Master Tanto
There isn't a person working in the knife industry today that knows more about the Tanto than Cold Steel does. It was, after all, Cold Steel who invented and popularized this knife style in the early 1980's. Cold Steel has been producing Tanto's for more than 25 years now, and there is still no factory or custom knife maker around making a Tanto that can approach the cutting, slashing or piercing power of one that is manufactured by Cold Steel.
All of Cold Steel's Tantos feature a deep lustrous satin finish on the hollow ground blade bevels and a contrasting line grain finish on the blade flats. This technique highlights state of the art grinding methods and emphasizes the Cold Steel Tanto's unique appearance. In addition, the Tantos come with their famous flattened oval Kraton handle. The oval shape provides a solid grip and resists rolling or twisting in the hand under hard use, the kind that, over time, would destroy a lesser knife. The use of Kraton in knife handles is another Cold Steel innovation. Kraton is an unparalleled space age material that won't crack or rot and is immune to the ravages of bad weather.
The tapered, solid steel pommel is another important Tanto feature that should not be ignored. Lynn Thompson designed it to concentrate the full force of a crushing blow in a small area so that even a moderately powerful blow can be remarkably effective in disarming or otherwise incapacitating an attacker.
Each of the knives in the Tanto Series included a thick, high quality black leather sheath that is sure to give years of hard service and keep your Tanto at your side, ready for action.
The Master Tanto features a six inch, VG-1 San Mai III blade with a restyled guard for increased finger protection.
Master Tanto
| Blade steel | VG-1 San Mai III |
| Rc hardness | 56-58 |
| Blade length | 6" |
| Length overall | 11 1/2" | | Blade thickness | 3/16" |
| Weight | 9.5 oz |
| Made in | Japan |
More about San Mai III steel:
San Mai means "three layers". It's the term given to the traditional laminated blades used by the Japanese for swords and daggers. Laminated construction is important because it allows different grades of steel to be combined in a single blade. A simple way to think of this type of construction is to imagine a sandwich: The meat center is hard, high carbon steel and the pieces of bread on either side are the lower-carbon, tough side panels. The edge of the blade should be hard to maximize edge holding ability, but if the entire blade was hard it could be damaged during the rigors of battle. For ultimate toughness the body of the blade must be able to withstand impact and lateral stresses. Toughness is generally associated with "softness" and "flexibility" in steel, so that, surprisingly, if a blade is made "tough" the edge won't be hard enough to offer superior edge holding. San Mai III provides a blade with hard (higher carbon) steel in the middle for a keen, long lasting edge and tougher (lower-carbon) steel along the sides for flexibility.
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