbing/piercing.

Blade Material

Usually, you want a knife made of a quality high carbon steel. Choose a steel that is strong and holds an edge well. Usually, you will not need to the blade to be stainless steel. Just keep it oiled.

Handle Construction

Fighting knives usually need to have a quillon, or other guard to keep your hand from accidentally sliding up onto the blade of the knife. The handle should be easy to grip firmly and use in a variety of positions.

Price

You don’t need to go broke to buy a good fighting knife. Most good knives run anywhere from about $40 to $150. You can find a few for less than this, and there are quite a few more expensive ones, but you certainly don’t need to spend over $100 or so to get a good knife. A good example of a popular, quality fighting knife is the US Marine Corp Fighting Knife, which is made by Kabar. You can this knife for well under $100.

Laws

You should be aware that laws regarding knives vary from area to area. You should check your state and local laws before your purchase a fighting knife.

About the Author

Check out our selection of fighting knives by Ka-Bar, Cold Steel, Kershaw, and others. All knives we sell are priced well below retail. Every knife we sell is backed by our 100% money back guarantee. Click here to view our fighting knife selection.

Cold Steel Recon Tanto Knife – Demonstration & Review

Maxam® Fixed Blade Knife $22.90 Features stainless steel honed Tanto blade with black non-glare finish, G-10 handle and leather sheath. Measures 13-7/8 inches overall, with a 7-3/4 inch blade. Limited lifetime warranty. Gift boxed.Stainless Steel Honed Tanto BladeBlack Non-Glare FinishG-10 HandleLeather SheathMeasures 13-7/8 inches Overall, with a 7-3/4 inch bladeLimited Lifetime Warranty…

Shun Classic Tanto Slicing Knife (9) DM0734 – Shun Classic Tanto Slicing (9″) Knife from KAI USA, PakkaWood Handle Check into the 9in. Tanto Slicing Knife from Shun for true slicing capability. It can slice its way through anything from Christmas ham to a whole chicken for the pot. Just make sure your fingers get out of the way quick. Made with sixteen layers of high carbon steel on each side, the blade is the VG-10, super steel, whi…

Entrek USA Knives Jag 440C Stainless Tanto Blade $129.95 Entrek Knives New Knives that are made in the USA Materials from US companies Heat treating done at Blanchard Metals Processing in Salt Lake City, Utah Ground blanks are heated in a vacuum furnace then air quenched, tempered, subzero stabalized and redrawn to 57-58 RC which gives the best all round performance Entrek Jag 9″ overall 4 3/8″ 440C stainless tanto blade Bead blast finish…

Citadel Knives 162 Damascus Hunting Tanto Fixed Blade Knife with Rosewood Handles & Blood Groove $256.68 Citadel Knives – Damascus Hunting Tanto Fixed Blade Knife with Rosewood Handles & Blood Groove: Model CD-162. 15 1/8″ overall. 9 1/8″ Damascus steel blade with blood groove. Rosewood handle with tooled black finish steel guard. Brown leather belt sheath and nylon zipper storage pouch included. Hand forged and hand made in Phnom Penh, Cambodia….

Tops Knives CQT303TP Close Quarters Tanto Point Tactical Folder Linerlock Knife $132.95 Tops Knives – Close Quarters Tanto Point Tactical Folder Linerlock Knife: Model TP-CQT303TP. 4 5/8″ closed linerlock. 154CM stainless tanto blade with dual thumb studs and black nickel boride finish. Black textured G-10 handles with reversible steel pocket clip. Made in USA….

Tanto Jitsu Samurai Knife Arts …

Mtech ChainLink Tactical Folding Pocket Knife with Aluminum Handle $4.64 This designer collector’s knife features a metal fence design on the blade and a melt in your hand grip. The jet black blade is forged of 440 stainless steel and fits perfectly in you pocket or use the clip and have it at your side. Features: 5 inches closed 3.75 inches blade 8.75 inches overall 440 stainless steel blade; Metal fence graphic on blade; Perfectly cut grip to fit great in your hand….

Master Cutlery HK-106320 Outdoor Fixed Blade Knife, 7.5-Inch Overall $4.95 This is the Mini Full Tang Survival Knife Magnesium Fire Starter. The Blade of the knife has been constructed from 440 Stainless Steel with a tanto point. The sheath is tough green nylon with a belt loop. The knife includes a magnesium rod fire starter….

Smith & Wesson CK5TBS Bullseye Extreme Ops 4.1 40% Serrated Black Tanto Blade $8.99 Smith & Wesson has long been a name synonymous with fine Outdoor gear. S&W Extreme OPS tactical folders are one of the most popular in the S&W line.Blade length: 3.22″Closed length: 4.06″ Steel: 440C StainlessHandle: Black Aluminum…

Japanese Silk Wrapped Handles with Don Polzien (2 DVDs) $45.00 Don Polzien has been making all types of knives for over 15 years. He specializes in traditional Japanese pieces, especially Tanto Knives (short blades 12 inches and shorter). These consist of many blade styles, as well as endless varieties of Saya (Scabbards) and fittings. In this DVD Don will take you step-by-step from material selection to tools required as well as give you his insight on how t…