A is a traditionally made Japanese knife () that was worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate. were used in traditional martial arts () and in the seppuku suicide ritual. The term has seen a resurgence in the West since the 1980s as referring to a point style of modern tactical knives, designed for piercing or stabbing, though the style is not present on any traditional tantō.

A Tanto knife may refer to an American style of blade based on the Japanese , usually with a squared rather than curved tip.

Description

thumb|left|, by [[Hikoshiro Sadamune|Sadamune. Kamakura period. National Treasure. Tokyo National Museum.]]

The is a single or double edged dagger with a length between (1 Japanese ). The was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well.

are generally forged in the style (without a ridgeline), meaning that their sides have no ridge line and are nearly flat, unlike the structure of a katana. Some have particularly thick cross-sections for armor-piercing duty, and are called .

were mostly carried by samurai; commoners did not generally wear them. Women sometimes carried a small called a in their , primarily for self-defense. were sometimes worn as the in place of a in a , especially on the battlefield. Before the advent of the combination, it was common for a samurai to carry a and a as opposed to a katana and a .

History of in Japan

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:

  • Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900 AD)
  • Kotō (old swords from around 900–1596)
  • Shintō (new swords 1596–1780)
  • Shinshintō (new new swords 1781–1876)
  • Gendaitō (modern swords 1876–1945)
  • Shinsakutō (newly made swords 1953–present)

Heian to Muromachi periods

thumb|upright=1.2|right| made by Soshu Yukimitsu. [[Kamakura period. National Treasure (top). Mounting for a made by Soshu Yukimitsu. Edo period (bottom), Tokyo National Museum]]

thumb|upright=1.2|right| Hyuga [[Masamune with koshirae (mounting) and kumihimo cord, National Treasure, Mitsui Memorial Museum]]

The was invented partway through the Heian period. With the beginning of the Kamakura period, were forged to be more aesthetically pleasing, and and became the most popular styles. Near the middle of the Kamakura period, more artisans were seen, increasing the abundance of the weapon, and the style became prevalent in the cities of Kyoto and Yamato. Because of the style introduced by the in the late Kamakura period, began to be forged longer and wider. The introduction of the Hachiman faith became visible in the carvings in the hilts around this time. The (line of temper) is similar to that of the , except for the absence of , which is and . and are found to have taken its place.

During the era of the Northern and Southern Courts, the were forged to be up to in length, as opposed to the normal one (about ) length. The blades became thinner between the and the , and wider between the and . At this point in time, two styles of were prevalent: the older style, which was subtle and artistic, and the newer, more popular style. With the beginning of the Muromachi period, constant fighting caused the mass production of blades, meaning that with higher demand, lower-quality blades were manufactured. Blades that were custom-forged still were of exceptional quality, but the average blade suffered greatly. As the end of the period neared, the average blade narrowed and the curvature shallowed.

Katana originate from , a kind of used by lower-ranking samurai who fought on foot in the Kamakura period. Their main weapon was a long , with the as a spare weapon. In the Nanboku-chō period, which corresponds to the early Muromachi period, long weapons such as were popular, and along with this, the lengthened, taking its form as the katana.

Momoyama to the early Edo period

thumb|upright=1.1|The "Hōraisan Kotetsu" forged by [[Nagasone Kotetsu is one of the .]]

Approximately 250 years of peace accompanied the unification of Japan, in which there was little need for blades. In this period, both the katana and were invented, taking the place of the and as the most-used pair of weapons, and the number of forged was severely decreased. Since this period, have often been carved with splendid decorations. Of the and forged during this period, three masterpieces are called the .

Late Edo period

thumb|left|upright=1.1|In the Edo period, decorative mountings were attached to old . A forged by Hasebe Kunishige. [[Nanboku-chō period (top); mounting, late Edo period (bottom).]]

There were still a few being forged during the late Edo period, and the ones that were forged reflected the work of the Kamakura, Nambokucho, or Muromachi eras. Suishinshi Masahide was a main contributor towards the forging of during this age.

remained in use among twentieth century yakuza (gangsters) since they could be carried as a concealed weapon more easily than a katana. A is also traditionally used in the yubitsume ritual (cutting off part of a finger as an act of submission or atonement).

