Japanese Tantos, Samurai Tantos and Functional Tantos

The tanto is a Japanese dagger. Unlike most daggers, though, the tanto was not merely a scaled down version of the sword, but instead, a completely unique piece, one that was forged with different techniques to suit the different form. Here at Dark Knight Armoury, many of our functional oriental tantos echo this notion, in that they resemble their parent sword, but also differ slightly in form and detail. This practice makes the designs complementary, while also making each tanto an individual piece, one that stands alone thanks to its unique detail and form. Historically, tanto were originally paired with tachi swords the precursor to the katana, and were worn at all times, even when the larger sword was politely left at the door when visiting another castle or home. As time passed, the tanto gradually fell out of use as a battle implement, but it was never left far behind, as the tanto took on a more ceremonial position, as the blade of choice for indoor defense alongside the wakizashi, as well as the sole blade for use with seppuku, the samurai ceremonial ritual for suicide. Our offered tantos come in a variety of shapes and forms, some possessing a straight-forward and effective look worthy of any samurai warrior, while others are a bit more ornate and look like the sword of blade that a daimyo or shogun might have favored. Some even resemble kaiken, which were marital daggers that samurai wives carried at all times. For the complete look of a samurai warrior, a tanto is a must-have, and there is no better place to select a fine, functional oriental tanto than right here at Dark Knight Armoury.