American and European interest in Japanese martial arts since the war created a demand for the outside Japan from the 1960s through the present time.

  • : A form that is commonly described as a short, wide, . The () was one of the blade type that the legendary swordsmith Masamune favored.

Mountings ()

thumb|right| Antique Japanese shown dis-assembled, with [[Kozuka and Kogai, British Museum]]

  • : The is a where the is flush with the mouth of the sheath. There is no handguard. normally have plain wooden hilts, and many forms of have that are made from animal horns.
  • : The is a that features a small handguard.

Western Tanto

A popular style of blade, known simply as a Tanto in the US and Europe, is similar in style to the Tantō except that the tip is squared at a shearing angle instead of curved.

The shearing angle may facilitate the stabbing effectiveness of the blade, and make the process of sharpening simpler.

thumb|An American style Tanto knife

This style of blade is commercially popular, and was used by CIA field agents in the wake of 9/11.

The Bundeswehr is among the few militaries (if not the only) that issues a "tantō"-style military knife in significant numbers. It is designated as the KM2000.

Other

thumb|

  • : The (also or ) is a generally short that is commonly carried in or mounts. It was useful for self-defense indoors where the long katana and intermediate were inconvenient. Women carried them in the obi for self-defense and rarely for (ritual suicide). A woman received a as part of her wedding gifts.
  • Fan : The fan is a common with a blade entirely concealed within a fan-shaped scabbard. The blade was usually low quality, as this was not designed to be a display piece, but rather a concealed weapon for self-defense.
  • : Japanese spearheads were often altered so that it became possible to mount them as . Unlike most blades, had triangular cross-sections. The primary purpose of the was to pierce (chain mail).
  • : This is also not truly a , though it is often used and thought of as one. were straight, double-edged blades often used for Buddhist rituals, and could be made from spearheads that were broken or cut shorter. They were often given as offerings from sword smiths when they visited a temple. The hilt of the may be found made with a vajra (double thunderbolt related to Buddhism).
  • Modern : Modern tactical knives have been made by knife makers Bob Lum, Phill Hartsfield, Ernest Emerson, Allen Elishewitz, Bob Terzuola, Strider Knives, Harold J. "Kit" Carson, Benchmade, Camillus Cutlery Company, Spyderco, Severtech, Ka-Bar, SOG Knives, Columbia River Knife & Tool, and Cold Steel. These "American " designs which are often folding knives, feature a thick spine on the blade that goes from the tang to the tip for increased tip strength. The handle shape may be altered slightly to provide better ergonomics.

Use in martial arts

with blunt wooden or blunt plastic blades are used to practice martial arts. Versions with a blunt metal blade are used in more advanced training and in demonstrations. Martial arts that employ the include:

  • Aikido
  • Aikijutsu
  • Jujutsu
  • Wadō-ryū (both and katana)
  • Koryu bujutsu
  • Ninjutsu
  • Shorinji Kempo
  • Modern Arnis (taking place of dagger)
  • can be seen in many jidaigeki and chanbara films, especially those depicting seppuku, such as Harakiri (1962).
  • also appear in many yakuza films, where they are used in fights and stabbings among yakuza, and in the yubitsume (finger-cutting) ritual. Examples include Kinji Fukasaku's many yakuza films of the 1970s, and the Hollywood film The Yakuza (1974).
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles features knives used by April O'Neil, Leonardo, and Splinter in the 2012 version, and also by the Shredder in the 1990 version and Karai in the 2003 version.
  • appear in many video games set in Japan, such as the 2020 samurai themed game Ghost of Tsushima, in which the protagonist uses a for stealth kills.
  • The 2012 video game Hitman: Absolution enables players to pick up and use a weapon called the 'Agency Tanto Knife' on levels where Agent 47 fights a rogue sect of his employers, the International Contract Agency
  • In the light novel series, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, the Greek deity Hephaestus crafted the Hestia Knife, divine knife designed after a Tanto which became Bell Cranel's signature weapon.
  • A tanto is a possible weapon of Fujibayashi Naoe in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

See also

  • List of daggers
  • Fighting knife
  • Japanese sword

References

  • Nihonto forum
  • Japanese Sword Index and Visual Glossary